Aqueous environments of terrestrial exoplanets

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KK0097
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Space and upper atmospheric physics
• Research Institution: Rikkyo University
• Principal Investigator: Kameda Shingo 立教大学, 理学部, 教授 (30455464)
• Project Period (FY): 2018 – 2022
• Keywords: 系外惑星 / 小惑星 / はやぶさ2 / 紫外線 / 高層大気

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Is the Earth the only planet with life? Tha JAXA and NASA asteroid probes Hayabusa-2 and OSIRIS-REx arrived at their respective target asteroids in 2018-2019 to investigate primitive materials such as water and organic matter brought to the early Earth, in the planetary science field. Meanwhile, in the field of astronomy, the number of exoplanets detected is increasing, and several planets with potentially Earth-like environments have been discovered. In this study, we developed the research on exoplanet environments by observing hydrogen and oxygen atoms, integrated the research that has been conducted independently in the planetary science and astronomy fields, and aimed to approach the water environment of exoplanet Earth-like planets through international joint research.

Free Research Field

惑星科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

2018年6月に、はやぶさ2は小惑星に到着し、2019年2月には最初の着陸・資料採取を成功させた。この際に、本体のカメラに加えて、小型着陸機MASCOTを用いて小惑星表面の調査を行い、小惑星の形成過程を推定することができた。これは初期地球への物質供給にとって重要な情報となる。また、太陽系外地球型惑星の観測に向けた紫外線観測装置の開発を進め、ロシアの紫外線宇宙望遠鏡WSO-UV搭載に向けた準備・調整により、国際協定を結ぶ準備を完了した。2022年2月以降、輸出規制のために装置の開発は止めているが、系外地球型惑星の上層大気を初めて検出する準備が完了した。