NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) Mission Star List for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (2023)
arxiv(2024)
摘要
The Astro 2020 Decadal Survey "Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and
Astrophysics for the 2020s" has recommended that "after a successful mission
and technology maturation program, NASA should embark on a program to realize a
mission to search for biosignatures from a robust number of about 25 habitable
zone planets and to be a transformative facility for general astrophysics," and
prescribing that the high-contrast direct imaging mission would have "a target
off-axis inscribed diameter of approximately 6 meters." The Decadal Survey
assumed an exo-Earth frequency of 25
cumulative habitable zones of nearby stars should be surveyed. Surveying the
nearby bright stars, and taking into account inputs from the LUVOIR and HabEx
mission studies (but without being overly prescriptive in the required
starlight suppression technology or requirements), we compile a list of 164
stars whose exo-Earths would be the most accessible for a systematic imaging
survey of habitable zones with a 6-m-class space telescope in terms of angular
separation, planet brightness in reflected light, and planet-star brightness
ratio. We compile this star list to motivate observations and analysis to help
inform observatory design (mission-enabling "precursor science") and enhance
the science return of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) survey for
exo-Earths (mission-enhancing "preparatory science"). It is anticipated that
this list of target stars and their properties will be updated periodically by
the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program.
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