JPL Publication 09‐3 Exoplanet Community Report Edited by: P. R. Lawson, W. A. Traub and S. C. Unwin National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California March 2009 The work described in this publication was performed at a number of organizations, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Publication was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Compiling and publication support was provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement by the United States Government, or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. © 2009. All rights reserved. The exoplanet community’s top priority is that a line of probe­class missions for exoplanets be established, leading to a flagship mission at the earliest opportunity. iii Contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................................1 1.2 EXOPLANET FORUM 2008: THE PROCESS OF CONSENSUS BEGINS.....................................................2 1.3 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EXOPTF.................................................................................................3 1.4 CHAPTER SUMMARIES...................................................................................................................................5 1.5 OVERARCHING SCIENCE GOALS...................................................................................................................9 1.6 SPACE MISSIONS.............................................................................................................................................9 1.7 GROUND‐BASED AND SUB‐ORBITAL....................................................................................................... 10 1.8 TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 10 1.9 CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................................................................. 10 1.10 REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................................. 12 2 ASTROMETRY ................................................................................................................................13 2.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................ 13 2.1.1 A Micro­Arcsecond Astrometry Mission ....................................................................................14 2.1.2 Strongly Supported Recommendations .....................................................................................21 2.1.3 Recommendations with Mixed or Ambivalent Support......................................................24 2.2 OBSERVATORY CONCEPT........................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.1 Architecture...........................................................................................................................................27 2.2.2 Performance ..........................................................................................................................................29 2.3 TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 31 2.3.1 Past Accomplishments.......................................................................................................................31 2.3.2 Future Milestones................................................................................................................................38 2.4 RESEARCH & ANALYSIS GOALS ................................................................................................................ 39 2.4.1 Research & Analysis in 2010–2020..............................................................................................39 2.4.2 Astrometry Beyond 2020 .................................................................................................................40 2.5 CONTRIBUTORS ........................................................................................................................................... 41 2.6 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 42 3 OPTICAL IMAGING........................................................................................................................47 3.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................ 47 3.1.1 Science Goals and Requirements ..................................................................................................48 3.2 OBSERVATORY CONCEPTS......................................................................................................................... 56 3.2.1 Architecture Scaling for Internal Coronagraphs...................................................................56 3.2.2 Architecture Scaling for External and Hybrid Concepts ....................................................59 3.2.3 Performance Scaling..........................................................................................................................60 3.2.4 Cost and Risk Drivers.........................................................................................................................63 3.3 TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 64 3.3.1 Internal Coronagraph Technology ..............................................................................................66 v 3.3.2 External Occulter Technology........................................................................................................73 3.3.3 Common Technology..........................................................................................................................79 3.4 RESEARCH & ANALYSIS GOALS ................................................................................................................ 83 3.5 CONTRIBUTORS ........................................................................................................................................... 84 3.6 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 85 4 INFRARED IMAGING ....................................................................................................................91 4.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................ 91 4.1.1 Sensitivity and Angular Resolution .............................................................................................93 4.1.2 Probe­Scale Mission Science Goals...............................................................................................94 4.1.3 Flagship Mission Science Goals and Requirements ..............................................................96 4.2 OBSERVATORY CONCEPTS.......................................................................................................................102 4.2.1 Probe­Scale Mission Concept....................................................................................................... 102 4.2.2 Flagship Mission Concept.............................................................................................................. 107 4.3 TECHNOLOGY .............................................................................................................................................109 4.3.1 Experiments in Nulling Interferometry, 1999–2009 ........................................................ 109 4.3.2 Technology for Probe and Flagship Missions....................................................................... 112 4.3.3 Additional Technology for a Flagship Mission .................................................................... 118 4.3.4 Future Milestones............................................................................................................................. 121 4.4 RESEARCH & ANALYSIS GOALS ..............................................................................................................125 4.4.1 Ground­Based Interferometry .................................................................................................... 125 4.4.2 Theory Support.................................................................................................................................. 125 4.4.3 Space­Based Interferometry.......................................................................................................