High-sensitivity polarimeter for the direct detection and characterization of extra-solar planets

James H. Hough; Philip W. Lucas; Jeremy A. Bailey; Motohide Tamura

doi:10.1117/12.458222

14 February 2003 A high-sensitivity polarimeter for the direct detection and characterization of extra-solar planets

James H. Hough, Philip W. Lucas, Jeremy A. Bailey, Motohide Tamura

Proceedings Volume 4843, Polarimetry in Astronomy; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458222
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

We are constructing a high sensitivity optical polarimeter capable of detecting fractional polarization levels below 10^-6. The science goal is to directly detect extra-solar planets (ESP), in contrast to the indirect methods such as radial velocity measurements. The polarimeter will detect starlight scattered from the atmosphere of the planet as a polarisation signal thereby giving information on the planetary atmospheres. The radius of the planet and the planet temperature can be determined from the measured albedo. The position angle of polarisation will enable the mass of planets, detected through radial velocity measurements, to be determined without the uncertainty of the orbit inclination (Msini). The polarimeter has an essentially simple and classical design but is able to take advantage, inter alia, of modern detector technology.

Citation Download Citation

James H. Hough, Philip W. Lucas, Jeremy A. Bailey, and Motohide Tamura "A high-sensitivity polarimeter for the direct detection and characterization of extra-solar planets", Proc. SPIE 4843, Polarimetry in Astronomy, (14 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458222

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