Observing the Atmospheres and Surfaces of Earth Analogs

观察类似地球的大气层和表面

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-05986
• 负责人: Cowan, Nicolas
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=709838
• 关键词: Observing; Atmospheres; Surfaces; Earth; Analogs

Thousands of planets have been discovered orbiting other stars in recent decades. These worlds are so distant that they appear as unresolved dots in the best of cases, but we can still learn about them based solely on disc-integrated light. Indeed, what they lack in detailed observations, they make up for in quantity and diversity: exoplanets provide us with leverage to crack hard problems in planetary science including atmospheric circulation, cloud formation, and geochemical cycling. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a 6.5 meter infrared telescope that NASA will launch in fall 2018. It will be the first instrument capable of characterizing the atmospheres of temperate terrestrial exoplanets, and the only telescope capable of measuring their thermal emission until the mid 21st century. Canada is poised to be a leader in the use of JWST for exoplanet observations and my proposed research program will maximize our ability to design, reduce and analyze observations of transiting temperate terrestrials. By working closely with the JWST/NIRISS team at l'Université de Montréal, we will help them design and implement their Guaranteed Time Observations of transiting planets, and my group will be prepared to apply for and analyze Early Release Science, which will become public in 2019. The next flagship after JWST, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), will be equipped with a coronagraph for imaging nearby planetary systems in reflected light. Even though planets will be unresolved dots in the images, their brightness and color will vary as rotational and orbital motion bring different surface features into view. My group will help determine the measurement precision, time resolution, and spectral resolution necessary to measure planetary obliquity and construct surface maps. The second generation of space-based high-contrast imaging will focus on Earth twins orbiting nearby stars. Exo-cartography will help us understand whether these planets have plate tectonics and volatile cycles like we have on Earth, and will therefore be a key step in establishing the long-term habitability of these worlds.

近几十年来，已经发现了成千上万的行星在绕其他恒星绕行。这些世界是如此遥远，以至于在最好的情况下它们看起来像是未解决的点，但是我们仍然可以仅根据椎间盘融合的光来了解它们。确实，他们缺乏细节观察，弥补了数量和多样性：系外行星为我们提供了杠杆作用，以破解行星科学中的硬性问题，包括大气循环，云形成和地球化学循环。 詹姆斯·韦伯（James Webb）太空望远镜（JWST）是NASA将于2018年秋季推出的6.5米红外望远镜。它将是第一种能够表征温度陆地系外系外行星大气的乐器，也是唯一能够测量其热排放到21世纪中期的望远镜。加拿大被毒死成为使用JWST进行系外行星观察的领导者，而我提出的研究计划将最大程度地提高我们设计，减少和分析过境温度陆地观察的能力。通过与Montréal大学的JWST/NIRIS团队紧密合作，我们将帮助他们设计和实施其保证的交通行星时间观察，我的小组将准备申请和分析早期发行科学，这将于2019年公开。 JWST之后的下一个旗舰店，广阔的红外调查望远镜（WFIRST）将配备带有反射光的行星系统附近成像的冠状动脉。即使行星在图像中尚未解决，它们的亮度和颜色也会随着旋转和轨道运动带来不同的表面特征而有所不同。我的小组将有助于确定测量行星倾斜和构造表面图所需的测量精度，时间分辨率和光谱分辨率。第二代空间的高对比度成像将集中在附近恒星附近的地球双胞胎上。外部学会将帮助我们了解这些行星是否像我们在地球上一样具有板块构造和挥发性循环，因此将成为建立这些世界的长期宜居性的关键步骤。