We have developed a suite of software forming an end-to-end starshade imaging tool that produces images of an arbitrary user-defined exoplanetary system and background as observed by a starshade and a telescope. The starshade imaging characteristics include both the diffraction from an ideal or perturbed starshade as well as solar glint from the starshade edges, the largest source of local instrument scatter. The telescope model assumes an ideal telescope with a user-defined obscured pupil (e.g. secondary obstruction and struts). It incorporates a vanilla detector model with read noise and dark current. Finally, the astrophysics scenario incorporates Keplerian orbits, phase angles, geometric albedo, different atmospheric scattering/absorption laws, any kind of host star (by default the user can choose among any of the +10,000 stars from ExoCat) and a large variety of extragalactic background fields (galaxies, Quasars). Exodust emission is accurate for a solar system and flexible for an arbitrary user-defined profile. As a result, it can virtually build a large variety of extra-solar systems with an arbitrary number of exoplanets of multiple types and any host star, adding an optional background field, to obtain a series of images throughout the proposed mission. Proper motion and parallax are also taken into account when background fields are added to the simulated images. There are default systems, like the Solar System at any distance from us. We have employed the tool to support WFIRST-S, HabEx, and other mission probe studies and ground telescope concepts.

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Sergi Hildebrandt Rafels, Stuart B. Shaklan, Margaret C. Turnbull, and Eric J. Cady, "SISTER: Starshade Imaging Simulation Toolkit for Exoplanet Reconnaissance (Conference Presentation)," Proc. SPIE 11117, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets IX, 111170O (Presented at SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications: August 13, 2019; Published: 9 September 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2528332.6084160413001.