PSFSim: PhySics First Simulations for the Point Spread Function of the Roman Space Telescope

arXiv:2609.28821 · astro-ph.IM, astro-ph.CO · Submitted 2026-09-23 · Read on arXiv

astro-ph.IM, astro-ph.CO

Submitted: 2026-09-23

Updated: 2026-09-23

Comments: To be submitted to PASJ, comments welcome! (14 pages, 14 figures)

Code: https://github.com/Roman-HLIS-Cosmology-PIT/PSFSim

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The gist: We present a new tool for generating simulated point spread functions (PSFs) in the Wide Field Instrument (WFI) of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Terminology

Abstract

We present a new tool for generating simulated point spread functions (PSFs) in the Wide Field Instrument (WFI) of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The simulation tool is physics forward, and performs a raytrace of the optical system of the instrument to compute the PSF, while also accounting for various detector effects. The tool also has the capability to add perturbations to the optical system and detectors. We explore several applications of the tool that may arise during the commissioning of the telescope, including optical ghosts, measuring the optical aberrations from diffraction spikes, and studying the effect of mirror polarization.

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