Progress toward a demonstration of high contrast imaging at ultraviolet wavelengths

Abstract

NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) aims to achieve starlight suppression to the $10^{-10}$ level for the detection and spectral characterization of Earth-like exoplanets. Broadband ozone absorption features are key biosignatures that appear in the 200-400nm near-ultraviolet (UV) regime. Extending coronagraphy from visible wavelengths to the UV, however, brings with it a number of challenges, including tighter requirements on wavefront sensing and control, optical surface quality, scattered light, and polarization aberrations, among other things. We aim to partially quantify and address these challenges with a combination of modeling, high-resolution metrology to the scales required for UV coronagraphy, and ultimately a demonstration of UV coronagraphy on the Space Coronagraph Optical Bench (SCoOB) vacuum testbed. In these proceedings, we provide a status update on our modeling and contrast budgeting efforts, characterization efforts to understand performance limitations set by key optical components, and our plans to move toward a demonstration of UV coronagraphy.