Project Grant 2510577
- This $678,244 federal Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program will enable researchers at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) to perform an in-depth study of the adaptive optics (AO) system error budget for the W.M. Keck Observatory. The goal is to develop a high-fidelity digital simulation model that can predict the limits of existing AO systems and forecast the image quality and scientific yield of future...
- This $388,823 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports the development and expansion of the "Fast and Furious" algorithm to improve the performance of adaptive optics systems at the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The goal is to implement this algorithm for general use across all adaptive optics instruments and observing modes at Keck, which will enhance scientific observations and enable new...
- This $1,385,600.00 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Astronomical Sciences will support the development of a new observing mode for the CHARA (Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy) Array. The funding will enable upgrades to the array's adaptive optics systems and installation of a new star-tracking camera to simultaneously collect data at visible and infrared wavelengths. This multi-wavelength imaging capability will enhance stellar...
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Astronomical Sciences awarded a $520,894 Project Grant to the University of Arizona under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop improved image processing software for high-contrast imaging of exoplanets. The project aims to leverage wavefront sensor data from adaptive optics systems to enhance exoplanet detection and characterization capabilities of existing ground-based telescopes. The investigators will...
- The National Science Foundation awarded a $366,995 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program to the University of California, Santa Cruz. The grant, titled "REDWOODS: A Hybrid Wavefront Sensor / Science Camera to Demonstrate Extreme Exoplanet Imaging at Lick Observatory," will fund the testing of new technologies designed to enable the direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets that could potentially support life. The project aims to implement a...
- This Project Grant award of $435,843 from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports the development of the fully automated, adaptive optics system ROBO-AO-2 at the University of Hawaii's 2.2-meter telescope. The key products and services delivered through this funding include: Automating the ROBO-AO-2 adaptive optics system to rapidly characterize transient astronomical events and detect changes in monitored objects. The system will...
- This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) provides $561,949.00 to Arizona State University (ASU) to develop advanced optical interferometry technology. The key objectives are: (i) developing a time calibration system for automated photon correlation measurements using small telescopes and commercial single photon detectors, (ii) implementing multi-band photon correlation measurements using a high-resolution...
- This federal Project Grant award, valued at $881,843, is funded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program. The award will support the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in upgrading the MKID Exoplanet Camera, an integral field spectrograph located behind the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) instrument at the Subaru Telescope. The project aims to boost the spectral resolution and array fill factor of the...
- This $350,381 project grant from the National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences' Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports collaborative research between the California Institute of Technology and other institutions to open the infrared sky to multi-messenger astrophysics. Key products and services include conducting time-domain surveys with the Wide-field Infrared Transient Explorer telescope at Palomar Observatory to search for...
- This $238,354 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Astronomical Sciences under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences grant program (CFDA 47.049) will fund collaborative research to develop improved image processing software for high-contrast imaging of exoplanets. The project aims to enable more sensitive detection and characterization of exoplanets by fully utilizing data from the wavefront sensors in modern high-contrast imaging systems. The software will...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $1,229,874 Project Grant under the Integrative Activities program (CFDA #47.083) to the California Association for Research in Astronomy (CARA), operating as the W.M. Keck Observatory, for the development of an Infrared Wavefront Sensor Adaptive Optics (IWA) system. This system will be implemented on the Keck II Telescope to enhance its adaptive optics capabilities, improving image quality, contrast, and sky coverage for a broad range of high-resolution infrared astronomical observations and research. The IWA system includes a high-order pyramid wavefront sensor, a medium-order sensing mode for fainter guide stars, and a low-order mode to support laser guide star adaptive optics. It will also incorporate a Zernike wavefront sensor to improve primary mirror phasing. These upgrades will enable the detection and characterization of young exoplanets, tests of black hole physics, and other unique scientific investigations through the use of the Keck II Telescope's advanced instrumentation. The award period runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2028.
Mod # | Description | ReasonForModification | Federal Obligation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $1.2m | 7/22/25 |