# Lessons for WFIRST CGI from ground-based high-contrast systems

## TL;DR

This paper discusses how lessons from ground-based high-contrast imaging systems can inform and improve the design and operation of NASA's WFIRST Coronagraph Instrument, advancing exoplanet imaging capabilities.

## Contribution

It identifies key areas where ground-based high-contrast system experience can guide the development of WFIRST CGI, including wavefront control and data processing techniques.

## Key findings

- Ground-based high-contrast techniques inform WFIRST CGI design.
- Wavefront control strategies are crucial for high-contrast imaging.
- Calibration and data processing methods are transferable to space-based systems.

## Abstract

The Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) for NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) will constitute a dramatic step forward for high-contrast imaging, integral field spectroscopy, and polarimetry of exoplanets and circumstellar disks, aiming to improve upon the sensitivity of current ground-based direct imaging facilities by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, CGI will serve as a pathfinder for future exo-Earth imaging and characterization missions by demonstrating wavefront control, coronagraphy, and spectral retrieval in a new contrast regime, and by validating instrument and telescope models at unprecedented levels of precision. To achieve this jump in performance, it is critical to draw on the experience of ground-based high-contrast facilities. We discuss several areas of relevant commonalities, including: wavefront control, post-processing of integral field unit data, and calibration and observing strategies.