song exoplanet searches in the context of next generation exoplanet surveys

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SONG Exoplanet Searches in the Context of Next Generation

Exoplanet Surveys

Joe Carson College of CharlestonSeptember 17, 2011

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SONG Exoplanet Searches in the Context of Next Generation

Exoplanet Surveys

Joe Carson College of CharlestonSeptember 16, 2011

(Should the U.S. astronomy community support SONG exoplanet searches?)

Exoplanet Detection

MicrolensingRadial VelocityTransitsDirect ImagingAstrometry

Most Direct Competition:

A proposed infrared space telescope for dark energy investigations and exoplanet microlensing.

Number one prioritized space mission by U.S. 2010 Decadal Survey.

WFIRST

SONG

Most Direct Competition:

Most Direct Competition:

WFIRST Status

New York Times, January 2011

WFIRST

SONG

Most Direct Competition:

WFIRST

SONG

Most Direct Competition:

Transits Space-Based Kepler: Sub-Earth mass planets at orbits out to ≈1AU.

Ground-Based Numerous Surveys: terrestrial planets around low-mass stars.

Orbits out to ≈ couple AU.

Very good sensitivities to lowest mass planets. Orbits limited to within a couple AU. Biased toward low mass stars.

Astrometry

VLT Prima:Various Programs

Saturn-mass planets at orbits >≈ 1AU.

Others: Magellan 6.5meter CAPSCam (M-dwarfs) CTIO 0.9meter RECONS (M-dwarfs)

Direct Imaging

Space-Based JWST NIRCam: gas giant planets around low mass stars.

Ground-Based VLT SPHERE, Gemini GPI, Subaru ScExAO, LBT, and others: gas giant planets at orbits >≈ 5AU around nearby stars.

Limited to much more massive planets than SONG, and at generally wider separations.

Should the U.S. Astronomy Community Support a SONG Exoplanet Survey?

In the absence of WFIRST, SONG would be the only survey in the world capable of detecting terrestrial planets from 0.1 to 20 AU around a range of spectral types.

The U.S. 2010 decadal survey has strongly endorsed the importance of exploring this search space, particularly with the microlensing technique.

Bennett 2011

Most Direct Competition:

Without WFIRST, over the next decade, and possibly longer, SONG is the only observing platform in the world capable of providing statistical results on planet populations down to sub-terrestrial masses, over a semimajor axis range that overlaps that of all the solar system planets.