DARWIN - A Mission to Detect, and Search for Life on, Extrasolar Planets
Abstract
The discovery of extra-solar planets is one of the greatest achievements of modern astronomy. The detection of planets with a wide range of masses demonstrates that extra-solar planets of low mass exist. In this paper we describe a mission, called Darwin, whose primary goal is the search for, and characterization of, terrestrial extrasolar planets and the search for life. Accomplishing the mission objectives will require collaborative science across disciplines including astrophysics, planetary sciences, chemistry and microbiology. Darwin is designed to detect and perform spectroscopic analysis of rocky planets similar to the Earth at mid-infrared wavelengths (6 - 20 micron), where an advantageous contrast ratio between star and planet occurs. The baseline mission lasts 5 years and consists of approximately 200 individual target stars. Among these, 25 to 50 planetary systems can be studied spectroscopically, searching for gases such as CO2, H2O, CH4 and O3. Many of the key technologies required for the construction of Darwin have already been demonstrated and the remainder are estimated to be mature in the near future. Darwin is a mission that will ignite intense interest in both the research community and the wider public.
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Cite
@article{arxiv.0805.1873,
title = {DARWIN - A Mission to Detect, and Search for Life on, Extrasolar Planets},
author = {C. S. Cockell and A. Leger and M. Fridlund and T. Herbst and L. Kaltenegger and O. Absil and C. Beichman and W. Benz and M. Blanc and A. Brack and A. Chelli and L. Colangeli and H. Cottin and V. Coude du Foresto and W. Danchi and D. Defrere and J. -W. den Herder and C. Eiroa and J. Greaves and T. Henning and K. Johnston and H. Jones and L. Labadie and H. Lammer and R. Launhardt and P. Lawson and O. P. Lay and J. -M. LeDuigou and R. Liseau and F. Malbet and S. R. Martin and D. Mawet and D. Mourard and C. Moutou and L. Mugnier and F. Paresce and A. Quirrenbach and Y. Rabbia and J. A. Raven and H. J. A. Rottgering and D. Rouan and N. Santos and F. Selsis and E. Serabyn and H. Shibai and M. Tamura and E. Thiebaut and F. Westall and White and J. Glenn},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0805.1873},
year = {2009}
}