Free-flying Occulters for Use with Space Telescopes
Abstract
We summarize a free-flying occulter proposal that was submitted to NASA in response to NRA-01-OSS-04. Free-flying occulters in association with space telescopes have been proposed for nearly four decades to detect and study extrasolar planets. External occulters reduce the magnitude differences between a planet and the host star; light scatter within the telescope is reduced resulting from fewer obstructions and optical surfaces; and any instrument onboard the telescope, including spectrometers, can be used to study extrasolar planets. We conclude with a mission concept for an optimized optical 1-m space telescope with a small external occulter. Both craft could be launched from a single launch vehicle and placed in a 1-AU fall-away orbit or at Earth-Sun L2. Jovian planets around stars within 10 parsecs could be studied, and a search for sub-Jovian planets around the nearest handful of stars could be performed. Approximately 80% of the telescope time would be available for projects not associated with the external occulter such as gravitational lensing and planetary transit surveys.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001AAS...199.4501K