The planet formation imager

Abstract

The Planet Formation Imager (PFI, www.planetformationimager.org) is a next-generation infrared interferometer array with the primary goal of imaging the active phases of planet formation in nearby star forming regions. PFI will be sensitive to warm dust emission using mid-infrared capabilities made possible by precise fringe tracking in the near-infrared. An L/M band combiner will be especially sensitive to thermal emission from young exoplanets (and their disks) with a high spectral resolution mode to probe the kinematics of CO and H 2 O gas. In this paper, we give an overview of the main science goals of PFI, define a baseline PFI architecture that can achieve those goals, point at remaining technical challenges, and suggest activities today that will help make the Planet Formation Imager facility a reality.

Constraining the Nature of the PDS 70 Protoplanets with VLTI/GRAVITY ∗

“…We note that fainter diffuse emission further out would have escaped detection. Larger infrared interferometer arrays, like the proposed Planet Formation Imager, are needed to spatially resolve the CPDs around these planets (Monnier et al 2018).…”

A linear formation-flying astronomical interferometer in low Earth orbit

“…Although this is arguably the most compelling case for space interferometry, the joint requirements for sensitivity and angular resolution mean that there are a great number of additional key science cases. These include direct detection of forming exoplanets (Monnier et al 2018), imaging cool gas and dust in the far infrared (Leisawitz et al 2007), and measuring black hole masses at cosmological distances (Gravity Collaboration et al 2018)…”

Future of optical-infrared interferometry in Europe

“…After exploiting Gaia, bringing JWST and Euclid in orbit, and having the ELTs on sky, the 2025-2035 decade should focus on making accessible the highest angular resolutions, only attainable with optical-infrared long-baseline interferometry. Currently, these plans have merged into the planet formation imager (PFI 6 ) project [13], but the identified science cases will evolve over the coming years, for instance due to the new results delivered by the above mentioned upcoming facilities. Nevertheless, the science driven PFI initiative needs to progress now to design a 10+ telescope interferometric array to allow for routine and sensitive imaging of complex sceneries like planetforming systems.…”

“…At this early stage of developing post-VLTI facilities, also alternative approaches to high-dynamic range interferometric imaging at highest angular resolution should be studied [14], also [15]. A future facility like PFI [13] will eventually become feasible as an international facility if building on the experience of today's optimized arrays, choosing the best fringe tracking concepts, focusing on simple light weight telescopes and mass production of now standard technology to co-phase apertures (adaptive optics) and arrays (fringe tracking).…”