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Search for Earth-like Planets

Team Gemini

James Deeney, Akeiah Dillon, Jagun Terry, Karmen Williams

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Reasons to Search for Earth-like

Planets

Jagun Terry

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The Search for Life

There may be 100 billion Earth-likeplanets in the Milky Way.

If any of the Earth-like worlds haveliquid water, they are likely to be home

to some type of life.

Life on these planets would most likelybe primitive life, like bacteria ormulticellular creatures

If aliens have just switched on theirtransmitter to communicate it couldtake hundreds of centuries to receive amessage.

Info Reference:http://planeetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/science/finding_life.cfmPicture Reference:https://reader010.{domain}/reader010/html5/0531/5b0f2e0b

http://planeetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/science/finding_life.cfmhttp://planeetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/science/finding_life.cfm

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Reasons & Benefits to Search for

Earth-like Planets COROT, a French and European

mission along with the Kepler missionwill unveil evidence of Earth-likeplanets

Allow astronomers to detect planets

and count them to gain moreinformation about Earth-like planets

Will be a huge step in understandingthe formation of these planets.

Uncover other solid planets unlike gasplanets of Jupiter and Saturn.

Explain the Earth's history from 3billion years ago

Info Reference: www.nasa.govPicture Reference:http://www.physorg.com/news182107288

.html

http://www.nasa.gov/http://www.nasa.gov/

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Rare Earth & Fermi Paradox

Hypothesis The Rare Earth Hypothesis states the

Earth's is the result of fortuitouscircumstances that cannot easily befound or duplicated.

The Fermi Paradox, is thecontradiction between high estimatesof the probability of the existence ofextraterrestrial civilizations and lack ofevidence.

Info Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Earth_hypothesis &http://scienceblogs.com/highltyallochthonous/2009/03/kepler_and_the_rare_earth_hypo.phpPicture Reference:forgetomori.com/.../ galactic-habitable-zone1.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Earth_hypothesishttp://scienceblogs.com/highltyhttp://scienceblogs.com/highltyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Earth_hypothesis

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Copernican Principle The Ptolemaic system placed the

Earth at the center of the solar system

Polish mathematician/astronomerNicolas Copernicus challenged the

Ptolemaic system.

The Copernican Principle is statementin physics that there should be nospecial observers.

Copernicus demonstrated that the Sunwas at the center of the solar systemand that the Earth orbits around it.

Info Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?Copernicus &http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernican

_principlePicture Reference:ircamera.as.arizona.edu/.../copernicus3.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?Copernicushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernicanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copernicanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?Copernicus

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History of the Search for Earth-

like Planets World's view of the Universe can

be traced to ancient observers inChina, India, Greece, and Egypt.

The Qur'an, Talmud and manyHindu texts imagined a universefull of beings.

Ancient Greece, also speculated

that other solar systems mightexist.

http://dogmatics.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/raphael-plato-aristotle.jpg

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Techniques to Locate Earth-like

Planets

Karmen Williams

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Current Information of Earth-like

PlanetsThere are 403 extrasolar planets thathave been discovered.

Most are gaseous similar to Jupiter

Some "super-Earths" are thought tobe large terrestrial, or rocky, worlds.

Info & Picture Reference:http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=30146

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Detecting Extrasolar PlanetsExtrasolar planets are difficult to

locate for 3 reasons:

Distance from Earth

Appear very faint

Parent stars glare overwhelm

extrasolar planets

Info Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Transit_methodPicture Reference:http://www.sciencedaily.com/gallery/space_time/extrasolar_planets/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Transit_methodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Transit_method

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Successful Methods of Detection

Info Reference:http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=30146PictureReference:thekonablog.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/4673/

COROT

A space mission with the dual aims of finding extrasolar planets aperforming asteroseismology

Launched December 2006.

Kepler Mission

Uses a NASA space telescope to discover Earth-like planets orbiother stars.

Has a mission lifetime of at least 3.5 years

Uses a photometer developed to monitor the brightness of over100,000 stars and launched in March 2009.

Hubble Space Telescope

Was carried into orbit in April 1990.

One of the largest and most versatile

Microvariabilit and Oscillations of STars telesco e

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=30146http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=30146

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Other Methods of DetectionAstrometry

Attempts to detect the motion of a star caused by a planetsgravitational effect.

Measures the motion of a star across the sky.

Transit method

Detects when a planet passes directly between a star and

line of sight

Astronomers detect a dip in brightness and calculate theorbit, size, mass and density of the planetary companions.

Gravitational Microlensing

Involves finding objects that emit no light or are otherwiseundetectable.

This method uses the theory that gravity bends space, partof Einsteins theory of general relativity.

Info Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrasolar_planetPicture Reference:http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/fact_sheets/planetfinding_techniques.pdf

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MISSIONSThe Keck Interferometer

Uses a technique known as interferometry Studies dust clouds around stars where Earthlike planets may be

forming.

NASA's Kepler Mission

Surveyed our region of the Milky Way galaxy to detect andcharacterize hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets.

It will tell us whether planets like Earth are common or rare in ourgalaxy.

SIM PlanetQuest

Will measure the distances and positions of stars with unprecedentedaccuracy.

SIM's precision will allow us to locate planets in the habitable zonesaround nearby stars.

