Direct Imaging Of Nearby Exoplanets With A Small Size Space Telescope: Telescope To Observe Planetary System (TOPS)

Details Direct Imaging Of Nearby Exoplanets With A Small Size Space Telescope: Telescope To Observe Planetary System (TOPS) Direct Imaging Of Nearby Exoplanets With A Small Size Space Telescope: Telescope To Observe Planetary System (TOPS)

May 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...210.3308g&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society Meeting 210, #33.08; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.146

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Scientific paper

The Telescope to Observe Planetary Systems (TOPS) is a proposed space mission to image in the visible (0.4-0.9 micron) planetary systems of nearby stars and provide low resolution spectrophotometry.
TOPS incorporates a highly efficient Phase-Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) coronagraph, high accuracy wavefront control techniques and a thermally actuated 1.2m primary mirror. TOPS can detect planets within 2 lambda/d with nearly 100% throughput and preserves the full angular resolution of the telescope. An ongoing laboratory experiment has successfully demonstrated high contrast coronagraphic imaging within 2 lambda/d with the PIAA coronagraph and focal plane wavefront sensing scheme envisionned for TOPS. The same techniques are currently being developped for ground-based high dynamical range imaging on the Subaru Telescope.
For the 10 most favorable stars, TOPS will have the sensitivity to discover 2 R_E rocky planets within habitable zones and characterize their surfaces or atmospheres through spectrophotometry. Many more massive planets and debris discs will be imaged and characterized for the first time. TOPS II, a 2m version of TOPS, would allow direct imaging and spectrophotometry of Earth-sized planets around 10 nearby stars.

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