We have developed a new coronagraph using digital micromirror device (DMD) to observe faint emissions close to a bright objects in our solar system such as water plumes on Europa and Enceladus, plasma emissions in giant planet’s magnetospheres, escaping plasma and neutrals from Venus and Mars, and so on. The focal plane DMD mask enables us to occult planet’s disks and their moons even when their angular dimeter and geometry vary with time. The coronagraph composed of a DMD as an occulting mask on a telescope focal plane, a pupil stop, a narrow-band filter, and others. The DMD located at the focal plane produces color dispersion of entrance aperture on a pupil plane for an extended lightsource. Thus, we designed a proper shape of pupil mask to reduce remaining from the occulted light-source considering wavelength and bandwidth of observations. The coronagraph was installed on a Cassegrain focus of the Tohoku 60-cm telescope at Haleakala observatory in Hawaii. We have been using the coronagraph for observing sulfur ion emissions [SII] 671.6 and 673.1 nm from Io plasma torus since 2018. The DMD occultation reduces light from Jupiter disk and Galilean moons by 2.6×10-3. The system throughput is 56 % of a previous conventional coronagraph. In observation of Io plasma torus, north-south position of [SII] brightness peak shifted by 0.07 jovian radii toward the magnetic equator during three days. Increase of flesh pickup ion possibly makes higher anisotropy or higher ion perpendicular temperature causing the observed magnetic-equatorward shift of the plasma torus.
We report the current status of small-telescope activities and the 1.8-m aperture telescope PLANETS project at Haleakala dedicated to planetary and exoplanetary observations. Continuous monitoring is essential to understand the planetary atmospheric phenomena, and therefore, own facilities with even small- and medium sized telescopes and instruments are important. On the summit of Mt. Haleakala, Hawaii, we are operating a 40 cm (T40) and 60 cm (T60) telescopes for measuring faint atmospheric features such as Io torus, Mercury, and so on. It has uniquely provided long-term Io torus activities for more than ten years. T60 is now observing planetary atmospheres in visible and infrared ranges. The polarization imager DIPOL-2 is also installed to measure the weak polarization of exoplanetary light. In addition, we are carrying out a 1.8-m off-axis telescope project PLANETS at Haleakala. This project is managed by the PLANETS Foundation (www.planets.life) is an international collaboration of several institutes from Japan, USA, Germany, Brazil, and France. This off-axis optical system enables very low-stray light contamination and high-contrast in data, i.e., "high dynamic range". It will achieve unrivaled scientific capabilities on coronagraphy and polarimetry, aimed at detecting exoplanet reflected light and tenuous planetary exo-atmospheres in the Solar system. The main mirror is Clearceram ZHS with a diameter of 1850 mm, which is now on the final polishing process. We completed the telescope design and wind analysis of the mechanical support and tracking. The "split-ring" mount is so stiff that it has a first vibration mode above 50 Hz.
We report the development of infrared Echelle spectrograph covering 1 - 4 micron and mid-infrared heterodyne
spectrometer around 10 micron installed on the 60-cm telescope at the summit of Haleakala, Hawaii (alt.=3000m). It is
essential to carry out continuous measurement of planetary atmosphere, such as the Jovian infrared aurora and the
volcanoes on Jovian satellite Io, to understand its time and spatial variations. A compact and easy-to-use high resolution
infrared spectrometer provide the good opportunity to investigate these objects continuously. We are developing an
Echelle spectrograph called ESPRIT: Echelle Spectrograph for Planetary Research In Tohoku university. The main
target of ESPRIT is to measure the Jovian H3+ fundamental line at 3.9 micron, and H2 nu=1 at 2.1 micron. The 256x256
pixel CRC463 InSb array is used. An appropriate Echelle grating is selected to optimize at 3.9 micron and 2.1 micron for
the Jovian infrared auroral observations. The pixel scale corresponds to the atmospheric seeing (0.3 arcsec/pixel). This
spectrograph is characterized by a long slit field-of-view of ~ 50 arcsec with a spectral resolution is over 20,000. In
addition, we recently developed a heterodyne spectrometer called MILAHI on the 60 cm telescope. MILAHI is
characterized by super high-resolving power (more than 1,500,000) covering from 7 - 13 microns. Its sensitivity is 2400
K at 9.6 micron with a MCT photo diode detector of which bandwidth of 3000 MHz. ESPRIT and MILAHI is planned to
be installed on 60 cm telescope is planned in 2014.
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