P2.8 Verification of the mask centering algorithm and final contrast with SOUL-AO and turbulence at ASM

• Phase : 2
• Status : COMPLETE (analysis pending)
• Category : Daytime testing (functionality and operability) (C3)
• Recurrence : once at commissioning
• Duration : 3 days

Description

• Verify the efficiency of the mask-centering algorithm and the final contrast with SOUL-AO and artificial turbulence introduced at the ASM.

Prerequisites

• RR is mounted on the SX side.

Procedure

• This test will be performed at zenith. However, in the end, we may check the performance at a different elevation just for verification (for this, we required the RR mounted on the SX side).
• We will perform the test in 3 seeing conditions: 0", 0.5", and 0.8".
• For the shaped pupil, we can not create the same conditions as nighttime due to the absence of ASM obstruction and spiders. However, a best-case scenario will be tested and compared with the results of simulations matching these conditions.
• We have five coronagraphs to be tested, each of them featuring at least one mask in the pupil plane and one in the focal plane. For each coronagraph, we run the alignment procedures for all its masks and then we take a set of images (usually ten images with the full coronagraphic train and 10 images out-of-coronagraph, meaning without the focal plane mask) to measure the achieved raw contrast. Each coronagraph test is expected to take 3 hours of testing.

Templates

• SHARKNIR_gen_tec_PupilLyotAlignment
• SHARKNIR_gen_tec_PupilApoAlignment
• SHARKNIR_gen_tec_PSFAlignment

Success criteria

• Final contrast produced for various seeing conditions matches the simulations.

Notes

• Daniele [12 Oct 2023]: "For this activity, we don't have all the data for all combinations of seeing values and coronagraphic masks. For sure, all the algorithms for mask centering have been tried at least once, either in the daytime or directly on-sky. We miss a comprehensive comparison of achieved contrasts with simulations in all seeing conditions". Data will be taken in future runs (on-sky) for various seeing conditions, and the final contrast curves as a function of seeing, AO performance, etc, will be estimated and compared with simulations.

LBTO support

• Authorize SHARK-NIR on the SX side.
• RR is mounted on the SX side or ARGOS.
• AO support

Date performed and by whom

• Nov. 18th, 19th , 20th by Luca, Daniele, Elena, Davide R., Jacopo