Exo-zodiacal disk mapper: a space interferometer to detect and map zodiacal disks around nearby stars
Abstract
We propose a concept for a space mission designed to make a survey of potential zodiacal dust disks around nearby stars in the mid-IR. We show that a 10-meter baseline nulling interferometer with two 0.6-meter apertures located in a 1 X 1 AU heliocentric orbit would allow for the survey of about 400 stars in the solar neighborhood and permit a first order determination of the disk inclination and of the dust density and temperature radius dependence. The high dynamic range of the instrument may also be used to study an additional astrophysical phenomena. Beyond its own scientific merit, such a mission would also serve as a technological precursor to a larger interferometer of the type being considered for the detection of earth-like planets.
Additional Information
© 1998 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). We thank Robert Brown, Hervey (Pete) Stockman and Rodger Doxsey of the Space Telescope Science Institute and Harley Thronson of NASA Headquarters for their advice and suggestions.Attached Files
Published - 698.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 88459
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20180801-133516598
- Created
-
2018-08-01Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Series Name
- Proceedings of SPIE
- Series Volume or Issue Number
- 3350