Determining the Frequency of Terrestrial Planets in the Habitable Zone of Solar-like Stars: Kepler Mission Status

Details Determining the Frequency of Terrestrial Planets in the Habitable Zone of Solar-like Stars: Kepler Mission Status Determining the Frequency of Terrestrial Planets in the Habitable Zone of Solar-like Stars: Kepler Mission Status

Dec 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005dps....37.3120b&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #37, #31.20; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 37, p.1567

Physics

Optics

Scientific paper

Kepler is a Discovery-class mission designed to determine the frequency of Earth-size and larger planets in and near the habitable zone (HZ) of spectral type F through M dwarf stars. The instrument consists of a 0.95 m aperture photometer to do high precision photometry of 100,000 solar-like stars to search for patterns of transits. The depth and repetition time of transits provide the size of the planet relative to the star and its orbital period. Multi-band ground-based observation of 2x106 stars in the Kepler FOV is currently underway to estimate the stellar parameters and to choose appropriate targets. With mass, Teff, and the observed orbital period, the planet radius and orbit semi-major axis can be estimated and the planet's relation to the HZ can be determined. Stellar spectra will also be obtained to discover the relationships between the characteristics of planets and the stars they orbit. In particular, the association of planet size and occurrence frequency with stellar mass and metallicity will be investigated. At the end of the four year mission, several hundred terrestrial planets should be discovered with periods between 1 day and 400 days if such planets are common. A null result would imply that terrestrial planets are rare. Based on the results of the current Doppler-velocity discoveries, over a thousand giant planets will also be found. Information on the albedos and densities of those giants showing transits will be obtained.
The Mission is now in Phase C/D development and is scheduled for launch in June 2008 into a 372-day heliocentric orbit. Forty two detectors have been received and the Schmidt optics are being polished.
The authors would like to acknowledge funding from the Discovery Program Office of the NASA Science Mission Directorate.

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