DARKNESS: A Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector Integral Field Spectrograph for High-Contrast Astronomy

2018/03/31 by Seth R. Meeker, Benjamin A. Mazin, Alexander B. Walter +29 · 75 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Adaptive optics #Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing #Astronomy #Coronagraph #Detector #Exoplanet #Integral field spectrograph #Observatory #Optics #Physics #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Speckle pattern #Spectral line #Spectrograph #Stars #Superconducting and THz Device Technology #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.IM

paper · pdf · open access · doi:10.1088/1538-3873/aab5e7

published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 130(988), 065001 (Institute of Physics) · 17 pages, 17 figures. PASP Published

openalex created_date 2018/04/06 · openalex publication_date 2018/04/16 · arxiv created 2018/04/17 · arxiv updated 2018/04/18 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We present DARKNESS (the DARK-speckle Near-infrared Energy-resolving Superconducting Spectrophotometer), the first of several planned integral field spectrographs to use optical/near-infrared Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) for high-contrast imaging. The photon counting and simultaneous low-resolution spectroscopy provided by MKIDs will enable real-time speckle control techniques and post-processing speckle suppression at framerates capable of resolving the atmospheric speckles that currently limit high-contrast imaging from the ground. DARKNESS is now operational behind the PALM-3000 extreme adaptive optics system and the Stellar Double Coronagraph at Palomar Observatory. Here we describe the motivation, design, and characterization of the instrument, early on-sky results, and future prospects.

Citations

• ARCONS: A 2024 Pixel Optical through Near-IR Cryogenic Imaging Spectrophotometer

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