CUTE Data Simulator and Reduction Pipeline

TL;DR

The paper introduces a versatile data simulator and a preliminary data reduction pipeline for the CUTE CubeSat mission, aiding in target selection, instrument testing, and training before launch.

Contribution

It presents the development of a flexible data simulator and an initial data reduction pipeline tailored for the CUTE mission, adaptable to similar spectroscopic missions.

Findings

Data simulator effectively models CUTE observations.

Preliminary pipeline provides rough data reduction capabilities.

Tools will assist in mission planning and data analysis training.

Abstract

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a 6U NASA CubeSat carrying a low-resolution (R ~3000), near-ultraviolet (255 - 330nm) spectrograph fed by a rectangular primary Cassegrain. CUTE, is planned for launch in spring 2020 and it will monitor transiting extra-solar planets to study atmospheric escape. We present here the CUTE data simulator, which is a versatile tool easily adaptable to any other mission performing single-slit spectroscopy and carrying on-board a CCD detector. We complemented the data simulator with a data reduction pipeline capable of performing a rough reduction of the simulated data. This pipeline will then be updated once the final CUTE data reduction pipeline will be fully developed. We further briefly discuss our plans for the development of a CUTE data reduction pipeline. The data simulator will be used to inform the target selection, improve the preliminary signal-to-noise calculator, test the impact on the data of deviations from the nominal instrument characteristics, identify the best spacecraft orientation for the observation of each target and construct synthetic data to train the science team in the data analysis prior to launch.