Observing proposal tools

The Roman Science Support Center (SSC) at IPAC manages the Roman Telescope Proposal System (RTPS), which provides access to the Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT) and Roman WFI Exposure Time Calculator (ETC) developed and maintained by the Science Operations Center (SOC). All parameters needed to evaluate WFI observing proposals, including APT files, must be submitted through RTPS to the SSC for inclusion in the proposal database.

What are the available tools relevant for my proposal submission? 

For General Investigator (GI) proposals not requesting observations, proposers will only need RTPS through which proposals will be submitted. However, the proposers are advised to check the information on the Core Community Surveys and General Astrophysics Surveys in support of their investigation. For GI proposers requesting observations, proposers should check out the latest information on the exposure time calculator, the APT, and the various simulation tools.

When do I need to submit an APT file?

For new observing proposals, investigators must submit observing parameters to RTPS together with the APT files they have prepared. For detailed instructions on submitting APT files through RTPS, please follow this link.

Roman WFI Exposure Time Calculator

The Roman WFI Exposure Time Calculator (ETC) helps investigators assess the feasibility of proposed WFI observations by simulating astronomical scenes and providing quantitative signal-to-noise and exposure-time estimates.  
The ETC is built on the Pandeia enginea which generates realistic detector-level data, accounting for the instrument configuration, PSF, readout pattern, and background levels.  

The ETC can be accessed in three ways:

• Pandeia for Roman: full Python engine offering the most flexible control over input scenes and observing setups; suitable for advanced users.  
• WFI ETC Web Interface: browser-based interface that runs the Pandeia backend, allowing users to configure and share observation setups without coding.  
• Roman Interactive Sensitivity Tool: a lightweight tool providing quick signal-to-noise estimates using a pre-computed grid of Pandeia results.  

Together, these components allow users to perform both detailed and rapid feasibility analyses for Roman WFI imaging and spectroscopic modes.  
For access and documentation, see the Roman WFI Exposure Time Calculator.