Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
Космический телескоп для обзора транзитных экзопланет
2014-10-24
SCID: 54.1/dzw43zra
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James Webb Space TelescopeTransiting Exoplanet Survey Satelliteexoplanet transit detectionmain-sequence dwarf starswide-field optical cameras
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Abstract (AI)
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will search for planets transiting bright and nearby stars. TESS has been selected by NASA for launch in 2017 as an Astrophysics Explorer mission. The spacecraft will be placed into a highly elliptical 13.7-day orbit around the Earth. During its 2-year mission, TESS will employ four wide-field optical charge-coupled device cameras to monitor at least 200,000 main-sequence dwarf stars with IC≈4−13 for temporary drops in brightness caused by planetary transits. Each star will be observed for an interval ranging from 1 month to 1 year, depending mainly on the star’s ecliptic latitude. The longest observing intervals will be for stars near the ecliptic poles, which are the optimal locations for follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope. Brightness measurements of preselected target stars will be recorded every 2 min, and full frame images will be recorded every 30 min. TESS stars will be 10 to 100 times brighter than those surveyed by the pioneering Kepler mission. This will make TESS planets easier to characterize with follow-up observations. TESS is expected to find more than a thousand planets smaller than Neptune, including dozens that are comparable in size to the Earth. Public data releases will occur every 4 months, inviting immediate community-wide efforts to study the new planets. The TESS legacy will be a catalog of the nearest and brightest stars hosting transiting planets, which will endure as highly favorable targets for detailed investigations.
Key Findings
1
Four wide-field optical CCD cameras will collect two-minute cadence measurements for selected targets and 30-minute full-frame images.
2
TESS is expected to discover over 1,000 planets smaller than Neptune, including dozens approximately Earth-sized.
3
TESS target stars will be 10–100 times brighter than Kepler survey stars, enabling easier follow-up characterization.
4
TESS will survey at least 200,000 bright, nearby main-sequence dwarf stars for transit-induced brightness dips during its two-year mission.
5
The mission will produce a lasting catalog of nearby, bright stars with transiting planets, with data released publicly every four months.
Research Object
Transiting exoplanets around bright, nearby main-sequence dwarf stars
Research Subject
Detection and characterization potential of small planets through transit-induced brightness changes and follow-up observations
Publication Details
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2014-10-24
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