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The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer: an achievable, space-borne interferometer for the direct detection and study of extrasolar giant planets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 May 2006

R. K. Barry
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
W. C. Danchi
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
L. D. Deming
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
L. J. Richardson
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
M. J. Kuchner
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
V. J. Chambers
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
B. J. Frey
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
A. J. Martino
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
J. Rajagopal
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA University of Maryland, Astronomy Department, College Park, MD 20742, USA
R. J. Allen
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute,3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
J. A. Harrington
Affiliation:
Rutgers University, 607 Taylor Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
T. T. Hyde
Affiliation:
NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
V. S. Johnson
Affiliation:
Rutgers University, 607 Taylor Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
R. Linfield
Affiliation:
Ball Aerospace, Boulder, 1600 Commerce St., CO 80301, USA
R. Millan-Gabet
Affiliation:
California Institute of Technology, 1201 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
J. D. Monnier
Affiliation:
University of Michigan, Astronomy Department, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
L. G. Mundy
Affiliation:
University of Maryland, Astronomy Department, College Park, MD 20742, USA
C. Noecker
Affiliation:
Ball Aerospace, Boulder, 1600 Commerce St., CO 80301, USA
S. Seager
Affiliation:
Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Rd.,Washington, DC 20015, USA
W. A. Traub
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109
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Abstract

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The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) is a mission concept for a spacecraft-borne imaging and nulling interferometer for the near to mid-infrared spectral region. FKSI is a scientific and technological pathfinder to the Darwin and Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) missions and will be a high angular resolution system complementary to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). There are four key scientific issues the FKSI mission is designed to address. These are: 1.) characterization of the atmospheres of the known extra-solar giant planets, 2.) assay of the morphology of debris disks to look for resonant structures characteristic of the presence of extrasolar planets, 3.) study of circumstellar material around a variety of stellar types to better understand their evolutionary state, and in the case of young stellar systems, their planet forming potential, and 4.) measurement of detailed structures inside active galactic nuclei. We report results of simulation studies of the imaging capabilities of the FKSI, current progress on our nulling testbed, results from control system and residual jitter analysis, and selection of hollow waveguide fibers for wavefront cleanup.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
© 2006 International Astronomical Union