Optical design for Terrestrial Planet Finder

Charley Noecker; James W. Leitch; Greg A. Kopp; Brian K. McComas

doi:10.1117/12.368226

5 October 1999 Optical design for Terrestrial Planet Finder

Charley Noecker, James W. Leitch, Greg A. Kopp, Brian K. McComas

Proceedings Volume 3779, Current Developments in Optical Design and Optical Engineering VIII; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.368226
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1999, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

We describe the features of the optical system for Terrestrial Planet Finder, a space-based, cryogenic interferometer for direct detection of Earth-type planets around nearby stars. Destructive interference in a stellar interferometer suppresses stellar glare by a factor of several thousand or more, and phase chopping distinguishes planet light from symmetric backgrounds. The mid-IR is favorable for detecting planetary emission relative to that from the star, and this spectral region also offers important molecular signatures indicative of key atmospheric gases.

Citation Download Citation

Charley Noecker, James W. Leitch, Greg A. Kopp, and Brian K. McComas "Optical design for Terrestrial Planet Finder", Proc. SPIE 3779, Current Developments in Optical Design and Optical Engineering VIII, (5 October 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.368226

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