Telescope to Observe Planetary Systems (TOPS): A high throughput 1.2-m visible telescope with a small inner working angle

Olivier Guyon, James R.P. Angel, Charles Bowers, James Burge, Adam S. Burrows, Johanan Codona, Thomas Greene, Masanori Iye, James Kasting, Hubert Martin, Donald W. McCarthy, Victoria Meadows, Michael Meyer, Eugene A. Pluzhnik, Norman Sleep, Tony Spears, Motohide Tamura, Domenick Tenerelli, Robert Joseph Vanderbei, Bruce WoodgateRobert A. Woodruff, Neville J. Woolf

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Telescope to Observe Planetary Systems (TOPS) is a proposed space mission to image in the visible (0.4-0.9μzm) planetary systems of nearby stars simultaneously in 16 spectral bands (resolution R≈20). For the ≈10 most favorable stars, it will have the sensitivity to discover 2RE rocky planets within habitable zones and characterize their surfaces or atmospheres through spectrophotometry. Many more massive planets and debris discs will be imaged and characterized for the first time. With a 1.2m visible telescope, the proposed mission achieves its power by exploiting the most efficient and robust coronagraphic and wavefront control techniques. The Phase-Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) coronagraph used by TOPS allows planet detection at 2λ/d with nearly 100% throughput and preserves the telescope angular resolution. An efficient focal plane wavefront sensing scheme accurately measures wavefront aberrations which are fed back to the telescope active primary mirror. Fine wavefront control is also performed independently in each of 4 spectral channels, resulting in a system that is robust to wavefront chromaticity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation I
Subtitle of host publicationOptical, Infrared, and Millimeter
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
EventSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation I: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter - Orlando, FL, United States
Duration: May 24 2006May 31 2006

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume6265 I
ISSN (Print)0277-786X

Other

OtherSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation I: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityOrlando, FL
Period5/24/065/31/06

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Keywords

  • Adaptive Optics
  • Coronagraphy
  • Exoplanets
  • Space Telescopes

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