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Designing asymmetric and branched petals for planet-finding occulters
Eric Cady1, N J Kasdin, Stuart Shaklan
1Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA. ecady@princeton.edu
Optics Express
|February 23, 2010
Summary
Researchers optimized occulter shapes for discovering exoplanets. Introducing asymmetry to petal shapes reduces the number of petals needed, simplifying spacecraft design for stellar light suppression.
Area of Science:
- * Astronomy and Astrophysics
- * Exoplanetary Science
- * Optical Engineering
Background:
- * Detecting small extrasolar planets requires advanced techniques to overcome the overwhelming glare of host stars.
- * Occulters, flying in formation with telescopes, are designed to block starlight, enabling the observation of nearby planets.
- * Current occulter designs often feature multiple bilaterally-symmetric petals around a central disk to suppress starlight.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate methods for reducing the complexity of occulter designs.
- * To explore the impact of asymmetry in petal shapes on starlight suppression efficiency.
- * To develop a general optimization procedure for designing occulter shapes.
Main Methods:
- * Utilized computational optimization techniques to modify petal shapes.
- * Introduced asymmetry into the petal geometry to enhance light suppression.
- * Investigated the effect of incorporating openings within petal structures.
Main Results:
- * Demonstrated that introducing asymmetry into petal shapes can significantly reduce the required number of petals.
- * Developed a general optimization procedure applicable to various occulter petal designs.
- * Showed that openings within petals can be introduced without compromising starlight suppression.
Conclusions:
- * Asymmetric petal designs offer a more efficient approach to occulter construction for exoplanet detection.
- * The developed optimization procedure provides a pathway for designing improved occulter shapes.
- * This research contributes to the advancement of technologies for discovering Earth-like exoplanets.
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