Design of a precision calibration unit for Keck NIRC2 AO instrument

Abstract

High-precision astrometry has the potential to address questions in planet formation, black hole science, Galactic structure, and more. However, in order to achieve a precision of sub-milli arcseconds (mas), we need a calibration method better than the current techniques such as on-sky calibration using calibrated stellar or stellar cluster systems, which have a precision of ~1 mas. Precision calibration unit with a regular grid of photo-lithographically manufactured pinholes combined with self-calibration techniques, on the other hand, is a new and innovative way to potentially achieve a precision of sub-mas over the entire field of view. This technique is beneficial to adaptive optic (AO) instruments for future telescopes like the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). In this work, we present our design for a new astrometric calibration unit to feed the NIRC2 AO instrument at the W. M. Keck Observatory. It allows calibration over a large field of view of 47" x 47".