Future radial velocity, astrometric and direct imaging surveys will find nearby Earth-sized planets within the habitable zone (HZ) in the near future. How can we search for water and oxygen […]
Astronomy & Telescopes
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Instrumentation for the Detection and Characterization of Exoplanets
In no other field of astrophysics has the impact of new instrumentation been as substantial as in the domain of exoplanets. Before 1995 our knowledge about exoplanets was mainly based […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Maximizing the ExoEarth Candidate Yield from a Future Direct Imaging Mission
ExoEarth yield is a critical science metric for future exoplanet imaging missions. Here we estimate exoEarth candidate yield using single visit completeness for a variety of mission design and astrophysical […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes
Indications of Water Clouds in the Coldest Known Brown Dwarf
We present a deep near-infrared image of the newly discovered brown dwarf WISE J085510.83-071442.5 (W0855) using the FourStar imager at Las Campanas Observatory. Our detection of J3=24.8+0.33 -0.53 (J_MKO=25.0+0.33-0.53) at […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Direct Imaging of Exoplanets in the Habitable Zone with Adaptive Optics
One of the primary goals of exoplanet science is to find and characterize habitable planets, and direct imaging will play a key role in this effort. Though imaging a true […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Effects of Refraction on Transit Transmission Spectroscopy: Application to Earth-like Exoplanets
We quantify the effects of refraction in transit transmission spectroscopy on spectral absorption features and on temporal variations that could be used to obtain altitude-dependent spectra for planets orbiting stars […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Transit and Radial Velocity Survey Efficiency Comparison for a Habitable Zone Earth
Transit and radial velocity searches are two techniques for identifying nearby extrasolar planets to Earth that transit bright stars. Identifying a robust sample of these exoplanets around bright stars for […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Terrestrial World Measured to within 120 km: Test Case for a New Spitzer Observing Mode
We present the characterization of the Kepler-93 exoplanetary system, based on three years of photometry gathered by the Kepler spacecraft. The duration and cadence of the Kepler observations, in tandem […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
Elemental Abundances of Solar Sibling Candidates
Dynamical information along with survey data on metallicity and in some cases age have been used recently by some authors to search for candidates of stars that were born in […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Direct Imaging of Planet Transit Events
Exoplanet transit events are attractive targets for the ultrahigh-resolution capabilities afforded by optical interferometers. The intersection of two developments in astronomy enable direct imaging of exoplanet transits: first, improvements in […]