Related papers: Interplanetary Laser Tri-lateration Network: simul…
Existing capabilities in laser ranging, optical interferometry and metrology, in combination with precision frequency standards, atom-based quantum sensors, and drag-free technologies, are critical for the space-based tests of fundamental…
Despite numerous search campaigns based on a diverse set of observational techniques, exomoons - prospective satellites of extrasolar planets - remain an elusive and hard-to-pin-down class of objects. Yet, the case for intensifying this…
The present work describes a website designed for remote teaching of optical measurements using lasers. It enables senior undergraduate and postgraduate students to learn theoretical aspects of the subject and also have a means to perform…
This paper explicates the concept of an Intermediate Point (IP), its incorporation as a node along an interplanetary trajectory, and how it permits the determination and optimization of trajectories to interstellar objects (ISOs). IPs can…
Long-baseline interferometry at optical and near-infrared wavelengths is an emerging technology which is quickly becoming a useful tool to investigate stellar atmospheres and to compare observations with models. Stellar atmosphere models…
Fifty years after the Apollo program, space exploration has recently been regaining popularity thanks to missions with high media coverage. Future space exploration and space station missions will require specific networks to interconnect…
The planetary systems detected so far already exhibit a wide diversity of architectures, and various methods are proposed to study quantitatively this diversity. Straightforward ways to quantify the difference between two systems and more…
A long-held astronomical vision is to realize diffraction-limited optical aperture synthesis over kilometer baselines. This will enable imaging of stellar surfaces and their environments, show their evolution over time, and reveal…
In this paper, we review the various ways in which an infrared stellar interferometer can be used to perform direct detection of extrasolar planetary systems. We first review the techniques based on classical stellar interferometry, where…
The Interplanetary Network (IPN) emerges as the backbone for communication between various spacecraft and satellites orbiting distant celestial bodies. This paper introduces the Interplanetary Network Visualizer (IPN-V), a software platform…
More precise lunar and Martian ranging will enable unprecedented tests of Einstein's theory of General Relativity and well as lunar and planetary science. NASA is currently planning several missions to return to the Moon, and it is natural…
Planetary ephemerides are a good tool for studying general relativity at the scale of our solar system. We present here new evaluations of advances of perihelia for Mercury and Saturn.
Intensity mapping has been attracting increasing interest as a way to study galaxy evolution and the large scale structure of the Universe. Instead of detecting individual galaxies, we measure the integrated emission from a volume of the…
Here we explore the possibility of extending to the Solar System scenario the combined residual approach employed for the deterination of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Earth-LAGEOS satellites system. After calculating the secular…
We propose and evaluate the feasibility of a new strategy to search for planets via microlensing. This new strategy is designed to detect planets in "wide" orbits, i.e., with orbital separation, $a$ greater than $\sim 1.5 R_E$. Planets in…
Long range observations in the field of astronomy have opened up our understanding of the Solar System, the Galaxy and the wider Universe. In this paper we discuss the idea of direct in-situ reconnaissance of nearby stellar systems, using…
(abridged) The technique of gravitational microlensing is currently unique in its ability to provide a sample of terrestrial exoplanets around both Galactic disk and bulge stars, allowing to measure their abundance and determine their…
Observations of Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) are an efficient remote-sensing method to study the solar wind and inner heliosphere. From 2016 to 2018, some distinctive observations of IPS sources like 3C 286 and 3C 279 were…
Results from new observations of pulsars using the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) are used for investigating the structure of the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM). The observations show anomalous scintillation effects towards several nearby…
The planetary ephemerides play a crucial role for spacecraft navigation, mission planning, reduction and analysis of the most precise astronomical observations. The construction of such ephemerides is highly constrained by the tracking…