TY - JOUR
T1 - On-sky demonstration of a linear band-limited mask with application to visual binary stars
AU - Crepp, J.
AU - Serabyn, E.
AU - Carson, J.
AU - Ge, J.
AU - Kravchenko, I.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - We have designed and built the first band-limited coronagraphic mask used for ground-based high-contrast imaging observations. The mask resides in the focal plane of the near-infrared camera PHARO at the Palomar Hale telescope and receives a well-corrected beam from an extreme adaptive optics system. Its performance on-sky with single stars is comparable to current state-of-the-art instruments: contrast levels of ∼ 10-5 or better at 08 in K s after post-processing, depending on how well non-common-path errors are calibrated. However, given the mask's linear geometry, we are able to conduct additional unique science observations. Since the mask does not suffer from pointing errors down its long axis, it can suppress the light from two different stars simultaneously, such as the individual components of a spatially resolved binary star system, and search for faint tertiary companions. In this paper, we present the design of the mask, the science motivation for targeting binary stars, and our preliminary results, including the detection of a candidate M-dwarf tertiary companion orbiting the visual binary star HIP48337, which we are continuing to monitor with astrometry to determine its association.
AB - We have designed and built the first band-limited coronagraphic mask used for ground-based high-contrast imaging observations. The mask resides in the focal plane of the near-infrared camera PHARO at the Palomar Hale telescope and receives a well-corrected beam from an extreme adaptive optics system. Its performance on-sky with single stars is comparable to current state-of-the-art instruments: contrast levels of ∼ 10-5 or better at 08 in K s after post-processing, depending on how well non-common-path errors are calibrated. However, given the mask's linear geometry, we are able to conduct additional unique science observations. Since the mask does not suffer from pointing errors down its long axis, it can suppress the light from two different stars simultaneously, such as the individual components of a spatially resolved binary star system, and search for faint tertiary companions. In this paper, we present the design of the mask, the science motivation for targeting binary stars, and our preliminary results, including the detection of a candidate M-dwarf tertiary companion orbiting the visual binary star HIP48337, which we are continuing to monitor with astrometry to determine its association.
KW - Binaries: visual
KW - Instrumentation: adaptive optics
KW - Instrumentation: high angular resolution
KW - Planetary systems
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952829904&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/715/2/1533
DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/715/2/1533
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77952829904
SN - 0004-637X
VL - 715
SP - 1533
EP - 1538
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
IS - 2
ER -