Integrated modeling of wavefront sensing and control for space telescopes utilizing active and adaptive optics

Extreme wavefront correction is required for coronagraphs on future space telescopes to reach 10^-8 or better starlight suppression for the direct imaging and characterization of exoplanets in reflected light. Thus, a suite of wavefront sensors working in tandem with active and adaptive optics are used to achieve stable, nanometer-level wavefront control over long observations. In order to verify wavefront control systems, comprehensive and accurate integrated models are needed. These should account for any sources of on-orbit error that may degrade performance past the limit imposed by photon noise. An integrated model of wavefront sensing and control for a space-based coronagraph was created using geometrical raytracing and physical optics propagation methods. Our model concept consists of an active telescope front end in addition to a charge-6 vector vortex coronagraph instrument. The telescope uses phase retrieval to guide primary mirror bending modes and secondary mirror position to control the wavefront error within tens of nanometers. The telescope model is dependent on raytracing to simulate these active optics corrections for compensating the wavefront errors caused by misalignments and thermal gradients in optical components. Entering the coronagraph, a self-coherent camera is used for focal plane wavefront sensing and digging the dark hole. We utilize physical optics propagation to model the coronagraphy’s sensitivity to mid and high-order wavefront errors caused by optical surface errors and pointing jitter. We use our integrated models to quantify expected starlight suppression versus wavefront sensor signal-to-noise ratio.