arXiv subjects

Jason J. Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Jason J. Wang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: early calibration plan and pilot observation of a companion

Roman is set to launch in weeks! The Coronagraph Instrument - technology pathfinder for future direct imaging missions - is ready to fly too. According to predictions, laboratory tests and high fidelity simulations, it will open a new contrast regime enabling the imaging of mature, giant planets in visible reflected light. The Community Participation Program is responsible for preparing a comprehensive observing program with associated data processing software and calibrations. We give a brief update about the on-going "baseline" calibration plan for the first months. Additionally, we describe a pilot program aiming for the stellar companion HD 29992 B at moderate ~1e-5 to ~1e-6 Band 1 (575 nm) contrast, to be carried out as soon as the instrument is operational. The idea is to generate a canonical data set with a self luminous companion that is easily recoverable. This functional checkout will be precious to best prepare our community, exercise our calibration plan and suite of tools.

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arXiv2026

The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: calibration strategy for the Mueller matrix using on-sky sources

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument will provide space-based polarimetric observations of circumstellar disks and exoplanetary systems. Accurate reconstruction of the linear polarization fraction requires calibration of the instrumental Mueller matrix using polarized and weakly polarized standard stars. We constructed a candidate catalog by combining published optical polarimetry with Gaia DR3 astrometry and photometry and selected separate samples for coronagraphic calibration observations and observations using a neutral-density filter. Precursor $VRI$-band polarimetry of 18 faint candidates was obtained with HONIR on the 1.5-m Kanata telescope. The wavelength dependence of their normalized Stokes parameters was modeled using the Serkowski law to predict their polarization properties in \cgi\ Bands~1 and 4, and 2 sets of 3 calibrators were selected for the 2 calibration scenarios. We then estimated the achievable LPF reconstruction accuracy using Monte Carlo simulations that include uncertainties in the calibrator polarization properties, photometric noise, and residual detector-response errors. A dithered observing configuration was also simulated to reduce differential detector-response errors among the calibrators. The current estimates indicate LPF reconstruction errors at the few-percentage-point level, with a small bias arising from treating a weakly polarized calibrator as unpolarized. Finally, we present progress toward an end-to-end test using \texttt{corgisim} and \texttt{corgiDRP}, including successful processing of simulated datasets from Level~1 through Level~2b.

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arXiv2026

The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: data reduction pipeline design and implementation

The Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument will demonstrate a series of technologies and techniques to enable the direct detection of reflected-light planets with space-based observatories. To characterize and validate the performance of the Coronagraph Instrument, the Community Participation Program is developing corgidrp, an open-source Python-based data reduction pipeline. The pipeline can process data from the required and best-effort observing modes and their associated calibration sequences into calibrated science-ready data products. We present the software design and implementation of corgidrp and the motivation behind specific design decisions. We describe the software architecture, data flow, processing steps, automation tools, testing framework, and development philosophy. We also outline future development plans in preparation for on-sky data.

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arXiv2026

The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: pre-launch reference star list and impact of reference star properties on post-processing performance

The upcoming Roman Coronagraph will be the first high-contrast instrument in space capable of high-order wavefront sensing and control technologies, a critical technology demonstration for the proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) that aims to directly image and characterize habitable exoEarths. The nominal Roman Coronagraph observing plan involves alternating observations of a science target and a bright, nearby reference star for both wavefront calibration and reference differential imaging post-processing. Reference star criteria for the most demanding coronagraph mode are restrictive, limiting the sample to only 40 candidates for which thorough observational vetting is needed to assess their suitability. Reference star properties such as resolved diameters, presence of circumstellar dust, and close point sources may also have more subtle impacts on post-processing efficacy that may inhibit final contrast performance. In this work, we describe the current progress of the CoronaGraph Instrument Reference stars for Exoplanets (CorGI-REx) observing campaign, a 300+-hour observing campaign that utilizes instruments from around the world to vet reference stars for high-order wavefront control suitability. We will present the pre-launch list of reference star candidates being utilized for the Roman Coronagraph Observation Phase constructed from a thorough analysis of high contrast and interferometric observations. We will also present the results of simulations investigating the impact of reference star resolved diameters and companions on post-processing performance. We conclude by discussing the importance of reference star selection for scheduling observations and optimizing contrast performance for the Roman Coronagraph along with implications for HWO coronagraph operations.

