1. Atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets in the mid-infrared: biosignatures, habitability, and diversity
- Author
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Albrecht, Simon, Anglada-Escude, Guillem, Baraffe, Isabelle, Baudoz, Pierre, Beuzit, Jean-Luc, Biller, Beth, Birkby, Jayne, Boccaletti, Anthony, Van Boekel, Roy, de Boer, Jos, Buchhave, Lars, Carone, Ludmila, Claire, Mark, Claudi, Riccardo, Demory, Brice-Olivier, Desert, Jean-Michel, Desidera, Silvano, Gratton, Raffaele, Gillon, Michael, Guyon, Olivier, Henning, Thomas, Hinkley, Sasha, Huby, Elsa, Helling, Christiane, Heng, Kevin, Kasper, Markus, Keller, Christoph, Kenworthy, Matthew, Kreidberg, Laura, Madhusudhan, Nikku, Lagrange, Anne-Marie, Launhardt, Ralf, Lenton, Tim, Lopez-Puertas, Manuel, Maire, Anne-Lise, Mayne, Nathan, Meadows, Victoria, Micela, Giuseppina, Milli, Julien, Min, Michiel, de Mooij, Ernst, Mouillet, David, D'Orazi, Valentina, Pagano, Isabella, Piotto, Giampaolo, Ruane, Garreth, Snik, Frans, Stam, Daphne, Stark, Christopher, Vigan, Arthur, de Visser, Pieter, Quanz, Sascha P., Absil, Olivier, Angerhausen, Daniel, Benz, Willy, Bonfils, Xavier, Berger, Jean-Philippe, Brogi, Matteo, Cabrera, Juan, Danchi, William C., Defrère, Denis, Van Dishoeck, Ewine, Ehrenreich, David, Ertel, Steve, Fortney, Jonathan, Gaudi, Scott, Girard, Julien, Glauser, Adrian, Grenfell, John Lee, Ireland, Michael, Janson, Markus, Kammerer, Jens, Kitzmann, Daniel, Kraus, Stefan, Krause, Oliver, Labadie, Lucas, Lacour, Sylvestre, Lichtenberg, Tim, Line, Michael, Linz, Hendrik, Loicq, Jérôme, Mennesson, Bertrand, Meyer, Michael R., Miguel, Yamila, Monnier, John, N'diaye, Mamadou, Palle, Enric, Queloz, Didier, Rauer, Heike, Ribas, Ignasi, Rugheimer, Sarah, Selsis, Franck, Serabyn, Gene, Snellen, Ignas, Sozzetti, Alessandro, Stapelfeldt, Karl R., Triaud, Amaury, Udry, Stéphane, Wyatt, Mark, Quanz, Sascha P [0000-0003-3829-7412], Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository, Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ETH Zurich, Swiss National Science Foundation, and Quanz, SP [0000-0003-3829-7412]
- Subjects
Engineering ,Habitability ,Mid infrared ,010501 environmental sciences ,7. Clean energy ,01 natural sciences ,Astrobiology ,White paper ,Direct imaging ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Mid-infrared ,media_common ,Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) ,[PHYS]Physics [physics] ,STAR ,Scope (project management) ,520 Astronomy ,HOSTS SURVEY ,Exoplanet ,Characterization (materials science) ,Extrasolar planets ,Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics ,Space interferometry ,exoplanets ,Physical Sciences ,infrared ,biosignatures ,Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics ,FIBERS ,Astronomical and Space Sciences ,530 Physics ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Characterization ,FOS: Physical sciences ,Astronomy & Astrophysics ,INTERFEROMETRY ,0103 physical sciences ,14. Life underwater ,Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) ,Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR) ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Science & Technology ,business.industry ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,PERFORMANCE ,500 Science ,620 Engineering ,SIGNS ,Climate Action ,Planetary atmospheres ,13. Climate action ,Space and Planetary Science ,[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,Terrestrial planet ,business ,PLANETS ,Diversity (politics) ,Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics - Abstract
Exoplanet science is one of the most thriving fields of modern astrophysics. A major goal is the atmospheric characterization of dozens of small, terrestrial exoplanets in order to search for signatures in their atmospheres that indicate biological activity, assess their ability to provide conditions for life as we know it, and investigate their expected atmospheric diversity. None of the currently adopted projects or missions, from ground or in space, can address these goals. In this White Paper, submitted to ESA in response to the Voyage 2050 Call, we argue that a large space-based mission designed to detect and investigate thermal emission spectra of terrestrial exoplanets in the mid-infrared wavelength range provides unique scientific potential to address these goals and surpasses the capabilities of other approaches. While NASA might be focusing on large missions that aim to detect terrestrial planets in reflected light, ESA has the opportunity to take leadership and spearhead the development of a large mid-infrared exoplanet mission within the scope of the “Voyage 2050” long-term plan establishing Europe at the forefront of exoplanet science for decades to come. Given the ambitious science goals of such a mission, additional international partners might be interested in participating and contributing to a roadmap that, in the long run, leads to a successful implementation. A new, dedicated development program funded by ESA to help reduce development and implementation cost and further push some of the required key technologies would be a first important step in this direction. Ultimately, a large mid-infrared exoplanet imaging mission will be needed to help answer one of humankind’s most fundamental questions: “How unique is our Earth?”, Experimental Astronomy, 54 (2-3), ISSN:0922-6435, ISSN:1572-9508
- Published
- 2021
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