The Microlensing Planet Finder: completing the census of extrasolar planets in the Milky Way

David P. Bennett; Ian Bond; Edward Cheng; Scott Friedman; Peter Garnavich; B. Scott Gaudi; Ronald Gilliland; Andrew Gould; Matthew A. Greenhouse; Kim Griest; Randy A. Kimble; Jonathan I. Lunine; John C. Mather; Dante Minniti; Malcolm Niedner; Bohdan Paczynski; Stanton Peale; Bernard J. Rauscher; R. M. Rich; Kailash Sahu; Domenick Tenerelli; Andrzej Udalski; Neville Woolf; Phil Yock

doi:10.1117/12.551305

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12 October 2004 The Microlensing Planet Finder: completing the census of extrasolar planets in the Milky Way

David P. Bennett, Ian Bond, Edward Cheng, Scott Friedman, Peter Garnavich, B. Scott Gaudi, Ronald Gilliland, Andrew Gould, Matthew A. Greenhouse, Kim Griest, Randy A. Kimble, Jonathan I. Lunine, John C. Mather, Dante Minniti, Malcolm Niedner, Bohdan Paczynski, Stanton Peale, Bernard J. Rauscher, R. M. Rich, Kailash Sahu, Domenick Tenerelli, Andrzej Udalski, Neville Woolf, Phil Yock

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Proceedings Volume 5487, Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Space Telescopes; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.551305
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

The Microlensing Planet Finder (MPF) is a proposed Discovery mission that will complete the first census of extrasolar planets with sensitivity to planets like those in our own solar system. MPF will employ a 1.1m aperture telescope, which images a 1.3 sq. deg. field-of-view in the near-IR, in order to detect extrasolar planets with the gravitational microlensing effect. MPF's sensitivity extends down to planets of 0.1 Earth masses, and MPF can detect Earth-like planets at all separations from 0.7AU to infinity. MPF's extrasolar planet census will provide critical information needed to understand the formation and frequency of extrasolar planetary systems similar to our own.

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David P. Bennett, Ian Bond, Edward Cheng, Scott Friedman, Peter Garnavich, B. Scott Gaudi, Ronald Gilliland, Andrew Gould, Matthew A. Greenhouse, Kim Griest, Randy A. Kimble, Jonathan I. Lunine, John C. Mather, Dante Minniti, Malcolm Niedner, Bohdan Paczynski, Stanton Peale, Bernard J. Rauscher, R. M. Rich, Kailash Sahu, Domenick Tenerelli, Andrzej Udalski, Neville Woolf, and Phil Yock "The Microlensing Planet Finder: completing the census of extrasolar planets in the Milky Way", Proc. SPIE 5487, Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Space Telescopes, (12 October 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.551305

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