SIM Science Studies to Enhance Planet-Finding and Characterizing Capabilities

Details SIM Science Studies to Enhance Planet-Finding and Characterizing Capabilities SIM Science Studies to Enhance Planet-Finding and Characterizing Capabilities

Jan 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21523302h&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #233.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.596

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Scientific paper

This talk will describe the results from five SIM Science Studies carried out by the co-authors. These diverse studies quantified several important planet-finding and characterizing capabilities of SIM-Lite beyond the Key Projects. 1. Resonant multiplanet systems are detectable with SIM-Lite, but the optimal timing and number of observations is different than for non-resonant systems. This study improves the capability of SIM-Lite by using resonant planets to test and potentially distinguish between models of planet formation, migration, and eccentricity excitation. 2. Astrometric measurements during planetary transits yield a wealth of information, including orbital orientations and stellar radii. This study describes the feasibility of such complementary measurements with SIM-Lite. 3. SIM-Lite has the capability of detecting very long period giant exoplanets. To constrain models of planetary formation and migration, this study will probe the mass and period estimation of SIM-Lite detections of giant planets and brown dwarfs with periods of up to 1000 years. 4. No planets have been detected around white dwarfs to date, largely because their featureless spectra make for poor RV targets. Their planets are detectable with astrometry, however, and they offer a key probes of planet abundance down to 10 Earth masses for a broad range of the main sequence (B to K). 5. Finally, the capability of SIM-Lite to detect planets around M dwarfs is compared to the radial velocity technique with 10 cm/s precision. Astrophysical jitter from granulation, star spots, flares, and acoustic oscillations will ultimately limit detection prospects for low-mass planets in habitable zone orbits (especially for RV). This study will guide the SIM-Lite observing strategy for M dwarfs.

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