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arXiv2026

The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: Observation planning and data reduction for polarimetric mode

Reflected-light polarimetry of exoplanets constrains and resolves degeneracies in atmospheric properties, while polarized light observations of debris disks enable the characterization of dust-grain properties. The best-effort polarimetric mode of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument will be able to perform multi-wavelength observations of planetary systems using both the Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph (HLC) and the Shaped Pupil Coronagraph (SPC). This paper presents an overview of observation planning, simulations, and data reduction procedures for the polarimetric mode of the Roman Coronagraph. As an initial test of simulation and data reduction, a dataset of polarimetric observing sequences for the debris disk HD 172555 in HLC mode was generated using corgisim with estimated observation parameters, and data reduction was performed using corgidrp, incorporating all relevant noise factors and calibration products. Currently, mock calibration products are used in corgidrp; these will be replaced with simulated calibration products in future updates

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arXiv2026

A Sulfur-Rich Atmosphere for the Young Jupiter Analog AF Lep b Reveals Significant Solid Accretion

AF Lep b is one of the closest analogs to Jupiter in terms of mass ($3-4~M_{\rm{Jup}}$) and semi-major axis ($9$ AU) amenable to spectroscopic characterization. We present JWST/NIRSpec high-contrast spectroscopy of the planet from $2.85-5.3~\mu$m at $R\sim3000$, which provide detections of CO$_2$, H$_2$S, CH$_4$, $^{12}$CO (and $^{13}$CO), and H$_2$O, as well as complementary JWST/NIRCam imaging that captures the planet's continuum flux from $4.0-4.7~\mu$m. Combining the JWST observations with spectra from VLTI/GRAVITY and VLT/SPHERE ($1.0-2.5~\mu$m), we carry out atmospheric retrievals that include the effects of clouds and disequilibrium chemistry while allowing the C, O, and S abundances to vary independently. AF Lep b exhibits metal enrichment across C, O, and S with $\rm C/H=2.9\pm0.5$, $\rm O/H=3.7\pm0.6$, and $\rm S/H=4.7\pm0.7~\times$ solar (and stellar). The planet's slightly sub-solar C/O and C/S are consistent with formation near its observed location, and disfavor formation beyond the CO snowline. The sulfur enrichment in AF Lep b implies significant accretion of disk solids during formation, and we estimate the planet contains $56\pm7~M_{\oplus}$ of solids. The C, O, and S enrichment levels of AF Lep b are similar to those of Jupiter, and other super-Jupiters like HR 8799 bcde. We also show that the degree of atmospheric metal enrichment of these imaged planets is similar to the bulk metal enrichment of transiting gas giants with masses greater than $\sim1~M_{\rm{Jup}}$, suggesting that the process and efficiency of metal accretion for gas giants may not be strongly dependent on orbital distance or planet mass.

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arXiv2026

Telemetry is a Sensor: Opportunistic Wavefront Estimation for the James Webb Space Telescope

Space telescopes maintain optical alignment through periodic, resource-intensive wavefront calibration, leaving the optical state unobserved between corrections. We propose treating onboard engineering telemetry as an opportunistic wavefront sensor. Specifically, the high-cadence thermal and pointing signals already recorded by the James Webb Space Telescope may suffice to recover spatially resolved optical path difference at nanometer precision, without dedicated measurements. Our framework uses a two-stage gradient boosting regressor. It predicts optical path difference residuals for each mirror segment in a low-dimensional principal component basis. The model is trained and evaluated using data captured on-orbit during six months. Based on this limited data, optical path difference inference has high statistical significance in 13 out of 18 mirror segments. In 6 mirror segments, the model achieves explained variance above 50\%. These results demonstrate feasibility for telemetry-driven wavefront estimation, as a low-overhead sensing modality. The study suggests a potential to support continuous monitoring and calibration scheduling for large segmented observatories.

