The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) Technology Demonstration

TL;DR

The paper discusses the design, requirements, and science cases of the CGI instrument on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which aims to demonstrate high-contrast imaging technology for exoplanet detection from space.

Contribution

It provides an overview of the CGI instrument's design, hardware, algorithms, and operational plans, advancing space-based direct imaging technology for exoplanets.

Findings

Demonstration of high-contrast imaging technology in space

Identification of exoplanet and debris disk science capabilities

Integration of community participation in the tech demo

Abstract

The Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will demonstrate the high-contrast technology necessary for visible-light exoplanet imaging and spectroscopy from space via direct imaging of Jupiter-size planets and debris disks. This in-space experience is a critical step toward future, larger missions targeted at direct imaging of Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of nearby stars. This paper presents an overview of the current instrument design and requirements, highlighting the critical hardware, algorithms, and operations being demonstrated. We also describe several exoplanet and circumstellar disk science cases enabled by these capabilities. A competitively selected Community Participation Program team will be an integral part of the technology demonstration and could perform additional CGI observations beyond the initial tech demo if the instrument performance warrants it.