Ipac logo
Coronagraph Instrument

Overview

CGI OS11 (2022) simulation

Coronagraph Instrument Observing Scenario 11 (OS11; J. Krist, JPL, 2022) single-roll no-MUF (model uncertainty factor) simulation

The Roman Coronagraph Instrument is an advanced technology demonstrator for future missions that will directly image Earth-like exoplanets. The Coronagraph will premiere in space the technologies needed by future missions to image and characterize rocky planets in the habitable zones of nearby stars. By demonstrating these tools in a system with end-to-end, scientific observing operations, NASA will reduce the cost and risk of a potential future flagship mission. Potential technology demonstration phase observations will include self-luminous and reflected-light planet imaging and spectroscopy, bright debris disk polarimetry, and faint debris disk detection.

The Coronagraph architecture consists of three observing modes --- Direct Imaging narrow, Direct Imaging wide, and Spectroscopy --- implemented with three different sets of masks and filters. These modes share the same optical beam train, with two wavefront control loops to achieve high contrast, i.e., better than 10-8. The fully-supported narrow field-of-view mode imaging ("Band 1") will be implemented via a Hybrid Lyot stop mask, whereas the best-effort-supported R~50 prism spectroscopy ("Band 2" and "Band 3") and wide field-of-view imaging modes ("Band 4") will use a Shaped Pupil mask.

Predicted Roman Coronagraph Instrument performance
Predicted Roman Coronagraph Instrument performance in the context of known planets and existing and planned high-contrast instruments. The Coronagraph Instrument will bridge the gap between massive self-luminous planets in the infrared and reflected light exo-Earths in the optical (Credit, V. Bailey, JPL).

After demonstration of the Level-1 requirement on the Instrument, other observations that could be undertaken include known planets which are self-luminous at visible wavelengths; the potential first-ever images and spectroscopy of a true Jupiter analog in reflected light; low surface brightness debris disks; and, the potential first-ever visible light images of exozodi.

The Coronagraph Community Participation Program (CPP) will work with the Coronagraph Instrument team to plan and execute its technology demonstration high-contrast observations. The principals of each selected investigation, together with the Coronagraph project and international partner representatives, form the basis of the CPP Team.

The Roman Science Support Center at IPAC, working with partners at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), is responsible for the Coronagraph Instrument operations, data processing and management, and support for the exoplanet community.

Technical Information

Instrument Reference Information

Targets and Observing Constraints

Image Simulations and Data Processing

Other Resources

Coronagraph Instrument 3-D Printable Models

The JPL Coronagraph Instrument Team has provided 3D printable STL format files for printing scale models, 1:5 and 1:11, of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument on any desktop or commercial 3D printer. The assembly is printed in several smaller components which can be assembled to create a replica of the coronagraph instrument. Models do not require support material and are in English units.