Spring 2012 course

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Modern Astronomical Optics

Spring 2012 topic: Observing Exoplanets

Letures and additional material for the course "Modern Astronomical Optics - Observing Exoplanets" (offered to graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Arizona)

This course provides an overview of astronomical optical systems and techniques for the observation of exoplanets. It introduces astronomical and optical concepts related to exoplanets observations. By focusing on a particularly challenging observational problem of modern astronomy, the course will teach design and analysis of ultra high precision optical systems and measurement techniques, including spectroscopy, photometry, optical metrology and interferometry.

Lectures

Introduction to course

1. Course introduction, Fundamentals of astronomical imaging systems

This part of the course serves as an introduction to the course, and introduces fundamental concepts of astronomy and optics which will be explored in more details during the rest of the course. Connect astronomy to telescope and instrument requirements. Introduction of units used for astronomy and how they relate to radiometric quantities.

• 2012-01-12: Introduction to course [pdf]
• 2012-01-12: Fundamentals of astronomical imaging systems [pdf]

• 2012-01-17: Guest lecture, making large astronomical mirrors , B. Martin (Mirror Lab)

2. Brief Introduction to Exoplanets

• 2012-01-19: Introduction to Exoplanets observations [pdf]

3. Spectroscopic detection and characterization of exoplanets

• Fundamentals of radial velocity exoplanet measurements
• Spectral calibration to m/s level and below
• Spectrograph design for radial velocity measurement

• 2012-01-24: Introduction to spectroscopic observations for exoplanets [pdf]
• 2012-01-24: Fundamendals of spectroscopy (1/2) [pdf]
• 2012-01-26: Fundamendals of spectroscopy (2/2) [pdf]
• 2012-01-31: Radial velocity [pdf]

4. Photometry: Transits and Microlensing

• Introduction to exoplanet transits
• What can we learn about exoplanets from transits ?: from statistical information to characterization of individual systems
• Transit spectroscopy
• Transit timing variations
• Effect of photon noise, scintillation (for ground-based systems)
• Transit Photometry from space
• Microlensing

• 2012-02-02: Introduction to transit observations for exoplanets [pdf]
• 2012-02-07: Telescope design [pdf]
• 2012-02-09: Transit observations [pdf]
• 2012-02-14: Microlensing [pdf]

5. Astrometry

• Astrometric signatures of exoplanets
• Astrometry with interferometers
• Astrometry in imaging systems

• 2012-02-16: Astrometry for exoplanets [pdf]

6. Interferometric techniques

• Detecting dust around nearby stars with interferometers
• Nulling on sparse apertures
• Single aperture techniques

• 2012-02-21: Introduction to interferometry [pdf]
• 2012-02-28: Combining beams in an interferometer [pdf]
• 2012-03-01: Phase and amplitude correction, calibration [pdf]
• 2012-03-06: Interferometric testing of optics (lecture given by J. Burge)
• 2012-03-08: Interferometry on a single aperture [pdf]

7. Direct Imaging: Coronagraphy

• Introduction to Coronagraphic techniques
• Exoplanet science with coronagraphic imaging
• Coronagraphy principles
• Coronagraph systems for ground and space

• 2012-03-20: Introduction to high contrast imaging [pdf]
• 2012-03-22: Lyot Coronagraph [pdf]
• 2012-03-27: Fundamentals of Coronagraphy [pdf]
• 2012-03-29: Coronagraph concepts [pdf]

8. Wavefront sensing and control techniques

• Introduction to adaptive optics
• Wavefront quality and stability requirements for high contrast imaging
• High precision wavefront sensing techniques
• Wavefront control systems for high contrast imaging : space and ground

• 2012-04-03: Introduction to adaptive optics [pdf]
• 2012-04-10: Atmospheric turbulence [pdf]
• 2012-04-12: Wavefront sensing [pdf]
• 2012-04-17: Wavefront correction [pdf]
• 2012-04-19: System design, closing the loop [pdf]
• 2012-04-24: Extreme-AO systems for high contrast imaging

9. Summary of existing and future techniques, complementarity

• 2012-05-01: Summary of existing and future techniques, complementarity

Team Projects

Textbooks

• Astronomical Optics (Shroeder)
• Exoplanets (Seager)