Space-based infrared interferometry to study exoplanetary atmospheres |
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| Authors: | D Defrère A Léger O Absil C Beichman B Biller W C Danchi K Ergenzinger C Eiroa S Ertel M Fridlund A García Muñoz M Gillon A Glasse M Godolt J L Grenfell S Kraus L Labadie S Lacour R Liseau G Martin B Mennesson G Micela S Minardi S P Quanz H Rauer S Rinehart N C Santos F Selsis J Surdej F Tian E Villaver P J Wheatley M Wyatt |
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| Institution: | 1.Space Sciences, Technologies, Astrophysics Research (STAR) Institute,University of Liège,Liège,Belgium;2.Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale,Université de Paris-Sud,Orsay,France;3.NASA Exoplanet Science Institute,California Institute of Technology,Pasadena,USA;4.Institute for Astronomy,University of Edinburgh,Edinburgh,UK;5.NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Exoplanets,Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory,Greenbelt,USA;6.Airbus Defence and Space GmbH,Koblenz,Germany;7.Departamento de Fisica Teorica,Universidad Autonoma de Madrid,Madrid,Spain;8.Steward Observatory, Department of Astronomy,University of Arizona,Tucson,USA;9.Leiden Observatory,University of Leiden,Leiden,The Netherlands;10.Technische Universit?t Berlin,Berlin,Germany;11.Astronomy Technology Centre,Edinburgh,UK;12.Institute for Planetary Research,German Aerospace Center,Berlin,Germany;13.School of Physics and Astronomy,University of Exeter,Exeter,UK;14.University of Cologne,Cologne,Germany;15.LESIA, Observatoire de Paris,PSL Research University,Meudon Cedex,France;16.Department of Space, Earth and Environment,Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala Space Observatory,Onsala,Sweden;17.Institut de Planétologie et d’astrophysique de Grenoble,Grenoble,France;18.Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena,USA;19.Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, INAF,Palermo,Italy;20.innoFSPEC,Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP),Potsdam,Germany;21.ETH Zurich,Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics,Zurich,Switzerland;22.Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espa?o,Universidade do Porto, CAUP,Porto,Portugal;23.Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências,Universidade do Porto,Porto,Portugal;24.University of Bordeaux,Bordeaux,France;25.Tsinghua University,Bejing,China;26.Department of Physics,University of Warwick,Coventry,UK;27.Institute of Astronomy,Cambridge,UK |
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| Abstract: | The quest for other habitable worlds and the search for life among them are major goals of modern astronomy. One way to make progress towards these goals is to obtain high-quality spectra of a large number of exoplanets over a broad range of wavelengths. While concepts currently investigated in the United States are focused on visible/NIR wavelengths, where the planets are probed in reflected light, a compelling alternative to characterize planetary atmospheres is the mid-infrared waveband (5–20 μm). Indeed, mid-infrared observations provide key information on the presence of an atmosphere, the surface conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, habitability), and the atmospheric composition in important species such as H2O, CO2, O3, CH4, and N2O. This information is essential to investigate the potential habitability of exoplanets and to make progress towards the search for life in the Universe. Obtaining high-quality mid-infrared spectra of exoplanets from the ground is however extremely challenging due to the overwhelming brightness and turbulence of the Earth’s atmosphere. In this paper, we present a concept of space-based mid-infrared interferometer that can tackle this observing challenge and discuss the main technological developments required to launch such a sophisticated instrument. |
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