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Martin, S. R.

Publications and source records attributed to Martin, S. R..

7 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2008

Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer: 2007-2008 Progress and Plans

This paper provides an overview of technology development for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I). TPF-I is a mid-infrared space interferometer being designed with the capability of detecting Earth-like planets in the habitable zones around nearby stars. The overall technology roadmap is presented and progress with each of the testbeds is summarized. The current interferometer architecture, design trades, and the viability of possible reduced-scope mission concepts are also presented.

formation flying↗
NASA NTRS2006

Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer Technology Status and Plans

A viewgraph presentation on the technology status and plans for Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer is shown. The topics include: 1) The Navigator Program; 2) TPF-I Project Overview; 3) Project Organization; 4) Technology Plan for TPF-I; 5) TPF-I Testbeds; 6) Nulling Error Budget; 7) Nulling Testbeds; 8) Nulling Requirements; 9) Achromatic Nulling Testbed; 10) Single Mode Spatial Filter Technology; 11) Adaptive Nuller Testbed; 12) TPF-I: Planet Detection Testbed (PDT); 13) Planet Detection Testbed Phase Modulation Experiment; and 14) Formation Control Testbed.

Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF)↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Keck Interferometer Nuller: System Architecture and Laboratory Performance

The first high-dynamic-range interferometric mode planned to come on line at the Keck Observatory is mid-infrared nulling. This observational mode, which is based on the cancellation of the on-axis starlight arriving at the win Keck telescopes, will be used to examine nearby stellar systems for the presence of circumstellar exozodiacal emission. This paper describes the system level layout of the Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN), as well as the final performance levels demonstrated in the laboratory integration and test phase at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory prior to shipment of the nuller hardware to the Keck Observatory in mid-June 2004. On-sky testing and observation with the mid-infrared nuller are slated to begin in August 2004.

interferometry↗
NASA NTRS2003

Mid-infrared nuller for Terrestrial Planet Finder: design progress and results

Nulling interferometry shows promise as a technique enabling investigation of faint objects such as planets and exo-zodiacal dust around nearby stars. At Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a nulling beam combiner based on a design built for the Keck Observatory in Hawaii has been used to pursue deep and stable narrowband nulls. We describe the design and layout of the Modified Mach Zehnder TPF nuller, and the results achieved in the laboratory to date. We report the stabilized 900,000 nulls achieved using a CO2 laser, and discuss the performance limitations and way forward to the deep, broadband nulls required for a space-borne nulling interferometer mission. We show briefly the results from Keck breadboard experiments: broadband transient nulls centered around 10.6 micron have been achieved ranging between 17500 at 18% bandwidth and 7500:1 at 29% bandwidth.

Serabyn, E.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Deep Nulling of laser light in a rotational shearing interferometer

There is great interest in techniques that potentially enable the direct detection of light from planets orbiting nearby stars. In one technique, nulling interfer~metry, the light from two or more separate telescopes can be destructively interfered to cancel the light from the star, allowing detection of the faint off-axis light from an orbiting planet or circumstellar disc. At the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, broadband white light nulls limited by dispersion effects have been previously reported. In this paper, we investigate other limiting effects using a monochromatic laser source. We report transient laser nulls as deep as 1 part in 10^6 and stabilized nulls as deep as 1 part in 10^5 at a wavelength of 633 nm and discuss the techniques used to obtain these nulls and the residual sources of stray light. We compare the measured performance of the rotational shearing interferometer with a theoretical model.

nulling↗