Terrestrial Planet Finder

Will build upon the legacy of all that have gone before it. Has imaging power 100 times greater than the Hubble Space

Telescope Will provide the first photographs of nearby planetary systems.

Info & Picture Reference:http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/overview/overview_index.cfm

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Doppler Method & Results

James Deeney

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Doppler Spectroscopy

Doppler Spectroscopy orRadical velocity measurementallows scientists to measurethe orbital wobble of a star

Determines the minimummass of any orbiting planet.

http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/science/finding_planets.cfm

http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/science/finding_planets.cfmhttp://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/science/finding_planets.cfm

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Orbits of planet and stars

As planets orbit their stars, they actuallyorbit the center of mass in the system.

This produces a gravitational tug on the staand causes it to wobble.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_spectroscopy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_spectroscopyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_spectroscopy

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What is the Doppler method?

Scientists can accurately measure thewobble using spectroscopy.

They measure the light emission as thestar moves toward and away from theEarth, and can determine the velocitiesin both directions.

Information Reference:http://www.howstuffworks.com/planet-hunting2.htm

Picture Reference:http://www.astronomynotes.com/light/s10.htm

http://www.howstuffworks.com/planet-hunting2.htmhttp://www.howstuffworks.com/planet-hunting2.htm

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Problems & Limitations

Doppler relies on line of sight for trueaccuracy.

If planetary orbits are tilted away from theobserver, false readings or no reading may

be detected.

Only minimum mass of a planet can bedetermined.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_spectroscopy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_spectroscopyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_spectroscopy

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Results

The majority of newly discoveredplanets have been by DopplerSpectroscopy.

Primarily Hot Jupiters which havehigh mass and are close to their hostplanet.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exoplanet_Discovery_Methods_Bar.png

Blue indicates planets discovered via DopplerMethod.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exoplanet_Discovery_Methods_Bar.pnghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exoplanet_Discovery_Methods_Bar.png

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Transit Method & Results

Akeiah Dillon

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What is the Transit Method?A method used to discover Exoplanets

Based on the observation of a star's small drop inbrightness, that occurs when the orbit (dashed line) ofone of the star's planets passes ('transits') in front ofthe star.

A transit has to occur once for every orbital revolutionof the planet around the star.

This repeated occurrence of transits is the majordiagnostic tool to determine if an observed transit isreally from a planet - it has to appear once in each of

the planet's 'year.Info Reference:http://www.iac.es/proyecto/tep/transitmet.html

Picture Reference: www.iaa.es/corot/transitE.html

http://www.iac.es/proyecto/tep/transitmet.htmlhttp://www.iaa.es/corot/transitE.htmlhttp://www.iaa.es/corot/transitE.htmlhttp://www.iac.es/proyecto/tep/transitmet.html

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Exoplanets & Transit Occurrence

An Exoplanet is a planet whichorbits a star other than our Sunand therefore belongs to aplanetary system other than thesolar system.

A transit occurs when a planetpasses in front of its star asviewed by an observer

Picture Reference: www.stsci.edu/.../2009/thisweek208.htmlInfo Reference:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/multimedia/images/kepler-transit-graph.htmlhttp://www.exoplanet.org

http://www.stsci.edu/~inr/thisweek1/2009/thisweek208.htmlhttp://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/multimedia/images/kepler-transit-graph.htmlhttp://www.exoplanet.org/http://www.exoplanet.org/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/multimedia/images/kepler-transit-graph.htmlhttp://www.stsci.edu/~inr/thisweek1/2009/thisweek208.html

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Advantage of Transit Method

The size of the planet can be determined from the light curve

This method makes it possible to study the atmosphere of the transiting planet

The secondary eclipse (when the planet is blocked by its star) allows directmeasurement of the planet's radiation

Info Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Transit_method

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets%22%20/l%20%22ransit_methodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets%22%20/l%20%22ransit_methodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets%22%20/l%20%22ransit_methodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets%22%20/l%20%22ransit_method

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Disadvantage of Transit Method

The size of the planet can be determined from the light curve

This method makes it possible to study the atmosphere of thetransiting planet

The secondary eclipse (when the planet is blocked by its star)

allows direct measurement of the planet's radiation

Info Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets#Transit_method

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets%22%20/l%20%22ransit_methodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methods_of_detecting_extrasolar_planets%22%20/l%20%22ransit_method

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Transit Findings & the KeplerMission

During the first 43 days of the missionover 750 exoplanet candidates werefound

This number of potential exoplanets isgreater than planets discovered duringthe last 15 years

The missions first five Exoplanets wereannounced on January 4, 2010 and arenamed Kepler 4b, 5b, 6b, 7b and 8b

The Kepler 5 are much larger than Earthand known as "hot Jupiters" because ofhigh masses and extreme temperatures

Picture Reference:http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04jan_fiveplanets/

Info Referenceshttp://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/15/new-worlds-to-explore-kepler-spacecraft-finds-750-exoplanet-candidates/http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04jan_fiveplanets/

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04jan_fiveplanets/http://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/15/new-worlds-to-explore-kepler-spacecraft-finds-750-exoplanet-candidates/http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04jan_fiveplanets/http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04jan_fiveplanets/http://www.universetoday.com/2010/06/15/new-worlds-to-explore-kepler-spacecraft-finds-750-exoplanet-candidates/http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04jan_fiveplanets/