Charge Injection Device Extreme Contrast Imaging of the Sirius Field

Abstract

The intrinsic nature of many astronomical objects, such as binary systems, exoplanets, circumstellar disks, and quasar host galaxies, introduces challenging requirements on observational instrumentation and techniques. In each case, we encounter situations where the light from bright sources completely outshines the surrounding faint targets. As a result, we are yet to fully understand the processes governing star and galaxy formation and evolution, and there are ongoing attempts to search for habitable worlds around other stars. To explore all features of such astronomical objects, we must perform observations at the maximum possible contrast ratios. Here, we demonstrate the extreme contrast ratio imaging capabilities of the latest generation of commercially available charge injection devices, the SpectraCAM XDR, using Sirius field observations from a world-class observing site. Based on wavelet-based image analysis and precise photometric calibration, we report a direct contrast ratio of 1 part in 100 million.