arXiv subjects

Julien Girard

Publications and source records attributed to Julien Girard.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: corgisim - a simulation suite for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument

NASA's Roman Space Telescope will feature a pathfinder Coronagraph Instrument to demonstrate advanced high-contrast imaging from space, paving the way for future missions like the Habitable Worlds Observatory. The Coronagraph Instrument could obtain imaging, polarimetry and spectroscopy of Jupiter analogs in reflected visible light for the first time. We present the development of an open-source simulation package ``corgisim'' as part of the Roman Coronagraph Community Participate Program. Built on established optical propagation libraries including PROPER and CGISim, corgisim provides a user-friendly, publicly available Python framework for end-to-end simulations of the Coronagraph Instrument observations. The package produces high-fidelity, format-compliant data for pre-launch calibration, pipeline testing, and community applications such as target selection and observation planning. We will give an overview of corgisim's infrastructure, functionalities, and current implementation across planned imaging, polarimetry, and spectroscopy modes, including the ability to simulate host stars, injected companions, and extended disks. We will also highlight suitable applications of corgisim and provide guidance on how users can access and employ the software.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2026

The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: data reduction pipeline astrometric calibration

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be equipped with a Technology Demonstration Coronagraph Instrument that will push the current limits of high contrast imaging for exoplanets ($10^{-9}$ contrast). The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program has developed corgidrp, a python-based data reduction pipeline for the Roman Coronagraph Instrument that will perform essential data processing and calibration steps for coronagraphic observations. The astrometric calibration function within corgidrp allows us to understand the on-sky angular size and distance scale of science observations by characterizing essential detector parameters: boresight, plate scale, north angle, and optical distortion. Measuring these astrometric calibration products not only helps us understand the science output of our data, but it is what allows us to point the Roman coronagraph accurately at our science target in the first place. Here, we describe the techniques used within the astrometric calibration and demonstrate that our algorithm meets Technology Demonstration Threshold Requirements: (1) compute the on-sky location of the center of CGI EXCAM detector to better than 30 [mas] and (2) compute the on-sky position angles of the camera axes to within 0.3 [deg].

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2026

The James Webb Space Telescope Absolute Flux Calibration. VI. Near-Infrared Camera Imaging and Coronagraphy

We present an updated flux calibration for all imaging modes of the Near-Infrared Camera on JWST that converts instrumental units to physical surface brightness units of MJy sr^-1. This calibration includes observations of 19 flux standard stars spanning 3.5 years, with a mix of A dwarfs, solar analogs, and hot stars. All 5 coronagraphic setups, all 29 filters, and both weak lenses are calibrated. This is the first on-sky calibration for the weak lenses used in Time Series observations and for secondary coronagraphic configurations (long wavelength masks paired with short wavelength filters, and vice versa). We also assess count-rate differences between subarrays and the full frame, finding differences of up to ~1%. These differences are incorporated into the calibration factors. We find that the scatter in the calibration factor is typically <2%, with about half of the filter+detector[+mask] combinations reaching <1% scatter. There are no trends with detector effects such as the count rate and well depth. Images in a handful of filters of the Large Magellanic Cloud and globular cluster 47 Tuc show that residual detector-to-detector offsets are typically small (<1%), but can be as high as 4-5%. The NIRCam detectors are found to be quite stable, with possible count-rate decreases of <0.4% per year, which is within the calibration uncertainties. These new calibration factors were incorporated into the JWST pipeline in 2026 March.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2026

Probing the magnetic field of a coronal mass ejection with PSR J1022+1001

We investigate whether low-frequency pulsar observations can provide LoS magnetic field estimates and whether these are consistent with synthetic LoS signatures extracted from a three-dimensional CME reconstruction constrained by Solar Orbiter data. We analyze a CME occultation of the LoS to PSR J1022+1001 on 20 August 2021 at a projected heliocentric distance of 24.6 R_sun, observed simultaneously with LOFAR and NenuFAR. From LOFAR, we derive time-resolved dispersion measure (DM) and rotation measure (RM) and isolate the CME contributions using background estimates for interstellar, solar wind and ionospheric components. We then infer the density-weighted LoS-averaged magnetic field component _PSR from the ratio delta-RM/delta-DM. In parallel, we reconstruct the CME using a semi-empirical 3DCORE model fitted to Solar Orbiter in-situ magnetic field observations at 0.65 au. We sample the modeled magnetic field along the pulsar LoS using fixed spatial sampling points and compute synthetic LoS-averaged signatures _3D for different flux rope configurations. The derived _PSR increases from approximately -9 nT to a peak near 63 nT during the observed interval. Comparison with synthetic signatures shows that the polarity and temporal evolution of the LoS signal are strongly dependent on the flux rope configuration and only a South-West-North (SWN) configuration (confirmed by Solar Orbiter in-situ data) reproduces the observed sign and overall evolution, whereas alternative configurations are incompatible. The modeled amplitudes, however, are systematically larger than the pulsar-derived values by roughly a factor of five. We show that simultaneous low-frequency pulsar DM and RM measurements can provide LoS magnetic field estimates for a CME and can be used to test CME magnetic structure against data-constrained three-dimensional reconstructions.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Silicate clouds and a circumplanetary disk in the YSES-1 exoplanet system