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arXiv2026

Photometric Variability and Rotation of Beta Pictoris b from JWST NIRCam Coronagraphic Imaging

We report the detection of photometric variability in the directly imaged super-Jupiter $\beta$ Pictoris b. Using JWST NIRCam dual-band coronagraphic imaging, we conducted a 16-hour continuous photometric monitoring campaign in the F210M and F410M filters. We developed and validated a time-series photometry framework that combines PSF subtraction, principal component analysis for systematic noise removal, and injection-and-recovery tests to confirm signal fidelity. Both light curves show consistent sinusoidal variability at $\sim$5$\sigma$ and $\gg 5\sigma$ significance in the F210M and F410M bands, respectively. A joint sinusoidal fit yields a rotation period of $P_{\rm rot} = 9.00 \pm 0.13$ hr and variability amplitudes of $0.85 \pm 0.07\%$ and $0.89 \pm 0.04\%$ in F210M and F410M, respectively. The near-identical amplitudes and periods in both bands confirm a common astrophysical origin in a heterogeneous atmosphere. Combining $P_{\rm rot}$ with the previously measured projected rotational velocity, we constrain the line-of-sight spin axis inclination of $\beta$ Pic b. The result favors an equator-on viewing geometry, consistent with line-of-sight spin-orbit alignment: the planetary spin axis, orbital plane, debris disk, and stellar equator are all mutually aligned. This stands in sharp contrast to the large obliquities of wide-separation companions that are likely formed via gravitational fragmentation. Together with the system's young age, this observation provides independent dynamical evidence that $\beta$ Pic b formed via core accretion. This result constitutes the first detection of rotational modulation in a close-in, high-contrast exoplanet that likely formed via core accretion, demonstrating that time-series coronagraphic imaging with JWST opens a powerful new window onto the rotation, atmospheric dynamics, and spin-orbit architecture of this population.

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arXiv2026

Atmospheric characterization of six ultra-hot Jupiters from $K$-band high-resolution spectroscopy

We present new Keck/KPIC high-resolution spectroscopic detections of three ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJs) in the $K$ band: WASP-189b ($\rm SNR = 7.2$), MASCARA-1b ($\rm SNR = 8.6$), and TOI-1518b ($\rm SNR = 7.1$), as well as a tentative detection of KELT-9b ($\rm SNR = 5.0$). We perform a uniform set of atmospheric retrieval analysis on these objects, as well as previously reported KPIC observations of WASP-33b ($\rm SNR = 11.2$) and KELT-20b ($\rm SNR = 10.5$), We perform atmospheric retrievals for the pressure-temperature ($P-T$) profile, orbital velocity parameters, $v\sin i$, and abundances of CO, H$_2$O, OH, and Fe, with parameterized mixing profiles to account for the expected vertical abundance variations of H$_2$O and OH. We also perform a set of retrievals assuming chemical equilibrium, which are generally in good agreement with the free retrievals. Except for \knb, the retrieved spectra are dominated by CO emission features, with additional weak H$_2$O or OH features consistent with thermal dissociation of H$_2$O. \knb, which is significantly hotter, appears to have very weak molecular features. Dissociation limits our ability to reliably constrain H$_2$O or OH abundances from $K$ band data alone, resulting in poor constraints on the C/O ratio. For all objects, the atmospheric abundances from detected carbon and oxygen species are $1-10\times$ solar. These results highlight the importance of wide spectral coverage for high-resolution retrievals. Additional observations to expand phase and wavelength coverage are needed to better constrain oxygen species and possible spatial inhomogeneities from dissociation.

