2021/01/20 by Steve B. Howell, Nicholas J. Scott, Howell, Steve B. +13 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2101.08378
Starting in 2008, NASA has provided the exoplanet community an observational\nprogram aimed at obtaining the highest resolution imaging available as part of\nits mission to validate and characterize exoplanets, as well as their stellar\nenvironments, in search of life in the universe. Our current program uses\nspeckle interferometry in the optical (320-1000 nm) with new instruments on the\n3.5-m WIYN and both 8-m Gemini telescopes. Starting with Kepler and K2\nfollow-up, we now support TESS and other space- and ground-based exoplanet\nrelated discovery and characterization projects. The importance of\nhigh-resolution imaging for exoplanet research comes via identification of\nnearby stellar companions that can dilute the transit signal and confound\nderived exoplanet and stellar parameters. Our observations therefore provide\ncrucial information allowing accurate planet and stellar properties to be\ndetermined. Our community program obtains high-resolution imagery, reduces the\ndata, and provides all final data products, without any exclusive use period,\nto the community via the Exoplanet Follow-Up Observation Program (ExoFOP)\nwebsite maintained by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. This paper\ndescribes the need for high-resolution imaging and gives details of the speckle\nimaging program, highlighting some of the major scientific discoveries made\nalong the way.\n