2nd Hokudai pure and applied physics salon
Title
Progress in Astronomical High-Contrast Instruments -Towards Discoveries of “Second Earths”-
Speaker
Naoshi Murakami (Laboratory of Photonics Engineering)
Room: A1-17, A Bldg of Graduate School of Engineering
Date
15th July, (Fri.) 18:15~
Abstract
“In the universe, are there ‘second Earths’ that harbor life?” Progress in astronomical technology might enable us to answer this humanity’s ultimate question. Keys of success will be “exoplanets (planets orbiting around stars other than the Sun)” and “high-contrast instruments (instruments for directly detecting exoplanetary signals)”.
In this seminar, I will review recent observational studies of exoplanets. Significance of direct detection of exoplanetary signals and its difficulties will also be discussed. Next I will review recent activities for various high-contrast instruments. I will also introduce our activities for an instrument utilizing a topological light wave, so-called an ‘optical vortex’ coronagraph.