Klaus Hodapp (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii), Motohide Tamurab (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), Ryuji Suzuki (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), Shane Jacobson (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii), Vern Stahlberger (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii), Hubert Yamada (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii), Hideki Takami (Subaru Telescope), Olivier Guyon (Subaru Telescope), Lyu Abe (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)
Keywords: Adaptive Optics
Abstract:
The Hi-Contrast Coronographic Imager for Adaptive Optics (HiCIAO) is a new instrument being designed at the Institute for Astronomy for the Japanese National Observatory Subaru 8.3m telescope on Mauna Kea. The new HiCIAO will supercede the capabilities of the existing CIAO (Coronographic Imager for Adaptive Optics) that is currently in use at the Subaru Telescope. HiCIAO will be used in conjunction with a new, high-order, curvature-sensing, bimorph-mirror adaptive optics system currently under construction. This new adaptive optics system will have 188 actuators and will therefore achieve better Strehl ratios than the current generation of adaptive optics systems. HiCIAO is designed for use at the Nasmyth focus of the Subaru Telescope. HiCIAO consists or a system of ambient temperature coronographic foreoptics and Wollaston beamsplitters and of an infrared camera. HiCIAO can operate as a simple, high spatial resolution camera, as a conventional Lyot coronograph, as a polarimetric simultaneous differential imager, and as a spectral simultaneous differential imager. This paper will describe the design and performance predictions of HiCIAO in this first light configuration. However, HiCIAO is designed as an experimental system, as opposed to a facility instrument, and will be modified over the coming years to incorporated more advanced coronographic techniques and upgrades to its adaptive optics capabilities.
Date of Conference: September 10-14, 2006
Track: Adaptive Optics