Image Details
Caption: Figure 17.
Observed mirror tilt and resulting coronagraphic PSF change. Left: measured ΔWFE (wavefront errors) from WFS observations bracketing these data. Moderate tilts are observed affecting segments on the right (+V2) deployed wing of the primary. The observed pattern shows only piston–tip–tilt segment motions; no micrometeor impacts are detected. Left center: same ΔWFE multiplied by the NIRCam Lyot stop. The affected segments are mostly but not entirely blocked. Right center: observed coronagraphic PSF of β Pic in F210M; the debris disk is faintly visible as a diffuse diagonal without PSF subtraction. Right: change in PSF speckle pattern (after minus before) at the time of the discontinuity event. The display scale is 10× smaller than the full PSF panel; the speckle change is subtle but sufficient to produce the discontinuities seen in the β Pic b time series.
© 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.