ACCESS: a concept study for the direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanetary systems

John Trauger; Karl Stapelfeldt; Wesley Traub; John Krist; Dwight Moody; Dimitri Mawet; Eugene Serabyn; Curtis Henry; Paul Brugarolas; James Alexander; Robert Gappinger; Olivia Dawson; Virgil Mireles; Peggy Park; Laurent Pueyo; Stuart Shaklan; Olivier Guyon; Jeremy Kasdin; Robert Vanderbei; David Spergel; Ruslan Belikov; Geoffrey Marcy; Robert A. Brown; Jean Schneider; Bruce Woodgate; Robert Egerman; Gary Matthews; Jason Elias; Yves Conturie; Phillip Vallone; Perry Voyer; Ronald Polidan; Charles Lillie; Constance Spittler; David Lee; Reem Hejal; Allen Bronowicki; Nick Saldivar; Mark Ealey; Thomas Price

doi:10.1117/12.858301

6 August 2010 ACCESS: a concept study for the direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanetary systems

John Trauger, Karl Stapelfeldt, Wesley Traub, John Krist, Dwight Moody, Dimitri Mawet, Eugene Serabyn, Curtis Henry, Paul Brugarolas, James Alexander, Robert Gappinger, Olivia Dawson, Virgil Mireles, Peggy Park, Laurent Pueyo, Stuart Shaklan, Olivier Guyon, Jeremy Kasdin, Robert Vanderbei, David Spergel, Ruslan Belikov, Geoffrey Marcy, Robert A. Brown, Jean Schneider, Bruce Woodgate, Robert Egerman, Gary Matthews, Jason Elias, Yves Conturie, Phillip Vallone, Perry Voyer, Ronald Polidan, Charles Lillie, Constance Spittler, David Lee, Reem Hejal, Allen Bronowicki, Nick Saldivar, Mark Ealey, Thomas Price

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7731, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 773128 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.858301
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

ACCESS is one of four medium-class mission concepts selected for study in 2008-9 by NASA's Astrophysics Strategic Mission Concepts Study program. ACCESS evaluates a space observatory designed for extreme high-contrast imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanetary systems. An actively-corrected coronagraph is used to suppress the glare of diffracted and scattered starlight to contrast levels required for exoplanet imaging. The ACCESS study considered the relative merits and readiness of four major coronagraph types, and modeled their performance with a NASA medium-class space telescope. The ACCESS study asks: What is the most capable medium-class coronagraphic mission that is possible with telescope, instrument, and spacecraft technologies available today? Using demonstrated high-TRL technologies, the ACCESS science program surveys the nearest 120+ AFGK stars for exoplanet systems, and surveys the majority of those for exozodiacal dust to the level of 1 zodi at 3 AU. Coronagraph technology developments in the coming year are expected to further enhance the science reach of the ACCESS mission concept.

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John Trauger, Karl Stapelfeldt, Wesley Traub, John Krist, Dwight Moody, Dimitri Mawet, Eugene Serabyn, Curtis Henry, Paul Brugarolas, James Alexander, Robert Gappinger, Olivia Dawson, Virgil Mireles, Peggy Park, Laurent Pueyo, Stuart Shaklan, Olivier Guyon, Jeremy Kasdin, Robert Vanderbei, David Spergel, Ruslan Belikov, Geoffrey Marcy, Robert A. Brown, Jean Schneider, Bruce Woodgate, Robert Egerman, Gary Matthews, Jason Elias, Yves Conturie, Phillip Vallone, Perry Voyer, Ronald Polidan, Charles Lillie, Constance Spittler, David Lee, Reem Hejal, Allen Bronowicki, Nick Saldivar, Mark Ealey, and Thomas Price "ACCESS: a concept study for the direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanetary systems", Proc. SPIE 7731, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 773128 (6 August 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.858301

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