The Microlensing Planet finder: Completing the census of extrasolar Planets in the Milky Way

D. P. Bennett, I. Bond, E. Cheng, S. Friedman, P. Garnavich, B. Gaudi, R. Gilliland, A. Gould, M. Greenhouse, K. Griest, R. Kimble, J. Lunine, J. Mather, D. Minniti, M. Niedner, B. Paczynski, S. Peale, B. Rauscher, M. Rich, K. SahuD. Tenerelli, A. Udalski, N. Woolf, P. Yock

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Microlensing Planet Finder (MPF) is a proposed Discovery mission that will complete the first census of extrasolar planets with sensitivity to planets like those in our own solar system. MPF will employ a 1.1m aperture telescope, which images a 1.3 sq. deg. field-of-view in the near-IR, in order to detect extrasolar planets with the gravitational microlensing effect. MPF's sensitivity extends down to planets of 0.1 Earth masses, and MPF can detect Earth-like planets at all separations from 0.7AU to infinity. MPF's extrasolar planet census will provide critical information needed to understand the formation and frequency of extrasolar planetary systems similar to our own.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1453-1464
Number of pages12
JournalProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume5487
Issue numberPART 3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2004
EventOptical, Infrared, and Millimeter Space Telecopes - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Duration: Jun 21 2004Jun 25 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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