Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer: concept and phased implementation

• Main Authors: Mawet, D., Wizinowich, P., Dekany, R., Chun, M., Hall, D., Cetre, S., Guyon, O., Wallace, J. K., Bowler, B., Liu, M., Ruane, G., Serabyn, E., Bartos, R., Wang, J., Vasisht, G., Fitzgerald, M., Skemer, A., Ireland, M., Fucik, J., Fortney, J., Crossfield, I., Hu, R., Benneke, B.
• Other Authors: Univ Arizona, Lunar & Planetary Lab
• Language: en
• Published: SPIE-INT SOC OPTICAL ENGINEERING 2016
• Subjects: Exoplanets; high contrast imaging; high contrast high resolution spectroscopy; small inner working angle coronagraphy; vortex coronagraph; on-axis segmented telescopes; apodization; Extremely Large Telescopes
• Online Access: D. Mawet ; P. Wizinowich ; R. Dekany ; M. Chun ; D. Hall ; S. Cetre ; O. Guyon ; J. K. Wallace ; B. Bowler ; M. Liu ; G. Ruane ; E. Serabyn ; R. Bartos ; J. Wang ; G. Vasisht ; M. Fitzgerald ; A. Skemer ; M. Ireland ; J. Fucik ; J. Fortney ; I. Crossfield ; R. Hu and B. Benneke " Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer: concept and phased implementation ", Proc. SPIE 9909, Adaptive Optics Systems V, 99090D (July 26, 2016); doi:10.1117/12.2233658; http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2233658; http://hdl.handle.net/10150/622026; http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/622026

The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) is a cost-effective upgrade path to the W.M. Keck observatory (WMKO) adaptive optics (AO) system, building on the lessons learned from first and second-generation extreme AO (ExA0) coronagraphs. KPIC will explore new scientific niches in exoplanet science, while maturing critical technologies and systems for future ground-based (TMT, FELT, GMT) and space-based planet imagers (HabEx, LUVOIR). The advent of fast low-noise IR cameras (IR-APD, MKIDS, electron injectors), the rapid maturing of efficient wavefront sensing (WFS) techniques (Pyramid, Zernike), small inner working angle (IWA) coronagraphs (e.g., vortex) and associated low-order wavefront sensors (LOWFS), as well as recent breakthroughs in high contrast high resolution spectroscopy, open new direct exoplanet exploration avenues that are complementary to planet imagers such as VLT-SPHERE and the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI). For instance, the search and detailed characterization of planetary systems on solar-system scales around late-type stars, mostly beyond SPHERE and GPI's reaches, can be initiated now at WMKO.