Roman’s Giants: Jovian Exoplanet Modeling and RCI Detectability

Tyler Robinson / University of Arizona, PI

The Roman Coronagraph Instrument (RCI) aboard NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a critical technology demonstration to guide many future NASA endeavors in high-contrast imaging. The stated RCI Threshold Technical Requirement (TTR) represents a challenge that can only be met through collaborative efforts spanning engineers, instrument scientists, and exoplanet modeling experts. To enable target selection and prioritization, and to empower future interpretation of RCI results, we propose to execute a novel grid of giant exoplanet atmospheric models, spectral simulations, and inverse studies. The atmospheric models and associated spectral simulations will be guided by likely RCI targets and anticipated planetary properties. Our inverse studies will use the planned spectral models to demonstrate the range of exoplanet atmospheric science that can be completed with varying levels of RCI observing time commitment.

We anticipate active engagement with a broader CPP Team to enable improved star/exoplanet/disk/instrument scene models and to best understand the connections between planned instrument performance, the likelihood of TTR success, and the potential for first-of-its-kind exoplanet atmospheric science that would prove foundational for the forthcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory. Our proposed efforts are relevant to the CPP topical area of “[m]odeling astrophysical targets” and, as stated in the call, the efforts are, then, relevant to NASA’s Science Plan. More specifically, our RCI-focused modeling studies enable understanding of the universe and a search for life elsewhere (2022 Strategic Plan, Objective 1.2) and are specifically designed to enable new space technologies (2022 Strategic Plan, Objective 3.1) within NASA’s Decadal Survey-guided “balanced science program” (2020-2024 NASA Science Plan, Strategy 1.1).