Extreme-AO and diffraction-limited AO@ Subaru
Olivier Guyon
Subaru Telescope
NINS Astrobiology Center (Japan)
University of Arizona

GOPIRA 2023

AO Systems: Image Quality vs. Field of View
GLAO
Ground-Layer AO
Single DM conjugated nearground for maximum FOV
Multiple LGS

Field of View

Image quality~ 10’~2x better thanseeing

MCAO
Multi-Conjugate AO
Multiple DMs for large FOV
Multiple LGS~ 1’LTAO

ExAO

Laser Tomography AO
Single DM
Multiple LGS for volumetricturbulence reconstruction

Extreme AO
High-order DMs for optimalcorrection
Single bright NGS~ 10’’~ 1’’

Diffraction-limited

Diffraction-limitedHigh Contrast~0.050” @ nearIR~0.050” @ nearIR~0.040” @ nearIR~0.020” @ VIS(~30” FOV)

~0.020” @ VIS~0.020” @ VIS~0.25” @ nearIR

Key Science

Exoplanet Imaging &Spectroscopy

Disks & planet
formation“Images of embedded Jovian planet formation at a wide separation around AB Aurigae”, Currie et al. 2022

Stellar Physics

Inner 3 planets in HR8799 system
R Aquarii mass loss in Halpha(Miles Lucas, UH)“Single-aperture spectro-interferometry in the visible at the Subaru telescope with FIRST: First
on-sky demonstration on Keho`oea (α Lyrae) and Hokulei (α Aurigae)”, Vievard et al. 2023

Recent (2023) Upgrades
Visible light (VAMPIRES): new cameras,
coronagraphs & multiband imaging
NearIR wavefront sensor for AO188
Near-IR WFS (Lozi et. al 2023)

2024 Upgrades
AO188 upgrade to 3000-actuators(AO3k)New high-order visible WFS
Photonic nulling & spectro-imaging
High order visible WFS (Ahn et. al 2023)

Visible Imaging withVAMPIRESData reduction:
Miles Lucas, UHAO Systems: Science Capabilities
GLAO
Ground-Layer AO
Single DM conjugated nearground for maximum FOV
Multiple LGS

Extragalactic &galactic, surveys(see previouspresentation onULTIMATE)MCAOMulti-Conjugate AO
Multiple DMs for large FOV
Multiple LGS

LTAO

ExAO

Laser Tomography AO
Single DM
Multiple LGS for volumetricturbulence reconstruction

Extreme AO
High-order DMs for optimalcorrection
Single bright NGS

Follow-up of individual objects
Diffraction-limited imaging (~50mas in nearIR,~20mas in VIS)

Optimal image
quality in VIS &NIR, high contrast
imagingOptimal point-source sensitivity thanks todiffraction-limited angular resolution

Exoplanets & Star
formation
Requires bright(m~12) NGSAO @ Subaru & Possible Future Development Paths fornarrow-field AO
GLAOGround-Layer AO
Single DM conjugated nearground for maximum FOV
Multiple LGSULTIMATE GLAOMCAOMulti-Conjugate AO
Multiple DMs for large FOV
Multiple LGS

LTAO

ExAO

Laser Tomography AO
Single DM
Multiple LGS for volumetricturbulence reconstruction

Extreme AO
High-order DMs for optimalcorrection
Single bright NGS

AO3kVisible MCAO
Diffraction-limited imaging
in VIS over ~30”

ULTIMATE-STARTSCExAO“Super” LTAO

TMT-PSI

Optimal image quality with high sky coverage
Extend ExAO performance to fainter targets

Imaging andspectroscopy ofhabitable planets

Kyoto3DII
AO3kIRCSSPIDERSNINJASCExAO
MEC
MEC
readout
electronics

Beam
Switcher
CHARISInstruments

Kyoto3D-II

IRCS

NINJA
SCExAO

Fiber-fed spectroscopy, not on
platform: IRD(to be relocated upstreamof AO3k in ~2028)

Credit: NINJA teamLight fromTelescope

AO3k bench

AOM2 flat mirror,
conjugated@4km

Upgrade path to MCAO
system:Replace AOM2 flat mirror withnew deformable mirror

3000-elementDM

To NBS & instruments

Conclusions
Subaru Telescope now providing world-leading extreme-AO, delivering highcontrast diffraction limited imaging in visible and nearIR.
Upgrades are extending diffraction limited imaging performance to fainter targets(AO3k, LTAO, nearIR WFS).
Wider field of view high quality diffraction-limited performance in visible light ispossible with MCAO.

“Wide” field optical imaging and spectroscopy instrumentation
opportunities should be discussed and planned.