METIS high-contrast imaging simulations: From instrument modelling to science readiness

Gilles Orban de Xivry; Olivier Absil; Iain Hammond; Thomas Bertram; Roy van Boekel; André Boné; Gaël Chauvin; Valentin Christiaens; Denis Dolkens; Gilles Otten; Prashant Pathak; Nuño Pereira

arXiv · 2608.30988

METIS high-contrast imaging simulations: From instrument modelling to science readiness

Gilles Orban de Xivry·Olivier Absil·Iain Hammond·Thomas Bertram·Roy van Boekel·André Boné·Gaël Chauvin·Valentin Christiaens·Denis Dolkens·Gilles Otten·Prashant Pathak·Nuño Pereira

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Abstract

The Mid-infrared Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) Imager and Spectrograph (METIS) instrument, expected to see first light in early 2030, aims to detect and characterise exoplanets and circumstellar disks through high- contrast imaging (HCI) and spectroscopy. The High-contrast End-to-End Performance Simulator (HEEPS), initially developed to support the design of the METIS HCI modes, has evolved into a crucial tool for the METIS science team to prepare and optimize observations. HEEPS is an open-source Python-based software with a modular architecture, integrating the wavefront Fresnel propagation package PROPER, and HCI image processing with the Vortex Image Processing (VIP) package. Though designed for METIS, its modularity has been applied to other HCI instruments as well. This work presents recent updates to HEEPS, including modelling of the final METIS pupil and Lyot stops, revised quasi-static non-common path aberrations (NCPA) and Talbot effect simulations informed by as-built optical surface errors, and updated METIS Single Conjugated Adaptive Optics (SCAO) simulations. We also discuss advancements in NCPA control strategies focusing on framerate, latency and sensing performance optimization, particularly for mitigating water vapor seeing effects using the asymmetric Lyot wavefront sensor (ALF) algorithm. With these refinements, we present a comprehensive grid of HCI performance simulations for METIS, covering a range of magnitudes in the L, M, and N-bands, and several HCI observing modes. These simulations produce updated 5-sigma sensitivity contrast curves and mock HCI observations, providing key insights on HCI performance for instrument optimization and science observation planning. Our results underscore the key role of end-to-end simulations in bridging instrumental design and scientific readiness in the ELT era.

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Gilles Orban de Xivry, Olivier Absil, Iain Hammond, Thomas Bertram, Roy van Boekel, André Boné, Gaël Chauvin, Valentin Christiaens, Denis Dolkens, Gilles Otten, Prashant Pathak, Nuño Pereira. 2026-08-31. METIS high-contrast imaging simulations: From instrument modelling to science readiness. https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.30988

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