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Exoplanets' magnetic fields can help determine their interior structure, which is otherwise difficult to study. Additionally, the knowledge of exoplanets' magnetic fields can shed light on the stability of their atmospheres. Solar system planets with a magnetic field emit Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR) due to the cyclotron radiation of electrons orbiting the planet's magnetic field lines. In this project, we investigate the probability of detecting AKR emission of Jupiter-like exoplanets. To do so, we collect information on detected Jupiter-like exoplanets from NASA's exoplanet archive data. Assuming they have the same AKR emission as Jupiter, we calculate the detection probability of this emission using the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope.
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The Planet as Exoplanet Analog Spectrograph (PEAS): design and first-light
Exoplanets are abundant in our galaxy and yet characterizing them remains a technical challenge. Solar System planets provide an opportunity to test the practical limitations of exoplanet observations with high signal-to-noise data that we cannot access for exoplanets. However, data on Solar System planets differ from exoplanets in that Solar System planets are spatially resolved while exoplanets are unresolved point-sources. We present a novel instrument designed to observe Solar System planets as though they are exoplanets, the Planet as Exoplanet Analog Spectrograph (PEAS). PEAS consists of a dedicated 0.5-m telescope and off-the-shelf optics, located at Lick Observatory. PEAS uses an integrating sphere to disk-integrate light from the Solar System planets, producing spatially mixed light more similar to the spectra we can obtain from exoplanets. This paper describes the general system design and early results of the PEAS instrument.
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- PAR ID:
- 10292791
- Editor(s):
- Evans, Christopher J.; Bryant, Julia J.; Motohara, Kentaro
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- SPIE Astronomical Telescopes & Instrumentation 2020 Proceedings
- Volume:
- 11447
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 153
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2560706
