Paper 14145-33
Paper 14145-33
The Roman Coronagraph Community Participation Program: end to end preparation of a pilot observation of a moderate contrast companion
6 July 2026 • 16:10 - 16:30 CEST | Room B4-M3
Abstract
The Coronagraph Instrument, technology pathfinder, is ready to fly onboard the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a NASA flagship mission scheduled to launch before the Spring 2027. The Community Participation Program (CPP) is building a comprehensive observing program for the “Coronagraph” with preparation, calibration and data processing software. Here we describe a sub-program that could be carried out as soon as the instrument is operational and high-order wavefront sensing and control has been exercised successfully. This program would generate the first canonical on-sky dataset of a bright star with an easily recoverable self luminous companion. We show all preparation steps using the whole suite of tools developed by the CPP. This “training” dataset will be precious for the readiness of the technology demonstration at higher contrasts and for our community to subsequently tackle more difficult targets, including giant exoplanets in reflected light.
Presenter
Space Telescope Science Institute (United States)
Instrumentation physicist turned observational astronomer, Julien H. Girard is Scientist and member of the Senior Research Staff at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore. He looks for and study exoplanetary systems using high angular resolution and high contrast imaging techniques from space and from the ground. He characterizes giant exoplanets, brown dwarfs and circumstellar disks with direct imaging, sometimes combined with spectroscopy and/or polarimetry. Expanding our understanding of the demographics and atmosphere composition of exoplanets gives clews on their formation and migration mechanisms.
Functionally he has been Instrument Scientist of adaptive optics instruments NACO and SPHERE at ESO’s Paranal Observatory and more recently of the coronagraphs onboard JWST (NIRcam in particular we helped commission) and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.