First results with the Achromatic Interfero Coronograph

We report on first observation run with the Achromatic Interfero Coronagraph (AIC) developed at Observatoire de la Cote d'Azure, France. Observations took place last Fall at Observatoire de Haute Provence with the 1.52 m telescope equipped at that time with adaptive optics. The AIC is an imaging device providing the nulling of a star without nulling the close environment of this star. Nulling results from a destructive interference process. Morphological features located as close to the star as the first angular Airy ring can be detected, thus breaking a limitation of the classical Lyot coronagraphs. The objectives of the observation run is to demonstrate that the AIC can image faint companions very close to the diffraction limit with ground-based telescope. After a short reminding of the principle of the AIC, conditions of observations are reported and first coronagraphed-images are shown. Finally limitations are discussed and improvements to carry on are described.