Open AccessPolarization degree analysis of objective spectrum in polarization differential stellar coronagraph
Author(s) -
Nataliya Zubko,
Naoshi Baba,
S. Morisaki,
Naoshi Murakami
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.15.012189
Subject(s) - exoplanet , coronagraph , physics , polarization (electrochemistry) , degree of polarization , optics , polarization in astronomy , planet , spectral line , astrophysics , circular polarization , astronomy , scattering , chemistry , microstrip
It is shown that the degree of polarization analysis is useful to find objective spectra of exoplanets immersed in noisy stellar spectra. We report the laboratory experiment of polarization differential objective spectroscopy with a four-quadrant polarization mask coronagraph, where partially polarized planetary signal is expected to be discerned from unpolarized stellar noise. The detection of the planet signal is impeded by the stellar noise remained after subtracting mutually orthogonally polarized components of light. We distinguish clearly the planetary spectrum by use of the degree of polarization. We also show the refinement of the spectrum of the planet model.