Young exoplanets provide a critical link between understanding planet formation and atmospheric evolution. Direct imaging spectroscopy allows us to infer the properties of young, wide orbit, giant planets with high signal-to-noise. This allows us to compare this young population to exoplanets characterized with transmission spectroscopy, which has indirectly revealed the presence of clouds, photochemistry, and a diversity of atmospheric compositions. Direct detections have also been made for brown dwarfs, but direct studies of young giant planets in the mid-infrared were not possible prior to JWST. With two exoplanets around a solar type star, the YSES-1 system is an ideal laboratory for studying this early phase of exoplanet evolution. We report the first direct observations of silicate clouds in the atmosphere of the exoplanet YSES-1 c through its 9-11 micron absorption feature, and the first circumplanetary disk silicate emission around its sibling planet, YSES-1 b. The clouds of YSES-1 c are composed of either amorphous iron-enriched pyroxene or a combination of amorphous MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4, with particle sizes of less than or equal to 0.1 micron at 1 millibar of pressure. We attribute the emission from the disk around YSES-1 b to be from submicron olivine dust grains, which may have formed through collisions of planet-forming bodies in the disk.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

JWST Coronagraphic Images of 14 Her c: a Cold Giant Planet in a Dynamically Hot, Multi-planet System

Most observed multi-planet systems are coplanar, in a dynamically "cold" configuration of concentric orbits like our own Solar System. With the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) we have detected 14 Her c, the first mature and cold exoplanet directly imaged in a dynamically "hot", multi-planet system. With large eccentricities and a nonzero mutual inclination, the present-day architecture of this system points to a turbulent past and ongoing angular momentum exchange between the planetary orbits of 14 Her b and c. The temperature of 14 Her c rivals both the coldest imaged exoplanet and the coldest known brown dwarf. Moreover, its photometry at 4.4 mu is consistent with the presence of carbon disequilibrium chemistry and water ice clouds in its atmosphere. 14 Her c presents a unique laboratory to study giant planet formation, dynamical evolution of multi-planet system architectures, and atmospheric composition and dynamics in extremely cold worlds.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

CaBRNet, an open-source library for developing and evaluating Case-Based Reasoning Models

In the field of explainable AI, a vibrant effort is dedicated to the design of self-explainable models, as a more principled alternative to post-hoc methods that attempt to explain the decisions after a model opaquely makes them. However, this productive line of research suffers from common downsides: lack of reproducibility, unfeasible comparison, diverging standards. In this paper, we propose CaBRNet, an open-source, modular, backward-compatible framework for Case-Based Reasoning Networks: https://github.com/aiser-team/cabrnet.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2023

The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems: Best Practices for Data Collection in Cycle 2 and Beyond

We present a set of recommended best practices for JWST data collection for members of the community focussed on the direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanetary systems. These findings and recommendations are based on the early analysis of the JWST Early Release Science Program 1386, "High-Contrast Imaging of Exoplanets and Exoplanetary Systems with JWST." Our goal is for this information to be useful for observers in preparation of JWST proposals for Cycle 2 and beyond. In addition to compiling a set of best practices from our ERS program, in a few cases we also draw on the expertise gained within the instrument commissioning programs, as well as include a handful of data processing best practices. We anticipate that this document will be regularly updated and resubmitted to arXiv.org to ensure that we have distributed our knowledge of best-practices for data collection as widely and efficiently as possible.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

