Blind deconvolution in astronomy with adaptive optics: the parametric marginal approach. Issue 4 (15th July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fétick, R J-L; Mugnier, L M; Fusco, T; Neichel, B
• Is Part Of: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Volume 496:Issue 4(2020)
• Page Start: 4209
• Page End: 4220
• Publication Date: 2020-07-15
• Subjects: instrumentation: adaptive optics -- techniques: high angular resolution -- techniques: image processing; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa1813
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0035-8711

Abstract

ABSTRACT: One of the major limitations of using adaptive optics (AO) to correct image post-processing is the lack of knowledge about the system's point spread function (PSF). The PSF is not always available as direct imaging on isolated point-like objects, such as stars. The use of AO telemetry to predict the PSF also suffers from serious limitations and requires complex and yet not fully operational algorithms. A very attractive solution is to estimate the PSF directly from the scientific images themselves, using blind or myopic post-processing approaches. We demonstrate that such approaches suffer from severe limitations when a joint restitution of object and PSF parameters is performed. As an alternative, here we propose a marginalized PSF identification that overcomes this limitation. In this case, the PSF is used for image post-processing. Here we focus on deconvolution, a post-processing technique to restore the object, given the image and the PSF. We show that the PSF estimated by marginalization provides good-quality deconvolution. The full process of marginalized PSF estimation and deconvolution constitutes a successful blind deconvolution technique. It is tested on simulated data to measure its performance. It is also tested on experimental AO images of the asteroid 4-Vesta taken by the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE)/Zurich Imaging Polarimeter (Zimpol) on the Very Large Telescope to demonstrate application to on-sky data.