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arXiv2026

The Companions to B and A Stars Snapshot (C-BASS) Survey: I. Discovery of a Young Brown Dwarf Companion to HIP 17453

We report the detection of a new brown dwarf companion to HIP 17453 A, a chemically peculiar A0V star located at a distance of 81 pc. HIP 17453 A was observed with high-resolution adaptive optics imaging using the Near-Infrared Camera 2 on the Keck II telescope as part of the Companions to B and A Stars Snapshot (C-BASS) survey over a ten-year baseline, revealing the presence of a companion with proper motion consistent with the primary. We estimate the age of the HIP 17453 system as 280 $\pm$ 125 Myr, and with follow-up intermediate resolution (R~1800) spectroscopic observations with the Gemini Near Infra-Red Spectrograph (GNIRS) on the Gemini-North telescope, we found the spectrum of HIP 17453 B to be consistent with a spectral type of L2 $\pm$ 1. Through interpolation of Sonora Diamondback evolutionary models, we calculate an effective temperature of $1953^{+84}_{-78}$ K and mass of $53^{+10}_{-8}$ $M_{Jup}$ for HIP 17453 B, which corresponds to a mass ratio of $q = 0.024 \pm 0.004$ for the HIP 17453 system. With its intermediate mass and young age, HIP 17453 B joins a small set of benchmark brown dwarf companions around early-type stars that are suitable for follow-up atmospheric and evolutionary studies.

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arXiv2026

Evidence of Radius Inflation Based on 50 Transiting Brown Dwarfs and Low-mass Stellar Companions

Statistical assessment of stellar parameters enables validation and improvements in theoretical models. We compiled a sample of 85 transiting stellar and substellar companions, with masses ranging from $\sim$13-100 $M_\mathrm{Jup}$. We focus on analyzing 50 transiting companions with robust ages and model constraints, and evaluate the degree of radius inflation versus mass, separation, equilibrium temperature, and metallicity. Our evaluation of the differences between measured and model radii indicates an $8.7\pm1.9$% radius inflation for the full sample, at $4.6σ$ discrepancy, validating the existence of radius inflation at a population level in transiting brown dwarfs. For brown dwarfs at separations $\leq 0.05$ au, we find an even higher radius inflation, with a median inflation of $16\pm6$% at $2.7σ$, and the inflation decreases toward wider separations, likely due to reduced stellar irradiation. Finally, we provide our compilation for the community to use.

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arXiv2026

Distinct Rotational Evolution of Giant Planets and Brown Dwarf Companions

We present a rotational velocity (vsini) survey of 32 stellar/substellar objects and giant planets using Keck/KPIC high-resolution spectroscopy, including 6 giant planets (2-7 M$_\mathrm{Jup}$) and 25 substellar/stellar companions (12-88 M$_\mathrm{Jup}$). Adding companions with spin measurements from the literature, we construct a curated spin sample for 43 benchmark stellar/substellar companions and giant planets and 54 free-floating brown dwarfs and planetary mass objects. We compare their spins, parameterized as fractional breakup velocities at 10 Myr, assuming constant angular momentum evolution. We find the first clear evidence that giant planets exhibit distinct spins versus low-mass brown dwarf companions (10 to 40 M$_\mathrm{Jup}$) at 4-4.5 $σ$ significance assuming inclinations aligned with their orbits, while under randomly oriented inclinations the significance is at 1.6-2.1 $σ$. Our findings hold when considering various assumptions about planets, and the mass ratio below 0.8% gives a clean cut for rotation between giant planets and brown dwarf companions. The higher fractional breakup velocities of planets can be interpreted as less angular momentum loss through circumplanetary disk braking during the planet formation phase. Brown dwarf companions exhibit evidence of slower rotation compared to isolated brown dwarfs, while planets and planetary mass objects show similar spins. Finally, our analysis of specific angular momentum versus age of 221 stellar/substellar objects below 0.1 M$_{\odot}$ with spin measurements in the literature indicates that the substellar objects of 5-40 M$_\mathrm{Jup}$ retain much higher angular momenta compared to stellar and substellar objects of 40-100 M$_\mathrm{Jup}$ after 10 Myr, when their initial angular momenta were set.

