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Solar system science with the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope
- Source :
- Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems. 4:1
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng, 2018.
-
Abstract
- We present a community-led assessment of the solar system investigations achievable with NASA’s next-generation space telescope, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). WFIRST will provide imaging, spectroscopic, and coronagraphic capabilities from 0.43 to 2.0 μm and will be a potential contemporary and eventual successor to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Surveys of irregular satellites and minor bodies are where WFIRST will excel with its 0.28 deg^2 field-of-view Wide Field Instrument. Potential ground-breaking discoveries from WFIRST could include detection of the first minor bodies orbiting in the inner Oort Cloud, identification of additional Earth Trojan asteroids, and the discovery and characterization of asteroid binary systems similar to Ida/Dactyl. Additional investigations into asteroids, giant planet satellites, Trojan asteroids, Centaurs, Kuiper belt objects, and comets are presented. Previous use of astrophysics assets for solar system science and synergies between WFIRST, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, JWST, and the proposed Near-Earth Object Camera mission is discussed. We also present the case for implementation of moving target tracking, a feature that will benefit from the heritage of JWST and enable a broader range of solar system observations.
- Subjects :
- Solar System
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Mechanical Engineering
James Webb Space Telescope
Astronomy
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
01 natural sciences
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Spitzer Space Telescope
Space and Planetary Science
Control and Systems Engineering
Planet
Trojan
Asteroid
0103 physical sciences
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Instrumentation
Geology
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 23294124
- Volume :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....df5caf3ce21f88f711469c2d4ab7acd5