Tunable Kernel-Nulling interferometry for direct exoplanet detection

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Foriel, Vincent, Martinache, Frantz, Mary, David
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Foriel, Vincent
Martinache, Frantz
Mary, David
author_facet Foriel, Vincent
Martinache, Frantz
Mary, David
contents Nulling interferometry is a promising technique for direct detection of exoplanets. However, the performance of current devices is limited by different perturbations sources and especially by its sensitivity to any phase aberrations. The work presented here attempts to overcome those limitations by using a four-telescopes nulling interferometer architecture, called Kernel-Nuller, which includes a recombiner that positions the four signals in phase quadrature. This architecture is based on an integrated optical component containing 14 electronically controlled phase shifters, used to correct optical path differences that would be induced by manufacturing defects. The first part of the study consists in the development of an algorithm providing the delays to be injected into the component to optimize the performance of that device. The next step of this study deals with the analysis of the intensity distributions produced at the output of the Kernel-Nuller through a series of observations. Then we apply statistical tests and data treatment techniques to detect the signature of an exoplanets.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_19055
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Tunable Kernel-Nulling interferometry for direct exoplanet detection
Foriel, Vincent
Martinache, Frantz
Mary, David
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Nulling interferometry is a promising technique for direct detection of exoplanets. However, the performance of current devices is limited by different perturbations sources and especially by its sensitivity to any phase aberrations. The work presented here attempts to overcome those limitations by using a four-telescopes nulling interferometer architecture, called Kernel-Nuller, which includes a recombiner that positions the four signals in phase quadrature. This architecture is based on an integrated optical component containing 14 electronically controlled phase shifters, used to correct optical path differences that would be induced by manufacturing defects. The first part of the study consists in the development of an algorithm providing the delays to be injected into the component to optimize the performance of that device. The next step of this study deals with the analysis of the intensity distributions produced at the output of the Kernel-Nuller through a series of observations. Then we apply statistical tests and data treatment techniques to detect the signature of an exoplanets.
title Tunable Kernel-Nulling interferometry for direct exoplanet detection
topic Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.19055