Exoplanet status report: Observation, characterization and evolution of exoplanets and their host stars

Abstract

Abstract-After the discovery of more than 400 planets beyond our Solar System, the characterization of exoplanets as well as their host stars can be considered as one of the fastest growing fields in space science during the past decade. The characterization of exoplanets can only be carried out in a well coordinated interdiscipli nary way which connects planetary science, solar/stellar physics and astrophysics. We present a status report on the characterization of exoplanets and their host stars by reviewing the relevant space and ground based projects. One finds that the previous strategy changed from space mission concepts which were designed to search, find and characterize Earth like rocky exoplanets to: A statistical study of planetary objects in order to get information about their abundance, an identification of potential target and finally its analysis. Spectral analysis of exoplanets is mandatory, particularly to identify bio signatures on Earth like planets. Direct charac terization of exoplanets should be done by spectroscopy, both in the visible and in the infrared spectral range. The way leading to the direct detection and characterization of exoplanets is then paved by several questions, either concerning the pre required science or the associated observational strategy.

Hydrogen ENA-cloud observation and modeling as a tool to study star-exoplanet interaction

“…Its follower the JWST does not have the capability to observe exoplanets in the UV. As pointed out by Lammer et al (2010b) off all near future UV projects the Russia-led WSO-UV space telescope is the best suited for the observations of hydrogen-clouds, exospheres and their stellar wind interaction around exoplanets after HST stops its operation in 2013 (Shustov et al 2009). The WSO-UV space observatory consists presently of partners from Russia, Spain, Germany, China, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan and is planned to be launched in 2014.…”

Variability of solar/stellar activity and magnetic field and its influence on planetary atmosphere evolution

“…The WSO-UV is an international space mission devoted to UV spectroscopy and imaging which is included in the Federal Space Program of the Russian Federation with a launch date around 2014-2015 Lammer et al, 2010). The observatory includes a 170 cm aperture telescope capable of highresolution and long slit low-resolution spectroscopy, and deep UV and optical imaging and is designed for observations in the UV-range .…”

Space telescopes planetary monitoring (PM) and Zvezdny (eng. star) patrol (ZP) for planetary science and exoplanets exploration

“…We developed a common-path achromatic interfero-coronagraph CP-AIC to maintain an OPD trend in an AIC method. At next we proposed the tandem TCP-AIC to obtain a 10e10 coronagraphic contrast at 0.8.λ/D IWA by the ratio of planet to star separation to the stellar size at 0.01•λ/D as considering the Earth-Sun pair [3,4].…”