Exoplanetary Systems with a Coronagraphic Archive Processing Engine

Project Information

ESCAPE

Grant agreement ID: 101044152

DOI

10.3030/101044152

EC signature date 23 May 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2028

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 999 996,00

EU contribution

€ 1 999 996,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE D'AIX MARSEILLE
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ESCAPE (Exoplanetary Systems with a Coronagraphic Archive Processing Engine)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The search for biosignatures on potentially habitable exoplanets and determining the frequency of life in the Universe are among the most ambitious astrophysical challenges of the coming decades. Toward this goal, NASA is developing the Habitable World Observatory (HWO) mission, expected to launch in the 2040s, with the aim of detecting and characterizing the atmospheres of over 25 Earth-like exoplanets in the visible spectrum. Detecting these planets—around 10 billion times fainter than their host stars and often hidden in stellar glare—demands cutting-edge instruments that require advanced wavefront sensing and control technologies to reject starlight and reveal the faint planetary signals. Novel observing strategies and optimized image processing techniques are a key asset, both to achieve the necessary starlight suppression and to relax the stringent stability constraints on the observatory.

In the ESCAPE project, we focus on developing integrated solutions to enhance observing methods and data processing techniques with future space telescopes. Leveraging wavefront sensors, deformable mirrors, and cumulative observational data, ESCAPE aims to maximize the detection potential of these instruments. Building on experience with exoplanet imaging on the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and leading ground-based imagers, we are prototyping methods to improve the exoplanet sensitivity of future space missions. A crucial milestone will be the Roman Space Telescope, set for launch in 2026, which offers the unique opportunity to test and validate ESCAPE’s image processing methods through its Coronagraph instrument, a stepping stone toward HWO. As part of the Roman Coronagraph Community Participating Program (CPP) team, ESCAPE is working to integrate innovative post-processing methods directly into the Roman Coronagraph, paving the way for the future implementations in HWO and for advancing our ability to image exoEarths.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The ESCAPE project is advancing high-contrast imaging and exoplanet characterization with future space telescopes through developments of observing strategies and image processing methods.
Key achievements include developing and applying the archival diversity method, improving post-processing on Hubble and SPHERE data. Applications of this method to the Hubble archives not only enhanced detection limits but also broadened research into protoplanetary and debris disks. Through the discovery of a dozen of systems in the near-IR and their characterization in the visible, we obtained the first systematic vis-NIR color analysis of the debris disk population and new insights into their dust properties.
Leveraging the high-order wavefront control capabilities of future space telescopes, we are developing a novel observing strategy, the controlled diversity method, to improve the starlight subtraction performance. Planning for its implementation on NASA’s Roman Coronagraph technology demonstrator, the ESCAPE team has joined the Community Participating Program (CPP), a strategic involvement to contribute to this mission through CNES partnership. ESCAPE’s involvement across CPP working groups is key to have our methods possibly integrated into the Roman coronagraph’s observation planning and data processing. A significant technical milestone is the development of the CAPYBARA simulation pipeline, which models wavefront control and observing sequences up to the data processing step. This tool will facilitate broader community engagement by offering accessible simulations for complex coronagraphic instruments. A strategic collaboration with the HiCAT team at STScI has also been developed, enabling critical lab demonstrations of the controlled diversity method on the HiCAT optical testbed, aiming at validating ESCAPE’s approach for future space missions.
Building on our strategic JWST Cycle 1 programs to learn about its performance and limitations, ESCAPE conducted a deep analysis of JWST coronagraphic instrument noise limitations, identifying the regime in which the starlight subtraction performance is a key limitation, 10 times above fundamental limits. This insight opens pathways for enhancing JWST’s imaging with new post-processing techniques. We also obtained a first science result from JWST observations of substellar companion HR 2562 B, for which we improved constraints on its physical properties demonstrating JWST’s potential in high-contrast imaging.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

While these achievements do not yet represent breakthroughs beyond the current state of the art, they establish the critical foundations and build essential tools to enable significant advancements in the next phase of ESCAPE. By refining post-processing techniques, enhancing simulation capabilities, and strategically getting involved in the upcoming space missions (both Roman and HWO), the project is paving the way for significant results that will push the boundaries of high-contrast imaging and exoplanet detection.

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