astronauts and robots 2015: neil gehrels, nasa
TRANSCRIPT
Wide Field InfraRed Survey TelescopeWFIRST
May 13, 201503/18/15 1
Neil Gehrels (NASA-GSFC)WFIRST Project Scientist
Discovery Science
• WFIRST was highest ranked large space mission in 2010 Decadal Survey• Use of 2.4m telescope enables
- Hubble quality imaging over 100x more sky
- Imaging of exoplanets with 10-9 contrast with a coronagraph
2
Dark Energy Exoplanets
microlensing
coronagraph
Astrophysics
M63
HST WFIRST
1990
LRD: 2020s
1999
2003
LRD: 2018
3
Gravitational Lensing
4
MAC J1206.2-0847
Postman HST
WFIRST
0.79 deg
WFIRST Instruments
Wide-Field Instrument (WFI)• Imaging & spectroscopy over 1000s of sq. deg.
• Monitoring of SN and microlensing fields
• 0.7 – 2.0 micron bandpass
• 0.28 deg2 FoV (100x JWST FoV)
• 18 H4RG detectors (288 Mpixels)
• 6 filter imaging, grism + IFU spectroscopy
Coronagraph (CGI)• Imaging of ice & gas giant exoplanets
• Imaging of debris disks
• 400 – 1000 nm bandpass
• ≤10-9 contrast (after post-processing)
• 100 milliarcsec inner working angle at 400 nm
5
GEO or L2 orbit
Serviceable
Neil O'Neal
WFIRST Observatory
8.2m
7
What's Happening with WFIRST
• Huge progress on WFIRST this year• $106M in FY14 & 15 has enabled major steps forward
• H4RG detector development• Coronagraph development• Design cycles, Project work
• SDT 2014 study completed• ROSES community studies• Pasadena conference held• Special session at AAS• ExoPAG, COPAG, PhysPAG
• Exciting times for WFIRST
coronagraphshaped pupil
mask
H4RG-10 mounted in EDU structure
WFIRST SDT
Co-Chairs• David Spergel, Princeton University• Neil Gehrels, GSFC
Members• Charles Baltay, Yale University• Dave Bennett, University of Notre Dame• James Breckinridge, California Institute of
Technology• Megan Donahue, Michigan State University• Alan Dressler, Carnegie Institution for Science• Scott Gaudi, Ohio State University• Tom Greene, ARC• Olivier Guyon, Steward Observatory• Chris Hirata, Ohio State University• Jason Kalirai, Space Telescope Science Institute• Jeremy Kasdin, Princeton University• Bruce Macintosh, Stanford University• Warren Moos, Johns Hopkins University• Saul Perlmutter, University of California Berkeley• Marc Postman, Space Telescope Science Institute• Bernie Rauscher, GSFC
• Jason Rhodes, JPL• Yun Wang, IPAC/Cal Tech• David Weinberg, Ohio State University
Ex Officio• Dominic Benford, NASA HQ• Mike Hudson, Canadian Space Agency• Woong-Seob Jeong, Korea ASSI• Yannick Mellier, European Space Agency• Wes Traub, NASA JPL• Toru Yamada, Japan JAX
Project Science Team• Dominic Benford, Prog. Sci., NASA HQ• Gary Blackwood, Exoplanet Prog. Man. JPL• Neil Gehrels, Proj. Sci., GSFC• Wes Traub, JPL Proj. Sci., JPL• Jeff Kruk, Inst. Sci., GSFC• Jason Rhoads, JPL Dep Proj Sci, JPL
8
Also, 17 selected WPS science teams
WFIRST SDT
Co-Chairs• David Spergel, Princeton University• Neil Gehrels, GSFC
Members• Charles Baltay, Yale University• Dave Bennett, University of Notre Dame• James Breckinridge, California Institute of
Technology• Megan Donahue, Michigan State University• Alan Dressler, Carnegie Institution for Science• Scott Gaudi, Ohio State University• Tom Greene, ARC• Olivier Guyon, Steward Observatory• Chris Hirata, Ohio State University• Jason Kalirai, Space Telescope Science Institute• Jeremy Kasdin, Princeton University• Bruce Macintosh, Stanford University• Warren Moos, Johns Hopkins University• Saul Perlmutter, University of California Berkeley• Marc Postman, Space Telescope Science Institute• Bernie Rauscher, GSFC
• Jason Rhodes, JPL• Yun Wang, IPAC/Cal Tech• David Weinberg, Ohio State University
Ex Officio• Dominic Benford, NASA HQ• Mike Hudson, Canadian Space Agency• Woong-Seob Jeong, Korea ASSI• Yannick Mellier, European Space Agency• Wes Traub, NASA JPL• Toru Yamada, Japan JAX
Project Science Team• Dominic Benford, Prog. Sci., NASA HQ• Neil Gehrels, Proj. Sci., GSFC• Wes Traub, JPL Proj. Sci., JPL• Jeff Kruk, Inst. Sci., GSFC• Jason Rhoads, JPL Dep Proj Sci, JPL
9
Also, 17 selected WPS science teams
Upcoming NRA /RFIs
10
WFIRST Dark Energy Program
Weak lensing 400M galaxy imagesBAO 20M galaxy spectraSupernovae 3000 SN Ia
Completing the Statistical Census of Exoplanets
11
M. Penny (OSU)
12
M. Penny (OSU)
• ~3000 planet detections.
• 300 with Earth mass and below.
• Hundreds of free-floating planets.
WFIRST perfectly
complements Kepler, TESS, and PLATO.
Completing the Statistical Census of Exoplanets
SWEEPS 2012/4 F814W STACK
Jay Anderson
WFIRST Brings Humanity Closer to Characterizing exo-Earths
COST EFFECTIVE – LOW RISK – NOBEL SCIENCE
#1 Priority of Astro Decadal Survey
Addresses all 3 APSperformance goals
Complements and enhances JWST science
Foundation for discovering Earth-like planets
Brings the Universe to STEM education
Hubble’s clarity over 10% of the sky
Hits 5/6 NASA Strategic Goals
WFIRST Summary