Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE)
Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 692, pp. A172
Abstract
Context. The increased brightness temperature of young rocky protoplanets during their magma ocean epoch makes them potentially amenable to atmospheric characterization at distances from the Solar System far greater than thermally equilibrated terrestrial exoplanets, offering observational opportunities for unique insights into the origin of secondary atmospheres and the near surface conditions of prebiotic environments. Aims. The Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) mission will employ a space-based midinfrared nulling interferometer to directly measure the thermal emission of terrestrial exoplanets. In this work, we seek to assess the capabilities of various instrumental design choices of the LIFE mission concept for the detection of cooling protoplanets with transient high-temperature magma ocean atmospheres at the tail end of planetary accretion. In particular, we investigate the minimum integration times necessary to detect transient magma ocean exoplanets in young stellar associations in the Solar neighborhood. Methods. Using the LIFE mission instrument simulator (LIFEsim), we assessed how specific instrumental parameters and design choices, such as wavelength coverage, aperture diameter, and photon throughput, facilitate or disadvantage the detection of protoplan-ets. We focused on the observational sensitivities of distance to the observed planetary system, protoplanet brightness temperature (using a blackbody assumption), and orbital distance of the potential protoplanets around both G- and M-dwarf stars. Results. Our simulations suggest that LIFE will be able to detect (S/N ≥ 7) hot protoplanets in young stellar associations up to distances of 100 pc from the Solar System for reasonable integration times (up to a few hours). Detection of an Earth-sized protoplanet orbiting a Solar-sized host star at 1 AU requires less than 30 minutes of integration time. M-dwarfs generally need shorter integration times. The contribution from wavelength regions smaller than 6 µm is important for decreasing the detection threshold and discriminating emission temperatures. Conclusions. The LIFE mission is capable of detecting cooling terrestrial protoplanets within minutes to hours in several local young stellar associations hosting potential targets. The anticipated compositional range of magma ocean atmospheres motivates further architectural design studies to characterize the crucial transition from primary to secondary atmospheres.
Authors 62
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Affiliation as printed
Kapteyn Astronomical Institute , University of Groningen , PO Box 800 , 9700 AV Groningen , The Netherlands
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Kapteyn Astronomical Institute , University of Groningen , PO Box 800 , 9700 AV Groningen , The Netherlands
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
NPP Fellow , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD , USA
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Cité · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA , Observatoire de Paris , Université PSL , CNRS , Sorbonne Université , Université Paris Cité , 5 place Jules Janssen , 92195 Meudon , France
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200D , 3001 Leuven , Belgium
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory , The University of Arizona , 933 N Cherry Ave , Tucson , AZ 85721 , USA
Large Binocular Telescope Observatory , The University of Arizona , 933 N Cherry Ave , Tucson , AZ 85721 , USA
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
National Center of Competence in Research "PlanetS" , Switzerland
Weltraumforschung und Planetologie , Physikalisches Institut , University of Bern , Gesellschaftsstrasse 6 , 3012 Bern , Switzerland
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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ETH Zurich · Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics , ETH Zurich , Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27 , 8093 Zurich , Switzerland
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ETH Zurich · Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics , ETH Zurich , Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27 , 8093 Zurich , Switzerland
National Center of Competence in Research PlanetS , Switzerland
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astrophysics , University of Zurich , Winterthurerstr. 190 , 8057 Zurich , Switzerland
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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ETH Zurich · Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics , ETH Zurich , Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27 , 8093 Zurich , Switzerland
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Australian National University
Affiliation as printed
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics , Australian National University , Canberra 2611 , Australia
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory , Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2 , 85748 Garching , Germany
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy , KU Leuven , Celestijnenlaan 200D , 3001 Leuven , Belgium
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Centro de Astrobiología
Affiliation as printed
Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) , CSIC-INTA , ESAC campus , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid) , Spain
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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ETH Zurich · Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics , ETH Zurich , Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27 , 8093 Zurich , Switzerland
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy , The University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI , USA
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Affiliation as printed
Freie Universität Berlin , Institute of Geological Sciences , Berlin , Germany
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Landessternwarte , Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg , Königstuhl 12 , 69117 Heidelberg , Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Dept of Physics and Astronomy , York University , 4700 Keele St , Toronto M3J 1P3 , Canada
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Floris F. S. van der Tak Aachen
University of Groningen · Space Research Organisation Netherlands
Affiliation as printed
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research ; Kapteyn Astronom- ical Institute , University of Groningen , Groningen , Netherlands
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering , Aalto University , Espoo , Finland
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Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Centro de Astrobiología
Affiliation as printed
Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) , CSIC-INTA , ESAC campus , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid) , Spain