The SPHERE view of three interacting twin disc systems in polarised light

Dense stellar environments as hosts of ongoing star formation increase the probability of gravitational encounters among stellar systems during the early stages of evolution. Stellar interaction may occur through non-recurring, hyperbolic or parabolic passages (a so-called 'fly-by'), through secular binary evolution, or through binary capture. In all three scenarios, the strong gravitational perturbation is expected to manifest itself in the disc structures around the individual stars. Here, we present near-infrared polarised light observations that were taken with the SPHERE/IRDIS instrument of three known interacting twin-disc systems: AS 205, EM* SR 24, and FU Orionis. The scattered light exposes spirals likely caused by the gravitational interaction. On a larger scale, we observe connecting filaments between the stars. We analyse their very complex polarised intensity and put particular attention to the presence of multiple light sources in these systems. The local angle of linear polarisation indicates the source whose light dominates the scattering process from the bridging region between the two stars. Further, we show that the polarised intensity from scattering with multiple relevant light sources results from an incoherent summation of the individuals' contribution. This can produce nulls of polarised intensity in an image, as potentially observed in AS 205. We discuss the geometry and content of the systems by comparing the polarised light observations with other data at similar resolution, namely with ALMA continuum and gas emission. Collective observational data can constrain the systems' geometry and stellar trajectories, with the important potential to differentiate between dynamical scenarios of stellar interaction.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Performance of near-infrared high-contrast imaging methods with JWST from commissioning

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will revolutionize the field of high-contrast imaging and enable both the direct detection of Saturn-mass planets and the characterization of substellar companions in the mid-infrared. While JWST will feature unprecedented sensitivity, angular resolution will be the key factor when competing with ground-based telescopes. Here, we aim to characterize the performance of several extreme angular resolution imaging techniques available with JWST in the 3-5 micron regime based on data taken during commissioning. Firstly, we introduce custom tools to simulate, reduce, and analyze NIRCam and MIRI coronagraphy data and use these tools to extract companion detection limits from on-sky NIRCam round and bar mask coronagraphy observations. Secondly, we present on-sky NIRISS aperture masking interferometry (AMI) and kernel phase imaging (KPI) observations from which we extract companion detection limits using the publicly available fouriever tool. Scaled to a total integration time of one hour and a target of the brightness of AB Dor, we find that NIRISS AMI and KPI reach contrasts of $\sim$7-8 mag at $\sim$70 mas and $\sim$9 mag at $\sim$200 mas. Beyond $\sim$250 mas, NIRCam coronagraphy reaches deeper contrasts of $\sim$13 mag at $\sim$500 mas and $\sim$15 mag at $\sim$2 arcsec. While the bar mask performs $\sim$1 mag better than the round mask at small angular separations $\lesssim$0.75 arcsec, it is the other way around at large angular separations $\gtrsim$1.5 arcsec. Moreover, the round mask gives access to the full 360 deg field-of-view which is beneficial for the search of new companions. We conclude that already during the instrument commissioning, JWST high-contrast imaging in the L- and M-bands performs close to its predicted limits.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2022

First Peek with JWST/NIRCam Wide-Field Slitless Spectroscopy: Serendipitous Discovery of a Strong [O III]/H$α$ Emitter at $z=6.11$

We report the serendipitous discovery of an [O III] $λλ$4959/5007 and H$α$ line emitter in the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) with the JWST commissioning data taken in the NIRCam wide field slitless spectroscopy (WFSS) mode. Located $\sim$55" away from the flux calibrator P330-E, this galaxy exhibits bright [O III] $λλ$4959/5007 and H$α$ lines detected at 3.7, 9.9 and 5.7$σ$, respectively, with a spectroscopic redshift of $z=6.112\pm0.001$. The total H$β$+[O III] equivalent width is 664$\pm$98 Å (454$\pm$78 Å from the [O III] $λ$5007 line). This provides direct spectroscopic evidence for the presence of strong rest-frame optical lines (H$β$+[O III] and H$α$) in EoR galaxies as inferred previously from the analyses of Spitzer/IRAC spectral energy distributions. Two spatial and velocity components are identified in this source, possibly indicating that this system is undergoing a major merger, which might have triggered the ongoing starburst with strong nebular emission lines over a timescale of $\sim$2 Myr as our SED modeling suggests. The tentative detection of He II $λ$4686 line ($1.9σ$), if real, may indicate the existence of very young and metal-poor star-forming regions with a hard UV radiation field. Finally, this discovery demonstrates the power and readiness of the JWST/NIRCam WFSS mode, and marks the beginning of a new era for extragalactic astronomy, in which EoR galaxies can be routinely discovered via blind slitless spectroscopy through the detection of rest-frame optical emission lines.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Reference-star differential imaging on SPHERE/IRDIS

