WFIRST-AFTA Coronagraph Science Yield Modeling with EXOSIMS

TL;DR

This paper introduces EXOSIMS, an open source software framework for simulating space-based exoplanet imaging missions, and demonstrates its application to the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph to optimize design and operational assumptions.

Contribution

It provides a modular, extensible simulation tool for mission planning and compares different instrument designs and operational scenarios for WFIRST-AFTA.

Findings

Different coronagraph designs yield varying science outcomes.

Post-processing capabilities significantly impact mission success.

Telescope vibration levels affect imaging performance.

Abstract

We present and discuss the design details of an extensible, modular, open source software framework called EXOSIMS, which creates end-to-end simulations of space-based exoplanet imaging missions. We motivate the development and baseline implementation of the component parts of this software with models of the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph, and present initial results of mission simulations for various iterations of the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph design. We present and discuss two sets of simulations: The first compares the science yield of completely different instruments in the form of early competing coronagraph designs for WFIRST-AFTA. The second set of simulations evaluates the effects of different operating assumptions, specifically the assumed post-processing capabilities and telescope vibration levels. We discuss how these results can guide further instrument development and the expected evolution of science yields.