Six winters of photometry from Dome C, Antarctica: challenges, improvements, and results from the ASTEP experiment

被引:3
作者
Crouzet, N. [1 ]
Mekarnia, D. [2 ]
Guillot, T. [2 ]
Abe, L. [2 ]
Agabi, A. [2 ]
Rivet, J. -P. [2 ]
Goncalves, I. [2 ]
Schmider, F. -X. [2 ]
Daban, J. -B. [2 ]
Fantei-Caujolle, Y. [2 ]
Gouvret, C. [2 ]
Bayliss, D. D. R. [3 ]
Zhou, G. [4 ]
Aristidi, E. [2 ]
Fruth, T. [5 ,6 ]
Erikson, A. [5 ]
Rauer, H. [5 ,7 ]
Szulagyi, J. [8 ]
Bondoux, E. [2 ]
Challita, Z. [9 ]
Pouzenc, C. [10 ]
Fressin, F. [4 ]
Valbousquet, F. [11 ]
Barbieri, M. [12 ]
Blazit, A. [2 ]
Bonhomme, S. [2 ]
Bouchy, F. [9 ]
Gerakis, J. [2 ]
Bouchez, G. [13 ]
机构
[1] Univ Toronto, Dunlap Inst Astron & Astrophys, 50 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, Canada
[2] Univ Cote Azur, Lab Lagrange, Observ Cote Azur, CNRS, Blvd Observ,CS 34229, F-06304 Nice 4, France
[3] Observ Univ Geneve, 51 Chemin Maillettes, CH-1290 Sauverny, Switzerland
[4] Harvard Smithsonian Ctr Astrophys, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
[5] Deutsch Zentrum Luftund Raumfahrt, Inst Planetenforsch, Rutherfordstr 2, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
[6] German Aerosp Ctr, Germany Space Operat Ctr, Munchener Str 20, D-82234 Wessling, Germany
[7] Tech Univ Berlin, Zentrum Astron & Astrophys, Hardenbergstr 36, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
[8] ETH, Inst Astron, Wolfgang Pauli Str 27, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
[9] Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, UMR 7326, LAM, F-13388 Marseille, France
[10] Concordia Stn, Dome C, Japan
[11] Opt Vis, 6 Bis Ave Esterel,BP 69, F-06162 Juan Les Pins, France
[12] Univ Atacama, Dept Fis, Copayapu 485, Copiapo, Chile
[13] Univ Versailles, GEMAC, CNRS, 45 Ave Etats Unis, F-78035 Versailles, France
来源
GROUND-BASED AND AIRBORNE INSTRUMENTATION FOR ASTRONOMY VI | 2016年 / 9908卷
关键词
Photometry; Exoplanets; Dome C; Antarctica; SEARCH; TELESCOPE; CONCORDIA; LAYER;
D O I
10.1117/12.2233702
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
ASTEP (Antarctica Search for Transiting ExoPlanets) is a pilot project that aims at searching and characterizing transiting exoplanets from Dome C in Antarctica and to qualify this site for photometry in the visible. Two instruments were installed at Dome C and ran for six winters in total. The analysis of the collected data is nearly complete. We present the operation of the instruments, and the technical challenges, limitations, and possible solutions in light of the data quality. The instruments performed continuous observations during the winters. Human interventions are required mainly for regular inspection and ice dust removal. A defrosting system is efficient at preventing and removing ice on the mirrors. The PSF FWHM is 4.5 arcsec on average which is 2.5 times larger than the specification, and is highly variable; the causes are the poor ground-level seeing, the turbulent plumes generated by the heating system, and to a lower extent the imperfect optical alignment and focusing, and some astigmatism. We propose solutions for each of these aspects that would largely increase the PSF stability. The astrometric and guiding precisions are satisfactory and would deserve only minor improvements. Major issues are encountered with the camera shutter which did not close properly after two winters; we minimized this issue by heating the shutter and by developing specific image calibration algorithms. Finally, we summarize the site testing and science results obtained with ASTEP. Overall, the ASTEP experiment will serve as a basis to design and operate future optical and near-infrared telescopes in Antarctica.
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页数:10
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