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arXiv2025

Dynamical Architectures of S-type Transiting Planets in Binaries II: A Dichotomy in Orbital Alignment of Small Planets in Close Binary Systems

Stellar multiplicity plays a crucial role in shaping planet formation and dynamical evolution. We present a survey of 54 TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs) within 300 pc that exhibit significant Hipparcos-Gaia astrometric accelerations. We identified 35 TOIs with stellar companions at projected separations between $0.1^{\prime\prime}$ to $2^{\prime\prime}$ (or $10-200$ AU). We also identified 12 TOIs that could host planetary-mass or brown dwarf companions, including 6 that are newly discovered. Furthermore, we perform three-dimensional orbital characterization for 12 binaries hosting confirmed planets or planet candidates, allowing us to constrain the line-of-sight mutual inclination, $ΔI_{\mathrm{los}}$, between the planetary and binary orbits. Combining our sample with previous measurements, we apply Bayesian hierarchical analysis to a total of 26 binary systems with S-type transiting planets ($r_p<5R_{\oplus}$). Specifically, we fit the $ΔI_{\mathrm{los}}$ distribution with both single (Rayleigh) and mixture models (two-component Rayleigh and Rayleigh-isotropic mixture). We find the mixture models are strongly favored ($\log Z\gtrsim13.9$, or $\approx$5$σ$), indicating the observed planet-binary $ΔI_{\mathrm{los}}$ values likely originate from two underlying populations: one nearly aligned ($σ_1 = 2^{\circ}.4^{+0.7}_{-0.9}$) and one with more scattered mutual inclinations ($σ_2 = 23^{\circ}.6^{+8.8}_{-7.1}$). Alternatively, the misaligned systems can be equally well described by an isotropic distribution of inclinations. This observed dichotomy likely reflects different dynamical histories. Notably, the misaligned population only emerges in systems with stellar periastron distances $>40$ AU while systems with close-in or eccentric stellar companions (periastron distances $<40$ AU) preserve planet-binary alignment.

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arXiv2025

A second planetesimal collision in the Fomalhaut system

The nearby star Fomalhaut is orbited by a compact source, Fomalhaut b, which has previously been interpreted as either a dust-enshrouded exoplanet or a dust cloud generated by the collision of two planetesimals. Such collisions are rarely observed but their debris can appear in direct imaging. We report Hubble Space Telescope observations that show the appearance in 2023 of a second point source around Fomalhaut, resembling the appearance of Fomalhaut b twenty years earlier. We interpret this additional source as a dust cloud produced by a recent impact between two planetesimals. The positions and motion of two impact-generated dust clouds over twenty years provide constraints on the collisional dynamics in the debris belt.

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arXiv2025

HD 143811 AB b: A Directly Imaged Planet Orbiting a Spectroscopic Binary in Sco-Cen

We present confirmation of HD 143811 AB b, a substellar companion to spectroscopic binary HD 143811 AB through direct imaging with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) and Keck NIRC2. HD 143811 AB was observed as a part of the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet Survey (GPIES) in 2016 and 2019 and is a member of the Sco-Cen star formation region. The exoplanet is detected $\sim 430$ mas from the host star by GPI. With two GPI epochs and one from Keck/NIRC2 in 2022, we confirm through common proper motion analysis that the object is bound to its host star. We derive an orbit with a semi-major axis of $64 ^{+32}_{-14}$ au and eccentricity ${0.23 ^{+0.24}_{-0.16}}$. Spectral analysis of the GPI $H$-band spectrum and NIRC2 \textit{L'} photometry provides additional proof that this object is a substellar companion. We compare the spectrum of HD 143811 AB b to PHOENIX stellar models and Exo-REM exoplanet atmosphere models and find that Exo-REM models provide the best fits to the data. From the Exo-REM models, we derive an effective temperature of $1042^{+178}_{-132}$ K for the planet and translate the derived luminosity of the planet to a mass of $5.6 \pm 1.1~M_\textrm{Jup}$ assuming hot-start evolutionary models. HD 143811 AB b is the first directly imaged planet around a binary that is not on an ultra-wide orbit. Future characterization of this object will shed light on the formation of planets around binary star systems.

