Optical ghost modeling of the Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer wide field corrector

The Maunakea Spectroscopic Explorer (MSE) will target sources down to m(AB) = 24 with a signal to noise ratio > 1 from the near UV to H-band. Among MSE's many science goals, this will allow the efficient spectroscopic follow-up of large imaging surveys anticipated from new facilities such as the Rubin Observatory. Given broadband AR coatings currently feasible for large optics, this poses a unique challenge in terms of controlling contamination from optical ghost reflections. We present exploratory work to identify telescope designs with optical ghost levels that satisfy the observational thresholds required for MSE. We also report on an initial estimate of scattering from the optics that indicates that it will have a minor impact on the accessible sky, does not drive the telescope design selection, but must be accounted for in science/sky fiber placement. The outcome of these studies is that a range of telescope configurations exist that allow MSE's target sensitivity to be reached without limitation from optical ghosts or scattering from the optics.