Dr. Jasper Bouwmeester Profile

Dr. Jasper Bouwmeester

at Technische Univ Delft

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Author

Publications (3)

Proceedings Article | 28 August 2024 Poster + Paper

Single spacecraft nulling interferometer for exoplanets: preliminary concepts

Jérôme Loicq, Denis Defrère, Romain Laugier, Rudolf Saathof, Jasper Bouwmeester, Pierre Piron, Sandra Potin, Colin Dandumont, Vincent Moreau, Benoit Borguet, Pascal Hallibert, David Alaluf, Isabel Escudero, Theresa Lueftinger, Bertrand Mennesson, William Danchi

Proceedings Volume 13095, 1309536 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3018998

KEYWORDS: Exoplanets, Nulling interferometry, Telescopes, Astronomical interferometers, Planets, Space operations, Interferometers, Stars, Stellar interferometry, Spectrographs

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One of the most ambitious goals of modern astronomy is to uncover signs of extraterrestrial biological activity, primarily achieved through spectroscopic analysis of light emitted by exoplanets to identify specific atmospheric molecules. Most exoplanets are indirectly identified through techniques like transit or Doppler shift of the host star's flux. Long-term surveys have yielded statistical insights into the occurrence rates of different planet types based on factors such as radius/mass, orbital period, and the spectral type of the host star. Initial estimates of terrestrial planets within the habitable zone have also emerged. However, the difficulty of detecting light from these exoplanets leaves much unknown about their nature, formation, and evolution. As the number of rocky exoplanets around nearby stars rises, questions about their atmospheric composition, evolutionary trajectory, and habitability increase. Direct measurement of an exoplanet's atmospheric composition through its spectral signature in the infrared can provide answers. Measuring the infrared spectrum of these planets poses significant challenges due to the star/planet contrast and very small angular separation from their host stars. Previous research showed that space-based telescopes are mandatory, and unless large primary mirrors (>30m in diameter) can be sent into space, interferometric techniques become essential. Combining light from distant telescopes with interferometric techniques allows access to information at minimal angular separation, operating within the diffraction limit of individual telescopes. Successful demonstrations of on-ground nulling interferometry open a new era for such space-based missions. They are vital to sidestep and tackle these scientific questions. We recently initiated a new study with the European Space Agency to explore the design parameters and the performances related to an interferometric concept based on a single spacecraft and sparse multiple sub-apertures. Launch constraints are linked to the use of an Ariane 6 launch vehicle. Our parametric study covers a range of 1-4m for the diameter of the telescope and a 10-60m baseline. The most promising concept working in the infrared range (3-20μm) will be highlighted. This study is conducted by TUDelft in cooperation with KULeuven, CSL/ULiège, and Amos with the support of the European Space Agency.

Proceedings Article | 17 June 2024 Presentation + Paper

Impact of transmitter wavefront errors and pointing jitter on intersatellite free space optical communications

Mario Badás Aldecocea, Jasper Bouwmeester, Pierre Piron, Jérôme Loicq

Proceedings Volume 13023, 1302302 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3021617

KEYWORDS: Wavefront errors, Beam divergence, Monochromatic aberrations, Optical aberrations, Free space optical communications, Telescopes

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SPIE Journal Paper | 19 October 2023 Open Access

Opto-thermo-mechanical phenomena in satellite free-space optical communications: survey and challenges

Mario Badás, Pierre Piron, Jasper Bouwmeester, Jérôme Loicq, Hans Kuiper, Eberhard Gill

OE, Vol. 63, Issue 04, 041206, (October 2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.10.1117/1.OE.63.4.041206

KEYWORDS: Satellites, Polarization, Receivers, Transmitters, Beam divergence, Vibration, Satellite communications, Optical components, Multiplexing, Optical engineering

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