Reference-star differential imaging (RDI) is a promising technique in high-contrast imaging that is thought to be more sensitive to exoplanets and disks than angular differential imaging (ADI) at short angular separations (i.e., <0.3"). However, it is unknown whether the performance of RDI on ground-based instruments can be improved by using all the archival data to optimize the subtraction of stellar contributions. We characterize the performance of RDI on SPHERE/IRDIS data in direct imaging of exoplanets and disks. We made use of all the archival data in H23 obtained by SPHERE/IRDIS in the past five years to build a master reference library and perform RDI. In the point-source detection, RDI can outperform ADI at small angular separations (<0.4") if the observing conditions are around the median conditions of our master reference library. On average, RDI has a gain of ~0.8 mag over ADI at 0.15" separation for observations under median conditions. We demonstrate that including more reference targets in the master reference library can indeed help to improve the performance of RDI. In disk imaging, RDI can reveal more disk features and provide a more robust recovery of the disk morphology. We resolve 33 disks in total intensity (19 planet-forming disks and 14 debris disks), and 4 of them can only be detected with RDI. Two disks are resolved in scattered light for the first time. Three disks are detected in total intensity for the first time. The master reference library we built in this work can be easily implemented into legacy or future SPHERE surveys to perform RDI, achieving better performance than that of ADI. To obtain optimal RDI gains over ADI, we recommend future observations be carried out under seeing conditions of 0.6"-0.8".

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2022

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument Observation Calibration Plan

NASA's next flagship mission, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, is a 2.4-meter observatory set to launch no later than May 2027. Roman features two instruments: the Wide Field Imager and the Coronagraph Instrument. Roman's Coronagraph is a Technology Demonstration that will push the current capabilities of direct imaging to smaller contrast ratios ($\sim$10$^{-9}$) and inner-working angles (3~$λ$/D). In order to achieve this high precision, Roman Coronagraph data must be calibrated to remove as many potential sources of error as possible. Here we present a detailed overview of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument Observation Calibration Plan including identifying potential sources of error and how they will be mitigated via on-sky calibrations.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Flatfield Calibrations with Astrophysical Sources for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's Coronagraph Instrument

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument is a high-contrast imager, polarimeter, and spectrometer that will enable the study of exoplanets and circumstellar disks at visible wavelengths ($\sim$550--850~nm) at contrasts 2--3 orders of magnitude better than can currently be achieved by ground or space-based direct imaging facilities. To capitalize on this sensitivity, precise flux calibration will be required. The Roman Coronagraph, like other space-based missions, will use on-orbit flatfields to measure and correct for phenomena that impact the measured total effective throughput. However, the Coronagraph does not have internal lamp sources, therefore we have developed a method to perform flatfield calibrations using observations of extended sources, such as Uranus and Neptune, using a combination of rastering the Coronagraph's Fast Steering Mirror, tiling the planet across the field of view, and matched-filter image processing. Here we outline the process and present the results of simulations using images of Uranus and Neptune from the Hubble Space Telescopes Wide Field Camera 3, in filters approximate to the Coronagraph's Band 1 and Band 4. The simulations are performed over the Coronagraph's direct imaging and polarimetric modes. We model throughput effects in 3 different spatial frequency regimes including 1) high spatial frequency detector pixel-to-pixel quantum efficiency variations, 2) medium spatial frequency "measles" caused by particle deposition on the detector or other focal-plane optics post-launch, and 3) low spatial frequency detector fringing caused by self-interference due to internal reflections in the detector substrate as well as low spatial frequency vignetting at the edges of the Coronagraph's field of view. We show that Uranus and Neptune can be used as astrophysical flat sources with high precision ($\sim$0.5% relative error)

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets in the mid-infrared: biosignatures, habitability & diversity

Exoplanet science is one of the most thriving fields of modern astrophysics. A major goal is the atmospheric characterization of dozens of small, terrestrial exoplanets in order to search for signatures in their atmospheres that indicate biological activity, assess their ability to provide conditions for life as we know it, and investigate their expected atmospheric diversity. None of the currently adopted projects or missions, from ground or in space, can address these goals. In this White Paper we argue that a large space-based mission designed to detect and investigate thermal emission spectra of terrestrial exoplanets in the MIR wavelength range provides unique scientific potential to address these goals and surpasses the capabilities of other approaches. While NASA might be focusing on large missions that aim to detect terrestrial planets in reflected light, ESA has the opportunity to take leadership and spearhead the development of a large MIR exoplanet mission within the scope of the "Voyage 2050" long-term plan establishing Europe at the forefront of exoplanet science for decades to come. Given the ambitious science goals of such a mission, additional international partners might be interested in participating and contributing to a roadmap that, in the long run, leads to a successful implementation. A new, dedicated development program funded by ESA to help reduce development and implementation cost and further push some of the required key technologies would be a first important step in this direction. Ultimately, a large MIR exoplanet imaging mission will be needed to help answer one of mankind's most fundamental questions: "How unique is our Earth?"

