Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 302
This version created on 05 October 2006

The SPICA mission and the MIR-coronagraph for SPICA


Keigo Enya, ISAS/JAXA 
Shinichro Tanaka, Univ. of Tokyo, Japan 
Lyu Abe, NAOJ
Takao Nakagawa, ISAS/JAXA
Hirokazu Kataza, ISAS/JAXA
Olivier Guyon, SUBARU/NAOJ
Melanie Venet, Univ. of Nice, France 
Takashi Miyata, IoA, Univ. of Tokyo, Japan 
Shigeyuki Sako, IoA, Univ. of Tokyo, Japan 
Naoshi Murakami, NAOJ 
Jun Nishikawa, NAOJ
Motohide Tamura, NAOJ 
Kenta Fujita, Univ. of Kobe, Japan
Yoich Itoh, Univ. of Kobe, Japan
 SPICA working group

We introduce the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and
Astrophysics(SPICA) mission and the mid-infrared coronagraph for
SPICA.  SPICA is the next generation mission of space telescope for
infrared astronomy following to AKARI.  3.5 m telescope will be cooled
down to 4.5 K for observation at 5-200  micron wavelength.  The launch
of the SPICA is planed to be middle of 2010th.  We are developing an
mid-infrared coronagraph for the SPICA mission.  First, binary pupil
masks were studied as a safe solution because of their robustness.
Laboratory experiment with the checkerboard-type binary masks were
performed using visible light.  Achieved contrast averaged in the dark
region of the point spread function was 1.1 * 10^-7 without wave front
control.  Study of Phase induced amplitude apodization (PIAA) and
Prolate Apodized Lyot Coronagraph (PALC) are undergoing for
challenging solutions.  We are developing cryogenic tip-tilt mirror
system and deformable mirror for SPICA.  

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