@inproceedings{acf7ae6874e847c5a84863c6a7f9b0e8,
title = "The WFIRST coronagraph instrument: A major step in the exploration of sun-like planetary systems via direct imaging",
abstract = "The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Coronagraph Instrument (CGI) will be the first high-performance stellar coronagraph using active wavefront control for deep starlight suppression in space, providing unprecedented levels of contrast and spatial resolution for astronomical observations in the optical. One science case enabled by the CGI will be taking visible images and (R∼50) spectra of faint interplanetary dust structures present in the habitable zone of nearby sunlike stars (∼10 pc) and within the snow-line of more distant ones (∼20 pc), down to dust brightness levels commensurate with that of the solar system zodiacal cloud. Reaching contrast levels below 10-7 at sub-arcsecond angular scales for the first time, CGI will cross an important threshold in debris disks physics, accessing disks with low enough optical depths that their structure is dominated by transport mechanisms rather than collisions. Hence, CGI will help us understand how exozodiacal dust grains are produced and transported in low-density disks around mature stars. Additionally, CGI will be able to measure the brightness level and constrain the degree of asymmetry of exozodiacal clouds around individual nearby sunlike stars in the optical, at the ∼3x solar zodiacal emission level. This information will be extremely valuable for optimizing the observational strategy of possible future exo-Earth direct imaging missions, especially those planning to operate at optical wavelengths as well, such as the Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) and the Large Ultraviolet/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR).",
keywords = "Coronagraphy, Debris disks, Exoplanets, Exozodiacal light, High contrast imaging, Space astronomy",
author = "Bertrand Mennesson and J. Debes and E. Douglas and B. Nemati and C. Stark and J. Kasdin and B. Macintosh and M. Turnbull and M. Rizzo and A. Roberge and N. Zimmerman and K. Cahoy and J. Krist and V. Bailey and J. Trauger and J. Rhodes and L. Moustakas and M. Frerking and F. Zhao and I. Poberezhskiy and R. Demers",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} COPYRIGHT SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.; Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2018: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave ; Conference date: 10-06-2018 Through 15-06-2018",
year = "2018",
doi = "10.1117/12.2313861",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "9781510619494",
series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",
publisher = "SPIE",
editor = "Fazio, {Giovanni G.} and MacEwen, {Howard A.} and Makenzie Lystrup",
booktitle = "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2018",
address = "United States",
}