Planet Formation Imager (PFI): science vision and key requirements
Kraus, S; Monnier, JD; Ireland, MJ; et al.Duchene, G; Espaillat, C; Hoenig, S; Juhasz, A; Mordasini, C; Olofsson, J; Paladini, C; Stassun, K; Turner, N; Vasisht, G; Harries, TJ; Bate, MR; Gonzalez, J-F; Matter, A; Zhu, Z; Panic, O; Regaly, Z; Morbidelli, A; Meru, F; Wolf, S; Ilee, J; Berger, J-P; Zhao, M; Kral, Q; Morlok, A; Bonsor, A; Ciardi, D; Kane, SR; Kratter, K; Laughlin, G; Pepper, J; Raymond, S; Labadie, L; Nelson, RP; Weigelt, G; ten Brummelaar, T; Pierens, A; Oudmaijer, R; Kley, W; Pope, B; Jensen, ELN; Bayo, A; Smith, M; Boyajian, T; Quiroga-Nunez, LH; Millan-Gabet, R; Chiavassa, A; Gallenne, A; Reynold, M; de Wit, W-J; Wittkowski, M; Millour, F; Gandhi, P; Ramos Almeida, C; Alonso Herrero, A; Packham, C; Kishimoto, M; Tristram, KRW; Pott, J-U; Surdej, J; Buscher, D; Haniff, C; Lacour, S; Petrov, R; Ridgway, S; Tuthill, P; van Belle, G; Armitage, P; Baruteau, C; Benisty, M; Bitsch, B; Paardekooper, S-J; Pinte, C; Masset, F; Rosotti, GP
Date: 1 August 2016
Journal
ArXiv
Publisher
arXiv.org
Publisher DOI
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Abstract
The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) project aims to provide a strong scientific vision for ground-based optical
astronomy beyond the upcoming generation of Extremely Large Telescopes. We make the case that a breakthrough
in angular resolution imaging capabilities is required in order to unravel the processes involved in planet
formation. ...
The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) project aims to provide a strong scientific vision for ground-based optical
astronomy beyond the upcoming generation of Extremely Large Telescopes. We make the case that a breakthrough
in angular resolution imaging capabilities is required in order to unravel the processes involved in planet
formation. PFI will be optimised to provide a complete census of the protoplanet population at all stellocentric
radii and over the age range from 0.1 to ∼ 100 Myr. Within this age period, planetary systems undergo dramatic
changes and the final architecture of planetary systems is determined. Our goal is to study the planetary
birth on the natural spatial scale where the material is assembled, which is the “Hill Sphere” of the forming
planet, and to characterise the protoplanetary cores by measuring their masses and physical properties. Our
science working group has investigated the observational characteristics of these young protoplanets as well as
the migration mechanisms that might alter the system architecture. We simulated the imprints that the planets
leave in the disk and study how PFI could revolutionise areas ranging from exoplanet to extragalactic science.
In this contribution we outline the key science drivers of PFI and discuss the requirements that will guide the
technology choices, the site selection, and potential science/technology tradeoffs.
Physics and Astronomy
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
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