Showing papers by "Charles A. Beichman published in 2007"
California Institute of Technology1, Space Telescope Science Institute2, Dartmouth College3, San Francisco State University4, Ohio State University5, Georgia State University6, Columbia University7, Wesleyan University8, University of Virginia9, University of California, Berkeley10, University of Maryland, College Park11, Heidelberg University12, University of California, Irvine13, University of California, San Diego14, Space Science Institute15, Washington State University16
TL;DR: The Space Interferometry Mission PlanetQuest (SIM PlanetQuest) was selected in 2000 for the NASA Astrobiology Challenge and has been successfully used to search for planets with masses as small as an Earth orbiting in the 'habitable zone' around the nearest stars.
Abstract: Precision astrometry at microarcsecond accuracy has application to a wide range of astrophysical problems. This paper is a study of the science questions that can be addressed using an instrument that delivers parallaxes at about 4 microarcsec on targets as faint as V = 20, differential accuracy of 0.6 microarcsec on bright targets, and with flexible scheduling. The science topics are drawn primarily from the Team Key Projects, selected in 2000, for the Space Interferometry Mission PlanetQuest (SIM PlanetQuest). We use the capabilities of this mission to illustrate the importance of the next level of astrometric precision in modern astrophysics. SIM PlanetQuest is currently in the detailed design phase, having completed all of the enabling technologies needed for the flight instrument in 2005. It will be the first space-based long baseline Michelson interferometer designed for precision astrometry. SIM will contribute strongly to many astronomical fields including stellar and galactic astrophysics, planetary systems around nearby stars, and the study of quasar and AGN nuclei. SIM will search for planets with masses as small as an Earth orbiting in the `habitable zone' around the nearest stars using differential astrometry, and could discover many dozen if Earth-like planets are common. It will be the most capable instrument for detecting planets around young stars, thereby providing insights into how planetary systems are born and how they evolve with time. SIM will observe significant numbers of very high- and low-mass stars, providing stellar masses to 1%, the accuracy needed to challenge physical models. Using precision proper motion measurements, SIM will probe the galactic mass distribution and the formation and evolution of the Galactic halo. (abridged)
7 citations