1. A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL
- Author
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Tinetti, Giovanna, Drossart, Pierre, Eccleston, Paul, Hartogh, Paul, Heske, Astrid, Leconte, J., Micela, Giusi, Ollivier, Marc, Pilbratt, Göran, Puig, Ludovic, Turrini, Diego, Vandenbussche, Bart, Wolkenberg, Paulina, Beaulieu, Jean-Philippe, Buchave, Lars A., Ferus, Martin, Griffin, Matt, Guedel, Manuel, Justtanont, Kay, Lagage, Pierre-Olivier, Machado, Pedro, Malaguti, Giuseppe, Min, Michiel, Nørgaard-Nielsen, Hans Ulrik, Rataj, Mirek, Ray, Tom, Ribas, Ignasi, Swain, Mark, Szabo, Robert, Werner, Stephanie, Barstow, Joanna, Burleigh, Matt, Cho, James, Du Foresto, Vincent Coudé, Coustenis, Athena, Decin, Leen, Encrenaz, Thérèse, Galand, Marina, Gillon, Michael, Helled, Ravit, Morales, Juan Carlos, Muñoz, Antonio García, Moneti, Andrea, Pagano, Isabella, Pascale, Enzo, Piccioni, Giuseppe, Pinfield, David, Sarkar, Subhajit, Selsis, Franck, Tennyson, Jonathan, Triaud, Amaury, Venot, Olivia, Waldmann, Ingo, Waltham, David, Wright, Gillian, Amiaux, Jerome, Auguères, Jean-Louis, Berthé, Michel, Bezawada, Naidu, Bishop, Georgia, Bowles, Neil, Coffey, Deirdre, Colomé, Josep, Crook, Martin, Crouzet, Pierre-Elie, Da Peppo, Vania, Sanz, Isabel Escudero, Focardi, Mauro, Frericks, Martin, Hunt, Tom, Kohley, Ralf, Middleton, Kevin, Morgante, Gianluca, Ottensamer, Roland, Pace, Emanuele, Pearson, Chris, Stamper, Richard, Symonds, Kate, Rengel, Miriam, Renotte, Etienne, Ade, Peter, Affer, Laura, Alard, Christophe, Allard, Nicole, Altieri, Francesca, André, Yves, Arena, Claudio, Argyriou, Ioannis, Aylward, Alan, Baccani, Cristian, Bakos, Gaspar, Banaszkiewicz, Marek, Barlow, Mike, Batista, Virginie, Bellucci, Giancarlo, Benatti, Serena, Bernardi, Pernelle, Bézard, Bruno, Blecka, Maria, Bolmont, Emeline, Bonfond, Bertrand, Bonito, Rosaria, Bonomo, Aldo S., Brucato, John Robert, Brun, Allan Sacha, Bryson, Ian, Bujwan, Waldemar, Casewell, Sarah, Charnay, Benjamin, Pestellini, Cesare Cecchi, Chen, Guo, Ciaravella, Angela, Claudi, Riccardo, Clédassou, Rodolphe, Damasso, Mario, Damiano, Mario, Danielski, Camilla, Deroo, Pieter, Di Giorgio, Anna Maria, Dominik, Carsten, Doublier, Vanessa, Doyle, Simon, Doyon, Rene, Drummond, Benjamin, Duong, Bastien, Eales, Stephen, Edwards, Billy, Farina, Maria, Flaccomio, Ettore, Fletcher, Leigh, Forget, François, Fossey, Steve, Fränz, Markus, Fujii, Yuka, García-Piquer, Álvaro, Gear, Walter, Geoffray, Hervé, Gérard, Jean Claude, Gesa, Lluis, Gomez, H., Graczyk, Rafał, Griffith, Caitlin, Grodent, Denis, Guarcello, Mario Giuseppe, Gustin, Jacques, Hamano, Keiko, Hargrave, Peter, Hello, Yann, Heng, Kevin, Herrero, Enrique, Hornstrup, Allan, Hubert, Benoît, Ida, Shigeru, Ikoma, Masahiro, Iro, Nicolas, Irwin, Patrick, Jarchow, Christopher, Jaubert, Jean, Jones, Hugh, Julien, Queyrel, Kameda, Shingo, Kerschbaum, Franz, Kervella, Pierre, Koskinen, Tommi, Krijger, Matthijs, Krupp, Norbert, Lafarga, Marina, Landini, Federico, Lellouch, Emmanuel, Leto, Giuseppe, Luntzer, A., Rank-Lüftinger, Theresa, Maggio, Antonio, Maldonado, Jesus, Maillard, Jean-Pierre, Mall, Urs, Marquette, J.-B., Mathis, Stéphane, Maxted, Pierre, Matsuo, Taro, Medvedev, Alexander, Miguel, Yamila, Minier, Vincent, Morello, Giuseppe, Mura, Alessandro, Narita, Norio, Nascimbeni, Valerio, Nguyen Tong, N., Noce, Vladimiro, Oliva, Fabrizio, Palle, Enric, Palmer, Paul, Pancrazzi, Maurizio, Papageorgiou, Andreas, Parmentier, Vivien, Perger, Manuel, Petralia, Antonino, Pezzuto, Stefano, Pierrehumbert, Ray, Pillitteri, Ignazio, Piotto, Giampaolo, Pisano, Giampaolo, Prisinzano, Loredana, Radioti, Aikaterini, Reess, Jean-Michel, Rezac, Ladislav, Rocchetto, Marco, Rosich, Albert, Sanna, Nicoletta, Santerne, Alexandre, Savini, Giorgio, Scandariato, Gaetano, Sicardy, Bruno, Sierra, Carles, Sindoni, Giuseppe, Skup, Konrad, Snellen, Ignas, Sobiecki, Mateusz, Soret, Lauriane, Sozzetti, Alessandro, Stiepen, Arnaud, Strugarek, Antoine, Taylor, Jake, Taylor, William, Terenzi, Luca, Tessenyi, Marcell, Tsiaras, Angelos, Tucker, C., Valencia, Diana, Vasisht, Gautam, Vazan, Allona, Vilardell, Francesc, Vinatier, Sandrine, Viti, Serena, Waters, Rens, Wawer, Piotr, Wawrzaszek, Anna, Whitworth, Anthony, Yung, Yuk L., Yurchenko, Sergey N., Osorio, María Rosa Zapatero, Zellem, Robert, Zingales, Tiziano, Zwart, Frans, Wolkenberg, Paul, Beaulieu, Jean, Buchave, A., Lagage, Pierre, Ray, Ray, Ribas, Ignas, du Foresto, Vincent, Muñoz, Antonio, Auguères, Jean, Crouzet, Pierre, Pace, Emanuel, Altieri, Francesc, Claudi, Claudio, Brun, Bruno, Bonomo, Aldo, Brucato, Robert, Brun, Allan, Di Giorgio, Anna, Fujii, Yuk, Gérard, Jean, Guarcello, Giuseppe, Maillard, Pierre, Yung, Yuk, Yurchenko, Sergey, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), University College of London [London] (UCL), 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)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, ECLIPSE 2018, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] (LAB), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo (OAPa), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon (IGFL), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon), University of Valencia, Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario (IFSI), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK), Polska Akademia Nauk = Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences [Prague] (CAS), Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation (AIM (UMR_7158 / UMR_E_9005 / UM_112)), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), Department of Genetics [Cambridge], University of Cambridge [UK] (CAM), Dpto. de Organización de Empresas, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial de Barcelona, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya [Barcelona] (UPC), University of California, University of California [Davis] (UC Davis), University of California-University of California, Institute of Astronomy [Leuven], Catholic University of Leuven - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique [Liège], Université de Liège, Department of Earth and Space Sciences [Los Angeles], University of California [Los Angeles] (UCLA), Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas, CSIC, Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali - INAF (IAPS), Cardiff University, Department of Physics and Astronomy [UCL London], School of Physics and Astronomy [Birmingham], University of Birmingham [Birmingham], Royal Holloway [University of London] (RHUL), CEA, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Gyf Sur Yvette, France, Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics [Oxford] (AOPP), University of Oxford [Oxford], European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), European Space Agency (ESA), Galaxies, Etoiles, Physique, Instrumentation (GEPI), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centro di Ateneo di Studi e Attività Spaziali 'Giuseppe Colombo' (CISAS), Universita degli Studi di Padova, ECLIPSE 2014, Laboratoire d'astrodynamique, d'astrophysique et d'aéronomie de bordeaux (L3AB), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers (OASU), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] (LAB), Université de Bordeaux (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Bordeaux (UB), Laboratoire de Physique Atmosphérique et Planétaire (LPAP), INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri (OAA), Tsinghua University [Beijing] (THU), Departement de physique and Observatoire du Mont Megantic, Université de Montréal (UdeM), Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539) (LMD), Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-École polytechnique (X)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC), Service d'Hématologie, Earth-Life Science Institute [Tokyo] (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology [Tokyo] (TITECH), Géoazur (GEOAZUR 6526), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Instituto Universitario de Electroquimica, Universidad de Alicante, Laboratoire de paléontologie et paleogéographie du paleozoique (LPPP), Université de Lille, Sciences et Technologies-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Dept of Physics, University of Florida [Gainesville] (UF), Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES), University of Hertfordshire [Hatfield] (UH), University of Vienna [Vienna], M2A 2018, Maintenance Myélinique et Neuropathies Périphériques (MMNP), Institut Génomique, Environnement, Immunité, Santé, Thérapeutique (GEIST), Université de Limoges (UNILIM)-Université de Limoges (UNILIM), Département Sciences de la Fabrication et Logistique (SFL-ENSMSE), École des Mines de Saint-Étienne (Mines Saint-Étienne MSE), Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] (IMT)-Institut Mines-Télécom [Paris] (IMT)-CMP-GC, Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Verona (UNIVR), Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust [Luxembourg] (SnT), Université du Luxembourg (Uni.lu), 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), IIIA, CSIC, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics [Boulder] (LASP), University of Colorado [Boulder], Indiana University [Bloomington], Indiana University System, Laboratoire de Cosmologie, Astrophysique Stellaire & Solaire, de Planétologie et de Mécanique des Fluides (CASSIOPEE), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Computer Science Department of University of Malaga, Universidad de Málaga [Málaga] = University of Málaga [Málaga], BioWooEB (UPR BioWooEB), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung = Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), National Research Council of Italy | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation (AIM (UMR7158 / UMR_E_9005 / UM_112)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), University of Oxford, Agence Spatiale Européenne = European Space Agency (ESA), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Università degli Studi di Padova = University of Padua (Unipd), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers (OASU), Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 (UB)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] (LAB), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-École des Ponts ParisTech (ENPC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Département des Géosciences - ENS Paris, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS), Università degli studi di Verona = University of Verona (UNIVR), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Université de Montpellier (UM), PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), École normale supérieure - Lyon (ENS Lyon)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Polska Akademia Nauk (PAN), Czech Academy of Sciences [Prague] (ASCR), Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, PSL