Related papers: The Nulling Interferometry Cryogenic Experiment (N…
An important future goal in exoplanetology is to detect and characterize potentially habitable planets. Using nulling interferometry, LIFE will allow us to constrain the radius and effective temperature of (terrestrial) exoplanets, as well…
Aims: Optical interferometry from space for the purpose of detecting and characterising exoplanets is seeing a revival, specifically from missions such as the proposed Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE). A default assumption since…
The Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) initiative aims to develop a space based mid-infrared (MIR) nulling interferometer to measure the thermal emission spectra of temperate terrestrial exoplanets. We investigate how well LIFE…
By aiming to find and characterise dozens of habitable exoplanets through the technique of nulling interferometry, the LIFE space mission will produce transformational science. One of the key parameters for such an interferometric mission…
Understanding exoplanet formation and finding potentially habitable exoplanets is vital to an enhanced understanding of the universe. The use of nulling interferometry to strongly attenuate the central starlight provides the opportunity to…
Temperate terrestrial exoplanets are likely common objects, but their discovery and characterization is very challenging. Concepts for optimized space missions to overcome these challenges are being studied. The LIFE initiative focuses on…
The Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) initiative is developing the science and a technology roadmap for an ambitious space mission featuring a space-based mid-infrared (MIR) nulling interferometer in order to detect the thermal…
One of the primary objectives in modern astronomy is to discover and study planets with characteristics similar to Earth. This pursuit involves analyzing the spectra of exoplanets and searching for biosignatures. Contamination of spectra by…
Studies of mid-infrared space interferometer concepts in the USA and in Europe have converged on a single architecture. We address the question of how the US and European communities could collaborate to advance technology efforts leading…
The detection and atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable, temperate terrestrial exoplanets using a space-based mid-infrared nulling interferometer is a major goal of contemporary astrophysics. A central part of the analysis…
Perfect-crystal neutron interferometry has been a useful tool in measuring nuclear-interactions, probing fundamental physics, and exploring quantum phenomenon. Historically, neutron interferometry experiments have been carried out at room…
The increased brightness temperature of young rocky protoplanets during their magma ocean epoch makes them potentially amenable to atmospheric characterization to distances from the solar system far greater than thermally equilibrated…
Asgard/NOTT (previously Hi-5) is a European Research Council (ERC)-funded project hosted at KU Leuven and a new visitor instrument for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). Its primary goal is to image the snow line region around…
The use of interferometric nulling for the direct characterization of extrasolar planets is an exciting prospect, but one that faces many practical challenges when deployed on telescopes. The largest limitation is the extreme sensitivity of…
Nulling interferometry is a technique providing high angular resolution which is the core of the space missions Darwin and the Terrestrail Planet Finder. The first objective is to reach a deep degree of starlight cancelation in the range 6…
The requirements on space missions designed to study Terrestrial exoplanets are discussed. We then investigate whether the design of such a mission, specifically the Darwin nulling interferometer, can be carried out in a simplified…
Detecting the presence of circumstellar dust around nearby solar-type main sequence stars is an important pre-requisite for the design of future life-finding space missions such as ESA's Darwin or NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF). The…
The future of exoplanet detection lies in the mid-infrared (MIR). The MIR region contains the blackbody peak of both hot and habitable zone exoplanets, making the contrast between starlight and planet light less extreme. It is also the…
The characterisation of exoplanets is critical to understanding planet diversity and formation, their atmospheric composition and the potential for life. This endeavour is greatly enhanced when light from the planet can be spatially…
Ground based low frequency radio interferometers have been developed in the last decade and are providing the scientific community with high quality observations. Conversely, current radioastronomy instruments in space have a poor angular…