02/11/2025
By Lynne Schaufenbil
Title: Polarization in Astronomical Telescopes: Impacts on Direct Exoplanet Detection for Next-generation Observatories
Abstract:
Next-generation astronomical telescopes will be equipped with high-contrast imaging instruments that aim to image faint stellar companions at smaller angular separations and deeper contrasts than ever before. This new frontier in direct imaging brings with it the challenge of a new source of error called "polarization aberrations,” which predominantly arise from interactions between light and the telescope optics. This talk will review efforts in the integrated modeling and laboratory characterization of polarization aberrations and their theoretical effect on direct exoplanet imaging for next-generation astronomical telescopes, including the ground-based ELTs (TMT, ELT, GMT) and the future space-based Habitable Worlds Observatory.
Bio:
Jaren Ashcraft (He/They) is a NASA Hubble Fellow at UC Santa Barbara that works on modeling and measuring optical polarization in astronomical instruments. Jaren was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawai'i, received his B.S. in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester, and Ph.D. and M.S. from the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences with Ewan Douglas, Ph.D., on a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity.
If you are interested in attending, please email Lynne_Schaufenbil@uml.edu for the Zoom link.