Extreme Precision Radial Velocity Working Group Final Report
Abstract
Precise mass measurements of exoplanets discovered by the direct imaging or transit technique are required to determine planet bulk properties and potential habitability. Furthermore, it is generally acknowledged that, for the foreseeable future, the Extreme Precision Radial Velocity (EPRV) measurement technique is the only method potentially capable of detecting and measuring the masses and orbits of habitable-zone Earths orbiting nearby F, G, and K spectral-type stars from the ground. In particular, EPRV measurements with a precision of better than approximately 10 cm/s (with a few cm/s stability over many years) are required. Unfortunately, for nearly a decade, PRV instruments and surveys have been unable to routinely reach RV accuracies of less than roughly 1 m/s. Making EPRV science and technology development a critical component of both NASA and NSF program plans is crucial for reaching the goal of detecting potentially habitable Earthlike planets and supporting potential future exoplanet direct imaging missions such as the Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) or the Large Ultraviolet Optical Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR). In recognition of these facts, the 2018 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Exoplanet Science Strategy (ESS) report recommended the development of EPRV measurements as a critical step toward the detection and characterization of habitable, Earth-analog planets. In response to the NAS-ESS recommendation, NASA and NSF commissioned the EPRV Working Group to recommend a ground-based program architecture and implementation plan to achieve the goal intended by the NAS. This report documents the activities, findings, and recommendations of the EPRV Working Group.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2107.14291,
title = {Extreme Precision Radial Velocity Working Group Final Report},
author = {Jonathan Crass and B. Scott Gaudi and Stephanie Leifer and Charles Beichman and Chad Bender and Gary Blackwood and Jennifer A. Burt and John L. Callas and Heather M. Cegla and Scott A. Diddams and Xavier Dumusque and Jason D. Eastman and Eric B. Ford and Benjamin Fulton and Rose Gibson and Samuel Halverson and Raphaëlle D. Haywood and Fred Hearty and Andrew W. Howard and David W. Latham and Johannes Löhner-Böttcher and Eric E. Mamajek and Annelies Mortier and Patrick Newman and Peter Plavchan and Andreas Quirrenbach and Ansgar Reiners and Paul Robertson and Arpita Roy and Christian Schwab and Andres Seifahrt and Andy Szentgyorgyi and Ryan Terrien and Johanna K. Teske and Samantha Thompson and Gautam Vasisht},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.14291},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
Full report: 103 pages. Executive summary: 7 pages. More information about the NASA-NSF Exoplanet Observational Research (NN-EXPLORE) program, including the NASA-NSF Extreme Precision Radial Velocity Initiative, can be found here: https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exep/NNExplore/