Design reference mission construction for planet finders

In this paper, we present methods for constructing design reference missions (DRMs) for space-borne telescopes for the direct detection and characterization of extra-solar planets. Unlike most existing DRMs, which present results based on an assumed fixed rate for the occurrence of extra-solar planets, we calculate the approximate distribution of mission results conditional on the distribution of planets. We also improve on previous models by incorporating optimal integration time modeling that allows for the setting of desired missed-detection and false-alarm probabilities, and by optimizing re-visit timing for systems with and without initial visit detections. Sample DRMs are constructed and evaluated for a telescope with an internal coronagraph, an external occulter, and a hybrid design composed of both elements.