The Planet Detection Testbed has been developed to simulate and test the detection process for an infrared nulling interferometer observing an earthlike planet orbiting a nearby star within about 15 pc of the solar system. The testbed combines eight beams of infrared light, four from the star and four from the planet, simulating an ‘Xa-rray’ telescope spacecraft formation. The detection process involves stable nulling of the starlight, rotation of the spacecraft formation, averaging over a few hours and testing of the signal against predicted exoplanet signatures. The testbed simulates all parts of the detection process except operation in broadband light, which is a planned upgrade for the future. This paper describes the latest results and plans for exoplanet signal simulation, deep starlight nulling and planet detection at star to planet contrast ratios of one million to one. These results are planned to demonstrate the feasibility of exoplanet detection using nulling interferometry at near-flightlike contrast ratios.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Demonstration of the exoplanet detection process using four-beam nulling interferometry


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2009-03-01


    Size :

    504674 byte





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Multi-Axial Interferometry: Demonstration of Deep Nulling

    Buisset, C. / European Space Agency / Centre Nationale d'Etudes Spatiales | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2006


    Multi-axial interferometry: demonstration of deep nulling

    Buisset, Christophe / Rejeaunier, Xavier / Rabbia, Yves et al. | SPIE | 2017

    Free access

    Nulling Interferometry

    Serabyn, G. | NTRS | 2000


    Vortex fiber nulling for exoplanet observations

    Batalha, Natasha / Wang, Jason / Wallace, J. Kent et al. | NTRS | 2019


    Telescopes in Near Space: Balloon Exoplanet Nulling Interferometer (BigBENI)

    Lyon, Richard G. / Clampin, Mark / Petrone, Peter et al. | NTRS | 2012