arXiv subjects

Kian Milani

Publications and source records attributed to Kian Milani.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

The Space Coronagraph Optical Bench (SCoOB): 1. Design and Assembly of a Vacuum-compatible Coronagraph Testbed for Spaceborne High-Contrast Imaging Technology

The development of spaceborne coronagraphic technology is of paramount importance to the detection of habitable exoplanets in visible light. In space, coronagraphs are able to bypass the limitations imposed by the atmosphere to reach deeper contrasts and detect faint companions close to their host star. To effectively test this technology in a flight-like environment, a high-contrast imaging testbed must be designed for operation in a thermal vacuum (TVAC) chamber. A TVAC-compatible high-contrast imaging testbed is undergoing development at the University of Arizona inspired by a previous mission concept: The Coronagraphic Debris and Exoplanet Exploring Payload (CDEEP). The testbed currently operates at visible wavelengths and features a Boston Micromachines Kilo-C DM for wavefront control. Both a vector vortex coronagraph and a knife-edge Lyot coronagraph operating mode are under test. The optics will be mounted to a 1 x 2 meter pneumatically isolated optical bench designed to operate at 10^-8 torr and achieve raw contrasts of 10^-8 or better. The validation of our optical surface quality, alignment procedure, and first light results are presented. We also report on the status of the testbed's integration in the vaccum chamber.

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arXiv2022

Simulations of polarimetric observations of debris disks through the Roman Coronagraph Instrument

The Roman coronagraph instrument will demonstrate high-contrast imaging technology, enabling the imaging of faint debris disks, the discovery of inner dust belts, and planets. Polarization studies of debris disks provide information on dust grains' size, shape, and distribution. The Roman coronagraph uses a polarization module comprising two Wollaston prism assemblies to produce four orthogonally polarized images ($I_{0}$, $I_{90}$, $I_{45}$, and $I_{135}$), each measuring 3.2 arcsecs in diameter and separated by 7.5 arcsecs in the sky. The expected RMS error in the linear polarization fraction measurement is 1.66\% per resolution element of 3 by 3 pixels. We present a mathematical model to simulate the polarized intensity images through the Roman CGI, including the instrumental polarization and other uncertainties. We use disk modeling software, MCFOST, to model $q$, $u$, and polarization intensity of the debris disk, Epsilon-Eridani. The polarization intensities are convolved with the coronagraph throughput incorporating the PSF morphology. We include model uncertainties, detector noise, speckle noise, and jitter. The final polarization fraction of 0.4$\pm$0.0251 is obtained after the post-processing.

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arXiv2021

Design of the vacuum high contrast imaging testbed for CDEEP, the Coronagraphic Debris and Exoplanet Exploring Pioneer

The Coronagraphic Debris Exoplanet Exploring Payload (CDEEP) is a Small-Sat mission concept for high contrast imaging of circumstellar disks. CDEEP is designed to observe disks in scattered light at visible wavelengths at a raw contrast level of 10^-7 per resolution element (10^-8 with post processing). This exceptional sensitivity will allow the imaging of transport dominated debris disks, quantifying the albedo, composition, and morphology of these low-surface brightness disks. CDEEP combines an off-axis telescope, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) deformable mirror, and a vector vortex coronagraph (VVC). This system will require rigorous testing and characterization in a space environment. We report on the CDEEP mission concept, and the status of the vacuum-compatible CDEEP prototype testbed currently under development at the University of Arizona, including design development and the results of simulations to estimate performance.

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arXiv2021

Updated simulation tools for Roman coronagraph PSFs

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument will be the first large scale coronagraphmission with active wavefront control to be operated in space and will demonstrate technologies essential tofuture missions to image Earth-like planets. Consisting of multiple coronagraph modes, the coronagraph isexpected to characterize and image exoplanets at 1E-8 or better contrast levels. An object-oriented physicaloptics modeling tool called POPPY provides flexible and efficient simulations of high-contrast point spreadfunctions (PSFs). As such, three coronagraph modes have been modeled in POPPY. In this paper, we presentthe recent testing results of the models and provide quantitative comparisons between results from POPPY andexisting tools such as PROPER/FALCO. These comparisons include the computation times required for PSFcalculations. In addition, we discuss the future implementation of the POPPY models for the POPPY front-endpackage WebbPSF, a widely used simulation tool for JWST PSFs.

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arXiv2021

Faster imaging simulation through complex systems: a coronagraphic example

End-to-end simulation of the influence of the optical train on the observed scene is important across optics and is particularly important for predicting the science yield of astronomical telescopes. As a consequence of their goal of suppressing starlight, coronagraphic instruments for high-contrast imaging have particularly complex field-dependent point-spread-functions (PSFs). The Roman Coronagraph Instrument (CGI), Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph (HLC) is one example. The purpose of the HLC is to image exoplanets and exozodiacal dust in order to understand dynamics of solar systems. This paper details how images of exoplanets and exozodiacal dust are simulated using some of the most recent PSFs generated for the CGI HLC imaging mode. First, PSFs are generated using physical optics propagation techniques. Then, the angular offset of pixels in image scenes, such as exozodiacal dust models, are used to create a library of interpolated PSFs using interpolation and rotation techniques, such that the interpolated PSFs correspond to angular offsets of the pixels. This means interpolation needs only be done once and an image can then be simulated by multiplying the vector array of the model astrophysical scene by the matrix array of the interpolated PSF data. This substantially reduces the time required to generate image simulations by reducing the process to matrix multiplication, allowing for faster scene analysis. We will detail the steps required to generate coronagraphic scenes, quantify the speed-up of our matrix approach versus other implementations, and provide example code for users who wish to simulate their own scenes using publicly available HLC PSFs.

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arXiv2020

A review of simulation and performance modeling for the Roman coronagraph instrument

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) will be capable of characterizing exoplanets in reflected light and will demonstrate space technologies essential for future missions to take spectra of Earthlike exoplanets. As the mission and instrument move into the final stages of design, simulation tools spanning from depth of search calculators to detailed diffraction models have been created by a variety of teams. We summarize these efforts, with a particular focus on publicly available datasets and software tools. These include speckle and point-spread-function models, signal-to-noise calculators, and science product simulations (e.g. predicted observations of debris disks and exoplanet spectra). This review is intended to serve as a reference to facilitate engagement with the technical and science capabilities of the CGI instrument.

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