SETI bioastro: Fundamental limitations on Earth-like planet detection with Extremely Large Tel

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Paper: astro-ph/0509713
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 11:38:58 GMT (108kb)

Title: Fundamental limitations on Earth-like planet detection with Extremely
Large Telescopes

Authors: C. Cavarroc, A. Boccaletti, P. Baudoz, T. Fusco, D. Rouan

Categories: astro-ph

Comments: 8 pages, 8 figures, accepted in A&A
\\
We analyse the fundamental limitations for the detection of extraterrestrial
planets with Extremely Large Telescopes. For this task, a coronagraphic
device
combined to a very high order wavefront correction system is required but
not
sufficient to achieve the $10^{-10}$ contrast level needed for detecting an
Earth-like planet. The stellar residuals left uncorrected by the wavefront
correction system need to be calibrated and subtracted. In this paper, we
consider a general model including the dynamic phase aberrations downstream
the
wavefront correction system, the static phase aberrations of the instrument
and
some differential aberrations provided by the calibration unit. A rather
optimistic case of a filled circular pupil and of a perfect coronagraph is
elsewhere assumed. As a result of the analytical study, the limitation
mostly
comes from the static aberrations. Using numerical simulations we confirm
this
result and evaluate the requirements in terms of phase aberrations to detect
Earth-like planets on Extremely Large Telescopes.

\\ ( http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0509713 , 108kb)

• Previous message: LARRY KLAES: "SETI bioastro: Widely separated binary systems of very low mass stars"

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