IRSI/Darwin: Peering Through the Interplanetary Dust Cloud
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چکیده
Introduction Since the mid-1990s the search for extra-solar, terrestrial planets (called ‘exo-planets’ hereafter for brevity), and the possibility of life on them has received much attention. Both ESA and NASA are studying space-based telescopes that will enable the scientific community to conduct such a search. The most promising technology that will allow the detection of exoplanets and the search for biologic activity on their surface is space-based infrared nulling interferometry. Nulling interferometry allows one to superimpose the light from a star seen from slightly different angles so that the starlight is reduced, but light from sources close to the star is enhanced. ESA is studying the Darwin infrared interferometer as a candidate Cornerstone mission. The NASA mission proposal is called the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF). In addition to the search for exoplanets, such interferometers could also be used for generalpurpose astronomical imaging and spectroscopy with extremely high spatial resolution.
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ar X iv : a st ro - p h / 01 03 28 8 v 1 1 9 M ar 2 00 1 IRSI - DARWIN : How to see through the interplanetary dust cloud
ESA has identified interferometry as one of the major goals of the Horizon 2000+ programme. Infrared interferometers are a highly sensitive astronomical instruments that enable us to observe terrestrial planets around nearby stars. In this context the Infrared Space Interferometry Mission (IRSI)/ DARWIN is studied. The current design calls for a constellation of 6 free flying telescopes using 1...
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تاریخ انتشار 2001