SEMINÁRIO DO DEPARTAMENTO DE ASTRONOMIA
Searching for Evidence of Life Beyond the Solar System with the GMT-Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF)
a talk by Andrew Szentgyorgyi (Harvard - Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory) - In-Person
Abstract:
The discovery of a fair sample of Earth-analogues (Earth 2.0’s), i.e. rocky, Earth-mass exoplanets orbiting a Solar-type star in that host star’s habitable zone, and a subsequent search of evidence of bioactivity on those Earth 2.0’s by the detection of biogenically produced molecules in their exoplanetary atmospheres, are two of the most urgent observational programs in astrophysics and science in general. To identify an Earth 2.0, it is necessary to measure the exoplanet mass by the reflex motion radial velocity amplitude of the host star at the 10 cm/sec level, a precision considerably below that which is currently achievable with existing instruments. The follow-on project to search for the biomarkers in an Earth 2.0’s atmosphere may require an effective planet/host star contrast of 10-10, again well below the currently achievable level. We discuss how the GMT-Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF) spectrograph will enable these observational objectives when it becomes the first light instrument on the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT)
Short-Bio:
Andrew Szentgyorgyi, an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, has focused his research activities on optical high dispersion stellar spectroscopy with a emphasis on precision measurement of stellar radial velocities. These measurements are often used to detect and measure the mass of exoplanets, especially the lightest exoplanets with masses similar to that of the Earth. He has exploited a number of state-of-the-art technologies to improve the precision of these measurements. He is currently the principal investigator of the GMT-Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF), the first light instrument for the Giant Magellan Telescope.
Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/pcw-gmem-jyi
Link da transmissão: https://www.youtube.com/c/AstronomiaIAGUSP/live