Data processing and algorithm development for the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph: reduction of noise free simulated images, analysis and spectrum extraction with reference star differential imaging

Marie Ygouf; Laurent Pueyo; Rémi Soummer; Marshall D. Perrin; Roeland van der Marel; Bruce Macintosh

doi:10.1117/12.2188669

16 September 2015 Data processing and algorithm development for the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph: reduction of noise free simulated images, analysis and spectrum extraction with reference star differential imaging

Marie Ygouf, Laurent Pueyo, Rémi Soummer, Marshall D. Perrin, Roeland van der Marel, Bruce Macintosh

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9605, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VII; 96050S (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2188669
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Direct detection and characterization of mature giant or sub-Neptunes exoplanets in the visible require space-based instruments optimized for high-contrast imaging with contrasts of 10^-9. In this context, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope - Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets (WFIRST-AFTA) will reach raw contrasts of about 8×10^-9 to 10^-9 using state-of-the-art starlight suppression and wavefront control techniques. A ten-fold contrast improvement is therefore expected using post-processing techniques to reduce the speckle noise level to a factor of at least 10 lower in order to distinguish 10^-9 planets from speckles. Point spread function (PSF) subtractions have been successfully applied to ground-based and space-based data with contrasts up to 10^-6 but performance has yet to be demonstrated at higher contrast levels. We use both a classical PSF subtraction and the Karunhen-Loéve Image Projection (KLIP) algorithm to reduce noise free WFIRST-AFTA-like simulated images in the context of reference star differential imaging (RDI). The two WFIRST-AFTA baseline coronagraphs are considered for this study: the hybrid lyot coronagraph (HLC) for the imaging channel and the shaped-pupil coronagraph (SPC) for the integral field spectrograph channel (IFS). The two reduction methods are compared with respect to the amount and stability of the aberrations for detection in the imaging channel and preliminary spectra extractions are performed for characterization in the IFS channel.

Citation Download Citation

Marie Ygouf, Laurent Pueyo, Rémi Soummer, Marshall D. Perrin, Roeland van der Marel, and Bruce Macintosh "Data processing and algorithm development for the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph: reduction of noise free simulated images, analysis and spectrum extraction with reference star differential imaging", Proc. SPIE 9605, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VII, 96050S (16 September 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2188669

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available