A space telescope for infrared spectroscopy of Earth-like planets

Angel, J. R. P.; Cheng, A.; Woolf, N. J.

doi:10.1038/322341a0

Cited by 153 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Angel et al 1986;Burke 1988;Bracewell and MacPhie 1979), this was the first time the problem was studied systematically by the worlds two largest space agencies and in conjunction with the worlds leading aerospace industries. At the time-1996-only 2-3 exoplanets had been found and were still questionable in many scientists mind.…”

Section: Exoplanet and Disk Studies In The Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

The Way Forward

2016

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For the last few decades the study of disks around stars young and old and of different types have progressed significantly. During the same time a completely new discipline-the study of exoplanets, planets orbiting stars other than our Sun-have emerged. Both these fields, which are interconnected, have benefited from the development of new instrumentation, and especially by telescopes and detectors deployed in space. In this chapter we are describing the state of the art of such instruments and make an inventory of what is being currently developed. We also state some of the requirements of the next steps and what type of instruments will lead the way forward.

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Section: Exoplanet and Disk Studies In The Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

The Way Forward

2016

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“…6). To get to the "Earthtwin", no experiment appeared to be too challenging or expensive (Bracewell 1978;Angel et al 1986;Léger et al 1996).…”

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This spectral signature is rather weak, though, and ozone, a photodissociation product of oxygen, appears to be a better tracer, thanks to its strong spectral signature at 9.6 μm (Angel et al 1986; see Sect. 5.3.1).…”

Section: Spectroscopic Biosignaturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres in our Galaxy

Tinetti

Encrenaz

Coustenis

2013

Astron Astrophys Rev

128

111

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About 20 years after the discovery of the first extrasolar planet, the number of planets known has grown by three orders of magnitude, and continues to increase at neck breaking pace. For most of these planets we have little information, except for the fact that they exist and possess an address in our Galaxy. For about one third of them, we know how much they weigh, their size and their orbital parameters. For less than 20, we start to have some clues about their atmospheric temperature and composition. How do we make progress from here?We are still far from the completion of a hypothetical Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for planets comparable to what we have for stars, and today we do not even know whether such classification will ever be possible or even meaningful for planetary objects. But one thing is clear: planetary parameters such as mass, radius and temperature alone do not explain the diversity revealed by current observations. The chemical composition of these planets is needed to trace back their formation history and evolution, as happened for the planets in our Solar System. As in situ measurements are and will remain off-limits for exoplanets, to study their chemical composition we will have to rely on remote sensing spectroscopic observations of their gaseous envelopes.

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“…Their thermal emission is much brighter relative to the star, and the spectroscopic signatures of key diagnostic molecules, water and ozone, could be very strong, as they are in Earth's spectrum. Ozone would be of enormous interest, as in our atmosphere it is of biological origin 4 .…”

Section: The Next Space Telescopesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Future optical and infrared telescopes

Angel

2001

Nature

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A space telescope for infrared spectroscopy of Earth-like planets

Cited by 153 publications

References 5 publications

The Way Forward

The Way Forward

Spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres in our Galaxy

Future optical and infrared telescopes

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