1. The search for living worlds and the connection to our cosmic origins
- Author
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C. Charbonnel, Christian Knigge, Monica Tosi, Joanna K. Barstow, Chris Evans, Chris Lintott, Maurizio Ferrari, A. Z. Bonanos, Eline Tolstoy, N. Devaney, Beth Biller, Miriam Garcia, Martin A. Barstow, Th. Henning, Suzanne Aigrain, Daphne Stam, Mathieu Barthelemy, Roger L. Davies, Sarah L. Casewell, Colin Snodgrass, Coralie Neiner, Loïc Rossi, Luca Fossati, Boris T. Gänsicke, A. I. Gómez de Castro, Lars A. Buchhave, Stéphane Charlot, School of Physics and Astronomy [Leicester], University of Leicester, Department of Physics [Oxford], University of Oxford [Oxford], School of Physical Sciences [Milton Keynes], Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics [Milton Keynes], The Open University [Milton Keynes] (OU)-The Open University [Milton Keynes] (OU), Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG), Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG ), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Institute for Astronomy [Edinburgh] (IfA), University of Edinburgh, National Observatory of Athens (NOA), National Space Institute [Lyngby] (DTU Space), Technical University of Denmark [Lyngby] (DTU), Observatoire Astronomique de l'Université de Genève (ObsGE), Université de Genève (UNIGE), Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), School of Physics [NUI Galway], National University of Ireland [Galway] (NUI Galway), UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM), Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Space Research Institute of Austrian Academy of Sciences (IWF), Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), Department of Physics, University of Warwick, University of Warwick [Coventry], Centro de Astrobiologia [Madrid] (CAB), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA)-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Departamento Fisica de la Tierra, Astronomía y Astrofísica [Madrid], Universidad Complutense de Madrid = Complutense University of Madrid [Madrid] (UCM), Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA), Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, School of Physics and Astronomy [Southampton], University of Southampton, Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA (UMR_8109)), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP), PLANETO - LATMOS, Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS), Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Kapteyn Astronomical Institute [Groningen], University of Groningen [Groningen], INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna (OABO), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Department of Physics and Astronomy [Leicester], School of Physics, University of Exeter, Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG), Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung (MPS), SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG ), Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019] (UGA [2016-2019])-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes [2016-2019] (UGA [2016-2019]), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Oxford, Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Météo-France -Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB [Université de Savoie] [Université de Chambéry])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Météo-France, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet = Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Université de Genève = University of Geneva (UNIGE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Neiner, Coralie, Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique = Laboratory of Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics (LESIA), and Astronomy
- Subjects
Solar System ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Computer science ,FOS: Physical sciences ,Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics ,[SDU.ASTR] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] ,7. Clean energy ,01 natural sciences ,Space exploration ,Astrobiology ,law.invention ,Imaging ,Telescope ,[SDU] Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,[SDU.ASTR.IM] Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysic [astro-ph.IM] ,Spitzer Space Telescope ,Planet ,law ,0103 physical sciences ,Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics ,Transit (astronomy) ,Stellar populations ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics ,Spectroscopy ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,QB ,Ultraviolet ,Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) ,[SDU.ASTR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] ,Exoplanets ,Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,Stars ,Exoplanet ,[SDU.ASTR.IM]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysic [astro-ph.IM] ,13. Climate action ,Space and Planetary Science ,[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,Physics::Space Physics ,Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics ,Circumstellar habitable zone ,Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics - Abstract
One of the most exciting scientific challenges is to detect Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of other stars in the galaxy and search for evidence of life. The ability to observe and characterise dozens of potentially Earth-like planets now lies within the realm of possibility due to rapid advances in key space and imaging technologies. The associated challenge of directly imaging very faint planets in orbit around nearby very bright stars is now well understood, with the key instrumentation also being perfected and developed. Such advances will allow us to develop large transformative telescopes, covering a broad UV-optical-IR spectral range, which can carry out the detailed research programmes designed to answer the questions we wish to answer: Carry out high contrast imaging surveys of nearby stars to search for planets within their habitable zones. Characterise the planets detected to determine masses and radii from photometric measurements. Through spectroscopic studies of their atmospheres and surfaces, search for habitability indicators and for signs of an environment that has been modified by the presence of life. Active studies of potential missions have been underway for a number of years. The latest of these is the Large UV Optical IR space telescope (LUVOIR), one of four flagship mission studies commissioned by NASA in support of the 2020 US Decadal Survey. LUVOIR, if selected, will be of interest to a wide scientific community and will be the only telescope capable of searching for and characterizing a sufficient number of exoEarths to provide a meaningful answer to the question - Are we alone?. This paper is a submission to the European Space Agency Voyage 2050 call for white papers outlining the case for an ESA contribution to a Large UVOIR telescope., Submission to the European Space Agency Voyage 2050 call for white papers
- Published
- 2021