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physical Sciences , Indian Institute of Science Edu- cation and Research Kolkata , Mohanpur 741246 , West Bengal , India
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Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Centro de Astrobiología
Affiliation as printed
Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) , CSIC-INTA , ESAC campus , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid) , Spain
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
UK Centre for Astrobiology , School of Physics and Astronomy , University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , CB3 0HA , UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , MI 48109 , USA
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Space research & Planetary Sciences (WP) , Universität Bern , Gesellschaftsstrasse 6 , 3012 Bern , Switzerland
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astrophysics , University of Vienna , Türkenschanzstr. 17 , 1180 Vienna , Austria
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Universidad de Antofagasta , Antofagasta , Chile
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics & Astronomy , University of Exeter , Exeter , UK
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Astrobiology Center · The University of Tokyo
Affiliation as printed
The University of Tokyo , Astrobiology Center , Tokyo , Japan
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Stockholm University · AlbaNova
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy , Stockholm University , AlbaNova Univer- sity Center , 10691 Stockholm , Sweden
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Globe Institute , University of Copenhagen , Denmark
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Centre for Astrophysics Research , University of Hertfordshire , Hatfield , Hertfordshire AL10 9AB , UK
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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University of California, Riverside
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences , University of Califor- nia , Riverside , CA 92521 , USA
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Space Research Organisation Netherlands
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SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Leiden , The Netherlands
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astrophysics , University of Vienna , Türkenschanzstr. 17 , 1180 Vienna , Austria
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Affiliation as printed
Lund Observatory , Division of Astrophysics , Department of Physics , Lund University , Box 118 , 22100 Lund , Sweden
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Affiliation as printed
University of Belgrade , Faculty of Mathematics , Department of astronomy , Studentski trg 16 , Belgrade 11000 , Serbia
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Affiliation as printed
Astrophysics Group , Department of Physics & Astronomy , Univer- sity of Exeter , Stocker Road , Exeter EX4 4QL , UK
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Fakultät für Physik , Universität Duisburg-Essen , Lotharstraße 1 , 47057 Duisburg , Germany
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Australian National University
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Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre , Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics , Australian National University , Canberra , ACT 2611 , Australia
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Nagoya University , Nagoya , Japan
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Leiden Observatory · Space Research Organisation Netherlands
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SRON/Leiden Observatory , Leiden , The Netherlands
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Space Research Organisation Netherlands
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SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Leiden , The Netherlands
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
University of Central Florida , USA
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR) · Freie Universität Berlin
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Institut fuer Planetenforschung , DLR, and FU Berlin , Germany
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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University of Lethbridge · Rutherford Appleton Laboratory · Science and Technology Facilities Council
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Department of Physics & Astronomy , University of Lethbridge , 4401 University Drive , Lethbridge AB , T1K 3M4 , Canada
Disruptive Space Technology Centre , RAL Space , STFC-Rutherford Appleton Laboratory , Didcot , UK
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Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center · Polish Academy of Sciences
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Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center , Polish Academy of Sciences , ul. Bartycka 18 , 00-716 Warsaw , Poland
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Steward Observatory and
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University of California, Riverside
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences , University of Califor- nia , Riverside , CA 92521 , USA
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Harvard University · Vanderbilt University · Université Paris Cité · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique · Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF -Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova , Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, 35122, Padova, Italy 56 Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA 57 School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachussets, United States of America
LESIA , Observatoire de Paris , Université PSL , CNRS , Sorbonne Université , Université Paris Cité , 5 place Jules Janssen , 92195 Meudon , France
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy , The University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ 85721 , USA
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Astrobiology Center · The University of Tokyo
Affiliation as printed
The University of Tokyo , Astrobiology Center , Tokyo , Japan
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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University of Bern · Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas · Centro de Astrobiología · Center for Space and Habitability
Affiliation as printed
Center for Space and Habitability , University of Bern , Gesellschaftsstrasse 6 , 3012 Bern , Switzerland
Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) , CSIC-INTA , ESAC campus , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada (Madrid) , Spain
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy , The University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ 85721 , USA
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