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Direct imaging of planetary systems with a ground-based radio telescope arrayThe National Radio Astronomy Observatory's proposed Millimeter Array (MMA) will bring unprecedented sensitivity, angular resolution, and image dynamic range to the millimeter wavelength region of the spectrum. An obvious question is whether such an instrument could be used to detect planets orbiting nearby stars. The techniques of aperture synthesis imaging developed for centimeter wavelength radio arrays are capable of producing images whose dynamic ranges greatly exceed the brightness ratio of a solar-type star and a Jupiter-like planet at sub-millimeter or millimeter wavelengths. The angular resolution required to separate a star and planet at a few pc distance can be obtained with baselines of several km. The greatest challenge is sensitivity. At the highest possible observing frequencies (approximately 300 GHz for typical high, dry sites, and approximately 900 GHz from the Antarctic plateau), the proposed MMA will be unable to detect the thermal emission from a Jupiter-like planet a few pc away. An upgraded MMA operating near 300 GHz with twice the currently proposed number of antennas, a 20% fractional bandwidth, and improved receivers could detect Jupiter at 4 pc in a few months. Building such an array on the Antarctic plateau and operating at approximately 900 GHz would allow Jupiter at 4 pc to be detected in approximately one day of observing time.
Document ID
19950031713
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Jones, Dayton L.
(Jet Propulsion Lab. Cal. Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
February 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysics and Space Science
Volume: 212
ISSN: 0004-640X
Subject Category
Astronomy
Accession Number
95A63312
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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