Poster
I. M. Leite, A. Cabral, N. C. Santos, A. M. A. C. V. Silva, A. Oliveira, B. Wehbe, D. Castro Alves, J. H. C. Martins, M. Abreu, M. A. Monteiro, P. Moreno, R. Gafeira
Abstract
There are currently important challenges imposed by stellar “noise” often associated with the discovery and characterization of exoplanets similar to Earth. In particular, various physical processes occurring on the stellar photosphere modify stellar spectra, severely challenging the detection and characterization of low-mass planets. A detailed study of the Sun can be used as a spectral proxy to a better understanding of the variable noise sources present in solar-type stars. By obtaining full integrations of the solar disk ("sun-as-a-star observations") in combination with high resolution, spatially resolved observations of smaller areas, the acquired spectra will help in the identification of individual stellar features responsible for the observed spectral deformations. The Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (Portugal) is currently developing an instrument to approach this challenge. In conjunction with the high-resolution spectrograph ESPRESSO (spectral resolutions of R ~140 000 and ~190 000, HR and UHR modes, respectively), the Paranal solar ESPRESSO Telescope (PoET) will have two dedicated telescopes to map the Sun’s surface through disk-resolved and disk-integrated measurements, with respective telescope diameters of 600 and 75 millimeters. PoET has the requirement to perform disk-resolved observations from 1 to 60 arcseconds in conjunction with the full disk. In this work, a summary of the current configuration of the system – PoET’s telescopes and their frontends – will be given, as well as the preliminary assumptions made to build PoET, with consideration for the light requirements of the ESPRESSO spectrograph.
SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation - Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy X
Yokohama, Japan
2024 June