Research University (PSL)-PSL Research University (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Tsinghua University [Beijing], Université de Montréal [Montréal], École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Florida [Gainesville], Maintenance myélinique et neuropathies périphériques (MMNP), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Università degli Studi di Verona, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES), Universidad de Málaga [Málaga], BioWooEB (Cirad-Persyst-UPR 114 BioWooEB), Département Performances des systèmes de production et de transformation tropicaux (Cirad-PERSYST), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), University of Zurich, Tinetti, Giovanna, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Low Energy Astrophysics (API, FNWI)
- Subjects
Solar System ,STELLAR ACTIVITY ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,[SDU.ASTR.EP]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Earth and Planetary Astrophysics [astro-ph.EP] ,7. Clean energy ,01 natural sciences ,Space missions ,Astrobiology ,Planet ,QB460 ,TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM ,Transit (astronomy) ,TRANSITING EXOPLANETS ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,QC ,Eclipse ,QB ,Super-Earth ,520 Astronomy ,Exoplanets ,Exoplanet ,BROWN DWARF ,IR spectroscopy ,Spacemissions ,Physical Sciences ,3103 Astronomy and Astrophysics ,VALIDATED PLANETS ,Molecular signatures ,Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics ,JUPITER EXOPLANETS ,530 Physics ,Gas giant ,Brown dwarf ,SUPER-EARTH ,Astronomy & Astrophysics ,EXTRASOLAR GIANT PLANETS ,INFRARED-EMISSION-SPECTRUM ,1912 Space and Planetary Science ,0103 physical sciences ,QB600 ,Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Science & Technology ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,500 Science ,0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences ,13. Climate action ,Space and Planetary Science ,10231 Institute for Computational Science ,SPACE-BASED PHOTOMETRY - Abstract
Thousands of exoplanets have now been discovered with a huge range of masses, sizes and orbits: from rocky Earth-like planets to large gas giants grazing the surface of their host star. However, the essential nature of these exoplanets remains largely mysterious: there is no known, discernible pattern linking the presence, size, or orbital parameters of a planet to the nature of its parent star. We have little idea whether the chemistry of a planet is linked to its formation environment, or whether the type of host star drives the physics and chemistry of the planet’s birth, and evolution. The Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey (ARIEL) has been selected by the European Space Agency as the next mediumclass science mission, M4, to address these scientific questions. ARIEL was conceived to observe a large number (~1000) of transiting planets for statistical understanding, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a range of host star types using transit spectroscopy in the 1.25-7.8 μm spectral range and multiple narrow-band photometry in the optical. ARIEL will focus on warm and hot planets to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres which should show minimal condensation and sequestration of high-Z materials compared to their colder Solar System siblings. Said warm and hot atmospheres are expected to be more representative of the planetary bulk composition. Observations of these warm/hot exoplanets, and in particular of their elemental composition (especially C, O, N, S, Si), will allow the understanding of the early stages of planetary and atmospheric formation during the nebular phase and the following few million years. ARIEL will thus provide a representative picture of the chemical nature of the exoplanets and relate this directly to the type and chemical environment of the host star. ARIEL is designed as a dedicated survey mission for combined-light spectroscopy, capable of observing a large and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allow us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of 10-100 part per million (ppm) relative to the star and, given the bright nature of targets, also allows more sophisticated techniques, such as eclipse mapping, to give a deeper insight into the nature of the atmosphere. These types of observations require a stable payload and satellite platform with broad, instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect many molecular species, probe the thermal structure, identify clouds and monitor the stellar activity. The wavelength range proposed covers all the expected major atmospheric gases from e.g. H2O, CO2, CH4 NH3, HCN, H2S through to the more exotic metallic compounds, such as TiO, VO, and condensed species. Simulations of ARIEL performance in conducting exoplanet surveys have been performed – using conservative estimates of mission performance and a full model of all significant noise sources in the measurement – using a list of potential ARIEL targets that incorporates the latest available exoplanet statistics. The conclusion at the end of the Phase A study, is that ARIEL – in line with the stated mission objectives – will be able to observe about 1000 exoplanets depending on the details of the adopted survey strategy, thus confirming the feasibility of the main science objectives.
- Published
- 2018