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arXiv2025

An Ancient Brown Dwarf Transiting a Metal-Poor Thick Disk Star

We report the discovery of TOI-7019b, the first transiting brown dwarf (BD) known to orbit a star that is part of the Milky Way's ancient thick disk, as defined chemically ([Fe/H] $= -0.79 \pm 0.05$ dex, [$α$/Fe] $= +0.26 \pm 0.05$ dex, [M/H] $= -0.59 \pm 0.06$ dex) and kinematically ($v_{\perp} \approx 150 \pm 1$ km s$^{-1}$). We estimate a system age $τ= 12 \pm 2$ Gyr by fitting the host star's spectrum and spectral energy distribution to alpha-enhanced isochrones, and independently using the age-metallicity relation of the thick disk. This makes TOI-7019 by far the most metal-poor and ancient BD host known to date. We measure a BD mass of $61.3 \pm 2.1$ $M_{\rm J}$ and radius of $0.82 \pm 0.02$ $R_{\rm J}$ from a joint analysis of transit photometry and radial velocity measurements, along with an orbital period of $48.2592 \pm 0.0001$ days and an orbital eccentricity of $0.403 \pm 0.002$. The measured radius appears $12.3\% \pm 2.8\%$ larger than predicted relative to standard evolutionary models for old, metal-poor brown dwarfs, hinting at missing physics like the magnetic inhibition of convection. TOI-7019b lowers the probed metallicity regime for transiting BDs by over a factor of two, making it a benchmark system to test evolutionary models in the low-metallicity regime. Future measurements of TOI-7019b's atmosphere will test whether a brown dwarf's atmospheric composition tracks its host star's abundances, as expected for binary-like co-formation.

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arXiv2025

Revealing the accelerating wind in the inner region of the colliding-wind binary WR 112

Colliding winds in massive binaries generate X-ray-bright shocks, synchrotron radio emission, and sometimes even dusty "pinwheel" spirals. We report the first X-ray detections of the dusty WC+O binary system WR 112 from Chandra and Swift, alongside 27 years of VLA/ATCA radio monitoring and new diffraction-limited Keck images. Because we view the nearly circular orbit almost edge-on, the colliding-wind zone alternates between heavy Wolf-Rayet wind self-absorption and a near-transparent O-star wind foreground each 20-yr orbit, producing phase-locked radio and X-ray variability. This scenario leads to a prediction that the radio spectral index is flatter from a larger non-thermal contribution around the radio intensity maximum, which is indeed observed. Existing models that assume a single dust-expansion speed fail to reproduce the combined infrared geometry and radio light curve. Instead, we require an accelerating post-shock flow that climbs from near-stationary to ~1350 km/s in about one orbital cycle, naturally matching the infrared spiral from about 5" down to within 0.1", while also fitting the phase of the radio brightening. These kinematic constraints supply critical boundary conditions for future hydrodynamic simulations, which can link hot-plasma cooling, non-thermal radio emission, X-ray spectra, and dust formation in a self-consistent framework. WR 112 thus joins WR 140, WR 104, and WR 70-16 (Apep) as a benchmark system for testing colliding-wind physics under an increasingly diverse range of orbital architectures and physical conditions.

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arXiv2025

CoronaGraph Instrument Reference stars for Exoplanets (CorGI-REx) I. Preliminary Vetting and Implications for the Roman Coronagraph and Habitable Worlds Observatory

The upcoming Roman Coronagraph will be the first high-contrast instrument in space capable of high-order wavefront sensing and control technologies, a critical technology demonstration for the proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) that aims to directly image and characterize habitable exoEarths. The nominal Roman Coronagraph observing plan involves alternating observations of a science target and a bright, nearby reference star. High contrast is achieved using wavefront sensing and control, also known as "digging a dark hole", where performance depends on the properties of the reference star, requiring V<3, a resolved stellar diameter <2 mas, and no stellar multiplicity. The imposed brightness and diameter criteria limit the sample of reference star candidates to high-mass main sequence and post-main sequence objects, where multiplicity rates are high. A future HWO coronagraph may have similarly restrictive criteria in reference star selection. From an exhaustive literature review of 95 stars, we identify an initial list of 40 primary and 18 reserve reference star candidates relevant to both the Roman Coronagraph and HWO. We present results from an initial survey of these candidates with high-resolution adaptive optics imaging and speckle interferometry and identify no new companions. We discuss the need for higher-contrast observations to sufficiently vet these reference star candidates prior to Roman Coronagraph observations along with the implications of reference star criteria on observation planning for Roman and HWO.

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