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TOPIC: DARWIN Mission

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Mar 16 01:10 2011

RE: DARWIN Mission	Permalink

Title: Search for Extra-Terrestrial planets: The DARWIN mission - Target Stars and Array Architectures Authors: Lisa Kaltenegger The DARWIN mission is an Infrared free flying interferometer mission based on the new technique of nulling interferometry. Its main objective is to detect and characterize other Earth-like planets, analyse the composition of their atmospheres and their capability to sustain life, as we know it. DARWIN is currently in definition phase. This PhD work that has been undertaken within the DARWIN team at the European Space Agency (ESA) addresses two crucial aspects of the mission. Firstly, a DARWIN target star list has been established that includes characteristics of the target star sample that will be critical for final mission design, such as, luminosity, distance, spectral classification, stellar variability, multiplicity, location and radius of the star. Constrains were applied as set by planet evolution theory and mission architecture. Secondly, a number of alternative mission architectures have been evaluated on the basis of interferometer response as a function of wavelength, achievable modulation efficiency, number of telescopes and starlight rejection capabilities. The study has shown that the core mission goals should be achievable with a lower level of complexity as compared to the current baseline configuration. Read more (9243kb, PDF) __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: Jul 15 10:31 2010

DARWIN Mission	Permalink

India will be a part of Darwin Mission, whose primary goal is to detect and study the nearby universe, looking for signs of life on Earth-like planets said, Dr Wing-Huen Ip, Professor of Institutes of Astronomy and Space Science, National Central University, Taiwan. Ip was speaking during a popular science lecture on the topic "From Venus, Earth, and Mars to Habitable Exoplanets" at Gujarat Science City on Wednesday. Read more __________________

Blobrana

L

Posts: 131433

Date: May 14 16:36 2008

DARWIN Mission	Permalink

Title: DARWIN - A Mission to Detect, and Search for Life on, Extrasolar Planets Authors: C. S. ****ell, A. Leger, M. Fridlund, T. Herbst, L. Kaltenegger, O. Absil, C. Beichman, W. Benz, M. Blanc, A. Brack, A. Chelli, L. Colangeli, H. Cottin, V. Coude du Foresto, W. Danchi, D. Defrere, J.-W. den Herder, C. Eiroa, J. Greaves, T. Henning, K. Johnston, H. Jones, L. Labadie, H. Lammer, R. Launhardt, P. Lawson, O. P. Lay, J.-M. LeDuigou, R. Liseau, F. Malbet, S. R. Martin, D. Mawet, D. Mourard, C. Moutou, L. Mugnier, F. Paresce, A. Quirrenbach, Y. Rabbia, J. A. Raven, H. J. A. Rottgering, D. Rouan, N. Santos, F. Selsis, E. Serabyn, H. Shibai, M. Tamura, E. Thiebaut, F. Westall, White, J. Glenn The discovery of extra-solar planets is one of the greatest achievements of modern astronomy. The detection of planets with a wide range of masses demonstrates that extra-solar planets of low mass exist. In this paper we describe a mission, called Darwin, whose primary goal is the search for, and characterization of, terrestrial extrasolar planets and the search for life. Accomplishing the mission objectives will require collaborative science across disciplines including astrophysics, planetary sciences, chemistry and microbiology. Darwin is designed to detect and perform spectroscopic analysis of rocky planets similar to the Earth at mid-infrared wavelengths (6 - 20 micron), where an advantageous contrast ratio between star and planet occurs. The baseline mission lasts 5 years and consists of approximately 200 individual target stars. Among these, 25 to 50 planetary systems can be studied spectroscopically, searching for gases such as CO2, H2O, CH4 and O3. Many of the key technologies required for the construction of Darwin have already been demonstrated and the remainder are estimated to be mature in the near future. Darwin is a mission that will ignite intense interest in both the research community and the wider public. Read more (2326kb, PDF) __________________

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