epics: the planet finder of e-elt - astro.up.pt · epics: the planet finder of e-elt science...
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EPICS: the planet finder of E-ELTEPICS: the planet finder of E-ELT Science drivers and perspectivesScience drivers and perspectives
M. Bonavita1,2, R. U. Claudi1, J.-L. Beuzit3, S. Desidera1, R. Gratton1, M. Kasper4
1INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova; 2Dipartimento di Astronomia – 2Università degli Studi di Padova 3Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble; 4European Southern Observatory
ABSTRACTABSTRACT In the last few years many efforts have been done toward the developement of dedicated instrumente for the direct detection of exoplanets. Next generation facilities for large telescopes (SPHERE for VLT, GPI for Gemini) are expected to explore the outern regions of young exoplanetary systems, searching for self luminous giant planets, providing complementary informations with respect to the indirect methods which lead to most of the discoveries up to now. With the next generation of 30m40m ground based telescopes, the Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs), the capabilities of these planet finders will drammatically rise, toward older giant planets seen in reflected light and ultimately even a small number of rocky planets.EPICS, the proposed instrument for the European ELT (EELT), surely fits in this framework, having as a science goal the detection and characterization of exoplanets by direct imaging and spectroscopy. Here we briefly present the main drivers of the EPICS science case, toghether with the results of our prediction of its capabilities, both in terms of number of expected detection and characteristics of the planetary systems that EPICS will explore.
CONCEPTCONCEPTThe ExoPlanet Imaging Camera and Spectrograph (EPICS) is an instrument project for the direct imaging and characterization of extrasolar planets with the EELT. It will be optimized for observations in the visible and nearIR and will have photometric, spectroscopic and polarimetric capabilities.
SCIENCE CASE – 4SCIENCE CASE – 4Detection and first order characterization of neptune mass planets and rocky planets around very nearby stars (<10 pc), in some favourable cases located in the Habitable Zone
SCIENCE CASE – ISCIENCE CASE – IDetection of selfluminous gas giants in young associations or star forming regions, in order to study planet formation and to determine initial frequency and mass distribution of giant planets.
SCIENCE CASE – IISCIENCE CASE – IIDetection and characterization of mature giant planets orbiting at 515 AU around nearby stars (< 20 pc), in order to determine their frequency and mass distribution in a discovery space that will be complementary to the one investigated by indirect techniques.
SCIENCE CASE – IIISCIENCE CASE – IIIImaging and spectral characterization of mature Jupiterlike objects already discovered by radial velocity searches and/or warm young giant planets discovered trough direct imaging with smaller telescopes, understanding giant planet atmospheric composition and structure.
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