View source for Astronomy:Contribution to ARIEL Spectroscopy of Exoplanets

'''Contribution to ARIEL Spectroscopy of Exoplanets''' ('''CASE''') is a detector subsystem contribution to an [[Physics:Infrared spectroscopy|infrared spectrometer]] instrument for the planned European [[Astronomy:ARIEL|ARIEL]] space telescope. It is being developed by [[Organization:NASA|NASA]] as a contribution to the [[Organization:European Space Agency|European Space Agency]] (ESA) project to add scientific capabilities to the space telescope to observe the chemical composition of the atmospheres of [[Astronomy:Exoplanet|exoplanet]]s,<ref name='Landau_Nov2019'> [https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-instrument-to-probe-planet-clouds-on-european-mission NASA Instrument to Probe Planet Clouds on European Mission]. Elizabeth Landau, ''NASA News''. 8 November 2019.</ref> as well exoplanetary metallicities.<ref name='Landau_Nov2019'/><ref name='Zellem_2019'/> The ARIEL spacecraft with CASE on board is planned to launch in 2029.
==Overview==

ARIEL will be able to study the chemical "fingerprints", or [[Physics:Electromagnetic spectrum|spectra]] of an exoplanet's atmosphere as the light of its host star passes through the [[Astronomy:Extraterrestrial atmosphere|exoplanet's atmosphere]].  The addition of CASE will enable ARIEL to observe clouds and hazes, which help establish planetary climate, and provide a more comprehensive picture of the exoplanet atmospheres ARIEL observes.<ref name='Zellem_2019'/>

The CASE instrument consists of two detectors and associated electronics that are sensitive to light at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths as well as visible light.<ref name='Landau_Nov2019'/>  The detectors and its associated electronics are the same that NASA is contributing to ESA's [[Engineering:Euclid (spacecraft)|Euclid]] mission,<ref name='Landau_Nov2019'/> being a mosaic of 4×4 Teledyne H2RG detectors sensitive to near-infrared light radiation (1.0-2.0 μm) with 65 million pixels.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=46676&fbodylongid=2157 |title=Euclid Spacecraft Payload |publisher=ESA |access-date=29 January 2011}}</ref> CASE will be a subsystem of ARIEL's FGS instrument,<ref name='Zellem_2019'> "Constraining Exoplanet Metallicities and Aerosols with ARIEL: An Independent Study by the Contribution to ARIEL Spectroscopy of Exoplanets (CASE) Team." Robert T. Zellem, Mark R. Swain, Nicolas B. Cowan, etal. ''arXiv''; submitted on 6 Jun 2019. {{doi|10.1088/1538-3873/ab2d54}}.</ref> which is an infrared spectrometer that operates in two channels (0.50-1.2 μm photometry; 1.25-1.95 μm spectroscopy).<ref name='Zellem_2019'/><ref name='ARIEL Payload'>[http://sci.esa.int/ariel/59801-payload/ ARIEL - Payload]. ESA. 20 March 2018.</ref>

CASE is an [[Physics:Astrophysics|astrophysics]] Mission of Opportunity by the [[Astronomy:Explorers Program#Missions of Opportunity (MO)|Explorers Program]].  The Principal Investigator of CASE is Mark Swain, at the [[Organization:Jet Propulsion Laboratory|Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] (JPL).<ref name='Landau_Nov2019'/> The ARIEL spacecraft with CASE on board is planned to launch in 2029.<ref name='Landau_Nov2019'/><ref name="esa-20201112">{{cite web |url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Ariel_moves_from_blueprint_to_reality |title=Ariel moves from blueprint to reality |work=ESA |date=12 November 2020 |access-date=12 November 2020}}</ref>

==See also==

*[[Astronomy:Extraterrestrial atmosphere|Extraterrestrial atmosphere]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Atmospheres}}
{{Exoplanet}}
{{Satellite and spacecraft instruments}}
{{Explorer program}}

[[Category:Exoplanetology]]
[[Category:Space science experiments]]

{{Sourceattribution|Contribution to ARIEL Spectroscopy of Exoplanets}}