Danchi, W. C.[Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA]
Defrere, Denis[Université de Liège - ULg > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Groupe d'astrophysique des hautes énergies (GAPHE) >]
den Herder, J.-W.[SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Utrecht, Netherlands]
Eiroa, C.[Departamento Física Teórica C-XI, Facultad de Ciencas, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain]
Greaves, J.[University of St. Andrews-Physics & Astronomy, North Haugh, St. Andrews, UK]
Henning, T.[Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, Germany]
Johnston, K. J.[United States Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA]
Jones, H.[Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK]
Labadie, L.[Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, Germany]
Lammer, H.[Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria]
Launhardt, R.[Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, Germany]
Lawson, P.[Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA]
Lay, O. P.[Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA]
LeDuigou, J.-M.[Centre National d'Études Spatiales, Optical Department, Toulouse, France]
Liseau, R.[Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers University of Technology, Onsala, Sweden]
Malbet, F.[Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, CNRS, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France]
Rabbia, Y. D.[Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Grasse, France]
Raven, J. A.[Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at SCRI, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, UK]
Rottgering, H. J. A.[Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands]
Rouan, D.[LESIA-PHASE-Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France]
Santos, N. C.[Centro de Astrofisica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal]
Selsis, F.[CRAL (CNRS UMR 5574), Université de Lyon, École Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France]
Serabyn, E.[Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA]
Shibai, H.[Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan]
Tamura, M.[National Astronomical Observatory, Tokyo, Japan]
Thiébaut, E.[Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, Centre de Recherche Astronomique de Lyon, Observatoire de Lyon, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France]
Westall, F.[Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS, Orléans, France]
White, G. J.[Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Open University, Milton Keynes, and Space Science and Technology Department, CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, UK]
[en] Darwin ; Extrasolar planets ; Orbital telescopes ; M stars ; Earth-like planets ; Interferometry
[en] The discovery of extrasolar planets is one of the greatest achievements of modern astronomy. The detection of planets that vary widely in mass demonstrates that extrasolar planets of low mass exist. In this paper, we describe a mission, called Darwin, whose primary goal is the search for, and characterization of, terrestrial extrasolar planets and the search for life. Accomplishing the mission objectives will require collaborative science across disciplines, including astrophysics, planetary sciences, chemistry, and microbiology. Darwin is designed to detect rocky planets similar to Earth and perform spectroscopic analysis at mid-infrared wavelengths (6-20 mum), where an advantageous contrast ratio between star and planet occurs. The baseline mission is projected to last 5 years and consists of approximately 200 individual target stars. Among these, 25-50 planetary systems can be studied spectroscopically, which will include the search for gases such as CO[SUB]2[/SUB], H[SUB]2[/SUB]O, CH[SUB]4[/SUB], and O[SUB]3[/SUB]. Many of the key technologies required for the construction of Darwin have already been demonstrated, and the remainder are estimated to be mature in the near future. Darwin is a mission that will ignite intense interest in both the research community and the wider public.
[Université de Liège - ULg > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS) >]
