The Near InfraredCoronagraphic Imager:NICI Update

Stop me if you’ve heard this one…..

2

for aft

2

for aft

22

for aft

Mask

( ) Mask

Mask Mask

o o

o o o

PSF P P

P P L P

I P L P P

Insensitivity to Aft optics comes only from occulting mask.

NICI-APD’s

NICI Occulting Masks

NICI Lenslet Array

Performance – Background Removal

Raw Difference Avg. Profile Out Scaled Difference

rms ~ 10% rms ~ 2%

All images are (A-B)/A - Plotted Range is +/- 0.5

rms ~ 10%

Performance – Background Removal

After Coronagraph and Channel Difference Contrast Ratio to PSF Peak is ~16.7 mag @ 1.0 asec and 18.5 mag @ 1.5 asec

NICI Performance

NICI Performance