SHARK-NIR coronagraphic simulations: performance dependence on the Strehl ratio

Abstract

SHARK-NIR is a coronagraphic camera that will be implemented at the Large Binocular Telescope. SHARK-NIR will offer extreme AO direct imaging capability on a field of view of about 18" x 18", and a simple coronagraphic spectroscopic mode offering spectral resolution ranging from 100 to 700. In order to meet the SHARK-NIR main scientific driver, i.e., searching for giant planets on wide orbits, a high contrast is necessary. A set of corona-graphic masks were tested, we selected the best performing configurations for the instrument: the Gaussian-Lyot coronagraph, a Shaped Pupil (SP) with 360° of discovery space and two SP masks with asymmetric detection area but with a small inner working angle and the Four Quadrant phase mask. Many simulations were performed to obtain the performance in different atmospheric conditions, including seeing variations, by using magnitude guide star from R = 8 to R = 14 and testing also the jitter value. These changes in simulation parameters reflected a variation in the corona-graphic performance. We analysed the simulation images by searching the best post processing to obtain the best performance for the coronagraph, moreover, we have taken account the fact that using, in the ADI technique, small subsets to generate the reference PSF can help attenuating the speckle noise, but it also results in a growing risk of planet removal if not enough field rotation occurs in the subset itself. We analysed the results after this effect is included, so the performances were shown as function of the Strehl Ratio condition to obtain mass and age limits for the detection of the planets.