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Using forward models for representative exoplanet atmospheres and a radiometric instrument model, we have generated synthetic observational data to explore how well the major C- and O-bearing chemical species (CO, CO2, CH4, and H2O),…
Ground-based high-resolution cross-correlation spectroscopy (HRCCS; R >~ 15,000) is a powerful complement to space-based studies of exoplanet atmospheres. By resolving individual spectral lines, HRCCS can precisely measure chemical…
Direct imaging and spectral characterization of exoplanets using extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) is a key science goal of future extremely large telescopes and space observatories. However, quasi-static wavefront errors will limit the…
Surface albedo is an important parameter in radiative-transfer simulations of the Earth's system as it is fundamental for correctly calculating the energy budget of the planet. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)…
The characterization of extrasolar earth-like atmospheres for biosignatures remains one of the most compelling and elusive challenges in astronomy. Coronagraphy, nulling interferometry and free-flying occulters have been advanced as…
The discovery and characterization of habitable worlds was the top scientific recommendation of the Astro2020 decadal survey and is a key objective of the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Biosignature identification drives exceedingly…
High-fidelity spectroscopy presents challenges for both observations and in designing instruments. High-resolution and high-accuracy spectra are required for verifying hydrodynamic stellar atmospheres and for resolving intergalactic…
The World Space Observatory Ultraviolet (WSO/UV) is a multi-national project grown out of the needs of the astronomical community to have future access to the UV range. WSO/UV consists of a single UV telescope with a primary mirror of 1.7m…
High-resolution spectroscopy (HRS) has grown into one of the main techniques to characterise the atmospheres of extrasolar planets. High spectral resolving power allows for the efficient removal of telluric and host-star contamination.…
Pollux is a high-resolution spectrograph and spectropolarimeter working from 100 nm to 1.8 microns proposed for HWO by a European consortium. Pollux will allow us to study stellar and (exo)planetary systems, as well as cosmic ecosystems.…
The data post-processing gain is an important parameter for exposure time calculations used to inform the design of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Assuming azimuthally symmetric noise properties is a common simplifying assumption…
The search for potentially habitable exoplanets is a primary objective in modern astrophysics, yet the vast number of candidates discovered by missions like Kepler and TESS presents a significant challenge for detailed follow-up…
As the only known habitable (and inhabited) planet in the universe, Earth informs our search for life elsewhere. Future telescopes like the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will soon look for life on rocky worlds around Sun-like stars, so…
Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and dead comets comprise the vast majority of the population of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) detected to date. Less is known of their physical properties than of the much larger population of main-belt asteroids.…
Long-term high-cadence measurements of stellar spectral variability are fundamental to better understand stellar atmospheric properties and stellar magnetism. These, in turn, are fundamental for the detectability of exoplanets as well as…
Our Earth, being the only living planet that we know, provides us with clues that photosynthetic life-forms may be dominant on other exoplanets for billions of years. Spectropolarimetric signatures of the terrestrial photosynthetic life…
Discoveries of terrestrial, Earth-sized exoplanets that lie within the habitable zone (HZ) of their host stars continue to occur at increasing rates. Transit spectroscopy can potentially enable the detection of molecular signatures from…
The classical picture of our Solar System being the archetypal outcome of planet formation has been rendered obsolete by the astonishing diversity of extrasolar-system architectures. From rare hot-Jupiters to abundant super-Earths and…
The Astro2020 Decadal Survey declared that the baryon cycle is one of the top-priority science topics for current astrophysics. Space instruments with both high spectral resolution and high throughput in the ultraviolet are required for…
We quantify the effects of refraction in transit transmission spectroscopy on spectral absorption features and on temporal variations that could be used to obtain altitude-dependent spectra for planets orbiting stars of different stellar…