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We have shown the feasability of imaging binary systems with the dark-speckle
coronagraph, up to difference
magnitudes of 4 and despite acquisition problems. Longer integrations
will be required to achieve the
maximum ratio predicted by the dark-speckle model (see section 3.1).
Our results on Per and Psc
were affected by the presence
of static optical defects mostly due to the pupil stop and to the AO system,
which limits the speckle smoothing.
The fixed residual speckles remain
the dominant source of noise in these coronagraphic data and
should be removed from future systems.
If the phase distribution in the detected speckled coronagraphic image could be
recorded, the fixed contribution could in principle be attenuated by adaptive
optics, as shown by Malbet et al. (1995).
Our preliminary results cannot yet indicate whether extra-solar planets will
be actually observable with ground-based telescopes, as suggested by
the theoritical analysis (Boccaletti et al. 1998). The situation is much more
favourable in space, where the dark speckles can be "boiled" leisurely,
using one or ten second cycles of actuator switching and exposing.
Following 8m orbital telescopes, large interferometric arrays of free-flying
telescopes will also be usable for coronographic dark speckle imaging (Labeyrie
1998).
We are grateful to the Office National
d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales
for providing their adaptive optics system. We thank Jean Gay, Yves
Rabbia and Pierre Baudoz for a convivial sharing of the telescope light, and
to the staff at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence for their efficient support.
Next: Appendix
Up: Present performance of the coronagraph
Previous: Further developments
6/15/1998