Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2008-01-14
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Accepted for publication in ApJ Supplements
Scientific paper
10.1086/587061
We show that space-based telescopes such as the proposed Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph will be able to detect the light scattered by the interstellar grains along lines of sight passing near stars in our Galaxy. The relative flux of the scattered light within one arcsecond of a star at 100 pc in a uniform interstellar medium of 0.1 H atoms cm^-3 is about 10^-7. The halo increases in strength with the distance to the star and is unlikely to limit the coronagraphic detection of planets around the nearest stars. Grains passing within 100 AU of Sun-like stars are deflected by radiation, gravity and magnetic forces, leading to features in the scattered light that can potentially reveal the strength of the stellar wind, the orientation of the stellar magnetic field and the relative motion between the star and the surrounding interstellar medium.
Breckinridge James B.
Grogan Keith
Turner Neal James
No associations
LandOfFree
Probing Interstellar Dust With Space-Based Coronagraphs does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Probing Interstellar Dust With Space-Based Coronagraphs, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Probing Interstellar Dust With Space-Based Coronagraphs will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-150321