Toward Space-like Photometric Precision from the Ground with Beam-shaping Diffusers
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Author
Stefansson, Gudmundur
Mahadevan, Suvrath

Hebb, Leslie

Wisniewski, J.

Huehnerhoff, Joseph
Morris, Brett M.

Halverson, Samuel

Zhao, Ming

Wright, Jason T.

O’rourke, Joseph
Knutson, Heather
Hawley, Suzanne L.

Kanodia, Shubham
Li, Yiting
Hagen, Lea M. Z.

Liu, Leo J.
Beatty, Thomas

Bender, Chad

Robertson, Paul

Dembicky, Jack
Gray, Candace
Ketzeback, William
McMillan, Russet
Rudyk, Theodore
Affiliation
Univ Arizona, Steward ObservIssue Date
2017-10-05Keywords
instrumentation: miscellaneousplanets and satellites: fundamental parameters
techniques: photometric
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IOP PUBLISHING LTDCitation
Toward Space-like Photometric Precision from the Ground with Beam-shaping Diffusers 2017, 848 (1):9 The Astrophysical JournalJournal
The Astrophysical JournalRights
© 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
We demonstrate a path to hitherto unachievable differential photometric precisions from the ground, both in the optical and near-infrared (NIR), using custom-fabricated beam-shaping diffusers produced using specialized nanofabrication techniques. Such diffusers mold the focal plane image of a star into a broad and stable top-hat shape, minimizing photometric errors due to non-uniform pixel response, atmospheric seeing effects, imperfect guiding, and telescope-induced variable aberrations seen in defocusing. This PSF reshaping significantly increases the achievable dynamic range of our observations, increasing our observing efficiency and thus better averages over scintillation. Diffusers work in both collimated and converging beams. We present diffuser-assisted optical observations demonstrating 62(-16)(+26) ppm precision in 30 minute bins on a nearby bright star 16 Cygni A (V = 5.95) using the ARC 3.5 m telescope-within a factor of similar to 2 of Kepler's photometric precision on the same star. We also show a transit of WASP-85-Ab (V = 11.2) and TRES-3b (V = 12.4), where the residuals bin down to 180(-41)(+66) ppm in 30 minute bins for WASP-85-Ab-a factor of similar to 4 of the precision achieved by the K2 mission on this target-and to 101 ppm for TRES-3b. In the NIR, where diffusers may provide even more significant improvements over the current state of the art, our preliminary tests demonstrated 137(-36)(+64) ppm precision for a K-S = 10.8 star on the 200 inch. Hale Telescope. These photometric precisions match or surpass the expected photometric precisions of TESS for the same magnitude range. This technology is inexpensive, scalable, easily adaptable, and can have an important and immediate impact on the observations of transits and secondary eclipses of exoplanets.ISSN
1538-4357Version
Final published versionSponsors
Research Corporation for Science Advancement (Rescorp); Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds; Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium; Leifur Eiriksson Foundation; NASA [NNX16AO28H, NAS5-26555]; Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) - NASA; NSF [AST-1006676, AST-1126413, AST-1310885, AST-1517592]; NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) [NNA09-DA76A]; PSARC; NASA Office of Space Science [NNX09AF08G]; NASA Science Mission directorate; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Eberly College of ScienceAdditional Links
http://stacks.iop.org/0004-637X/848/i=1/a=9?key=crossref.1aa7a6c95a5752924f4adc37db8d14c8ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.3847/1538-4357/aa88aa