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2021

Observations of shock propagation through turbulent plasma in the solar corona

Eruptive activity in the solar corona can often lead to the propagation of shock waves. In the radio domain the primary signature of such shocks are type II radio bursts, observed in dynamic spectra as bands of emission slowly drifting towards lower frequencies over time. These radio bursts can sometimes have inhomogeneous and fragmented fine structure, but the cause of this fine structure is currently unclear. Here we observe a type II radio burst on 2019-March-20th using the New Extension in Nançay Upgrading LOFAR (NenuFAR), a radio interferometer observing between 10-85 MHz. We show that the distribution of size-scales of density perturbations associated with the type II fine structure follows a power law with a spectral index in the range of $α=-1.7$ to -2.0, which closely matches the value of $-5/3$ expected of fully developed turbulence. We determine this turbulence to be upstream of the shock, in background coronal plasma at a heliocentric distance of $\sim$2 R$_{\odot}$. The observed inertial size-scales of the turbulent density inhomogeneities range from $\sim$62 Mm to $\sim$209 km. This shows that type II fine structure and fragmentation can be due to shock propagation through an inhomogeneous and turbulent coronal plasma, and we discuss the implications of this on electron acceleration in the coronal shock.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

Constraints on the nearby exoplanet $ε$ Ind Ab from deep near/mid-infrared imaging limits

The past decade has seen increasing efforts in detecting and characterising exoplanets by high contrast imaging in the near/mid-infrared, which is the optimal wavelength domain for studying old, cold planets. In this work, we present deep AO imaging observations of the nearby Sun-like star $ε$ Ind A with NaCo ($L^{\prime}$) and NEAR (10-12.5 microns) instruments at VLT, in an attempt to directly detect its planetary companion whose presence has been indicated from radial velocity (RV) and astrometric trends. We derive brightness limits from the non-detection of the companion with both instruments, and interpret the corresponding sensitivity in mass based on both cloudy and cloud-free atmospheric and evolutionary models. For an assumed age of 5 Gyr for the system, we get detectable mass limits as low as 4.4 $M_{\rm J}$ in NaCo $L^{\prime}$ and 8.2 $M_{\rm J}$ in NEAR bands at 1.5$\arcsec$ from the central star. If the age assumed is 1 Gyr, we reach even lower mass limits of 1.7 $M_{\rm J}$ in NaCo $L^{\prime}$ and 3.5 $M_{\rm J}$ in NEAR bands, at the same separation. However, based on the dynamical mass estimate (3.25 $M_{\rm J}$) and ephemerides from astrometry and RV, we find that the non-detection of the planet in these observations puts a constraint of 2 Gyr on the lower age limit of the system. NaCo offers the highest sensitivity to the planetary companion in these observations, but the combination with the NEAR wavelength range adds a considerable degree of robustness against uncertainties in the atmospheric models. This underlines the benefits of including a broad set of wavelengths for detection and characterisation of exoplanets in direct imaging studies.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2019

ISPY -- NaCo Imaging Survey for Planets around Young stars. Discovery of an M dwarf in the gap between HD 193571 and its debris ring

Context. The interaction between low-mass companions and the debris discs they reside in is still not fully understood. A debris disc can evolve due to self-stirring, a process in which planetesimals can excite their neighbours to the point of destructive collisions. In addition, the presence of a companion could further stir the disc (companion-stirring). Additional information is necessary to understand this fundamental step in the formation and evolution of a planetary system, and at the moment of writing only a handful of systems are known where a companion and a debris disc have both been detected and studied at the same time. Aims. Our primary goal is to augment the sample of these systems and to understand the relative importance between self-stirring and companion-stirring. Methods. In the course of the VLT/NaCo Imaging Survey for Planets around Young stars (ISPY), we observed HD 193571, an A0 debris disc hosting star at a distance of 68 pc with an age between 60 and 170 Myr. We obtained two sets of observations in L' band and a third epoch in H band using the GPI instrument at Gemini-South. Results. A companion was detected in all three epochs at a projected separation of 11 au (0.17 arcsec), and co-motion was confirmed through proper motion analysis. Given the inferred disc size of 120 au, the companion appears to reside within the gap between the host star and the disc. Comparison between the L' and H band magnitude and evolutionary tracks suggests a mass of 0.31 - 0.39 solar masses . Conclusions. We discovered a previously unknown M-dwarf companion around HD 193571, making it the third low-mass stellar object discovered within a debris disc. A comparison to self- and companion-stirring models suggests that the companion is likely responsible for the stirring of the disc.

astro-ph.EP↗