Large Interferometer For Exoplanets
| Mission type | Exoplanet observation |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | {{#property:P247}}Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Website | www |
| Mission duration | 5-6 years |
| Main telescope | |
| Type | 4-telescope array with 6:1 baseline ratio, maximum/minimum allowed separation: 600 m / 10 m |
| Diameter | 4 x 2-3.5 m |
| Wavelengths | 4 – 18 μm (mid-infrared) |
| Resolution | spectral: 35 - 50 |
Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) is a project started in 2017 to develop the science, technology and a roadmap for a space mission to detect and characterize the atmospheres of dozens of warm, terrestrial extrasolar planets. The current plan is for a nulling interferometer operating in the mid-infrared.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The LIFE space observatory concept is different from previous space missions, which covered a similar wavelength regime in the mid-infrared (MIR). This includes recent missions such as James Webb Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and older missions such as ISO, IRAS, and AKARI.
Atmospheric Biosignatures
[edit | edit source]When present in sufficient quantities in the atmosphere, chemicals that are indicators of life are known as atmospheric biomarkers. The LIFE Mission is designed to observe in the mid-infrared light, where many of these molecules show spectral features.
LIFE research papers
[edit | edit source]- Improved exoplanet detection yield estimates for a large mid-infrared space-interferometer mission
- Signal simulation, signal extraction and fundamental exoplanet parameters from single epoch observations
- Spectral resolution, wavelength range and sensitivity requirements based on atmospheric retrieval analyses of an exo-Earth
- Diagnostic potential of a mid-infrared space-interferometer for studying Earth analogs
- Ideal kernel-nulling array architectures for a space-based mid-infrared nulling interferometer
- Practical implementation of a kernel-nulling beam combiner with a discussion on instrumental uncertainties and redundancy benefits
References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Exoplanet science with a space-based mid-infrared nulling interferometer, Sascha P. Quanz, Jens Kammerer, Denis Defrère, Olivier Absil, Adrian M. Glauser, Daniel Kitzmann, 9 Aug 2018
