EarthFinder: A Precise Radial Velocity Probe Mission Concept For the Detection of Earth-Mass Planets Orbiting Sun-like Stars

• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1803.03960
• Publication Date: 2018-01-01
• Authors: Peter Plavchan; Bryson Cale; Patrick Newman; Bahaa Hamze; Natasha Latouf; William Matzko; C. A. Beichman; David R. Ciardi; Bill Purcell; Paul A. Lightsey; H. M. Cegla; X. Dumusque; V. Bourrier; Courtney D. Dressing; Peter Gao; Gautam Vasisht; Stephanie Leifer; Sharon X. Wang; Jonathan Gagné; Samantha Thompson; Jonathan Crass; Andrew Bechter; Eric Bechter; Cullen H. Blake; Samuel Halverson; Andrew Mayo; Thomas G. Beatty; Jason T. Wright; Alex Wise; Angelle Tanner; Jason D. Eastman; Sam Quinn; Debra A. Fischer; Sarbani Basu; Sophia A. Sánchez...; Andrew W. Howard; Kerry J. Vahala; Ji Wang; Scott A. Diddams; Scott B. Papp; Benjamin JS Pope; Emily T. Martin; Simon Murphy
• Keywords: Radial velocity

EarthFinder is a Probe Mission concept selected for study by NASA input to the 2020 astronomy decadal survey. This currently active and final white paper report due at end of calendar 2018. We are tasked with evaluating scientific rationale obtaining precise radial velocity (PRV) measurements in space, which two-part inquiry: What can be gained from going space? can't done form ground? These two questions flow down these specific tasks our - Identify limit, if any, introduced micro- macro-telluric absorption Earth's atmosphere; Evaluate unique advantages that space-based platform provides emable identification mitigation stellar acitivity multi-planet signal recovery.