Systematic aspects of direct extrasolar planet detectionUsing the first optical observatory in space, the Hubble Space Telescope, images of possible extrasolar planets will have poor contrast against the background of diffracted and scattered starlight. The very long exposure time required to achieve an adequate signal-to-noise ratio will make their detection infeasible. For a future telescope, a 16-fold increase in either the smoothness of the collecting area of the optics would reduce the exposure time to a tolerable value, but the contrast would remain low and the required photometric precision high. In this situation, the feasibility of detection would be contingent on the careful identification and control of systematic errors.
Document ID
19880067988
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Brown, Robert A. (Space Telescope Science Institute Baltimore, MD, United States)