Development of a high-sensitivity ultraviolet detector for observation of upper atmohspheres of terrestrial exoplanets

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19H00727
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 17:Earth and planetary science and related fields
• Research Institution: Rikkyo University
• Principal Investigator: Kameda Shingo 立教大学, 理学部, 教授 (30455464)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 系外惑星 / 紫外線 / 検出器 / 分光 / 高層大気 / 生命生存可能性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Development of an ultraviolet detector for terrestrial exoplanets was carried out with the aim of elucidating planetary atmospheres and climates, focusing on the presence or absence of oceans by upper-atmosphere observations with an ultraviolet space telescope. A plan to provide a high-sensitivity spectrograph UVSPEX from Japan to Russia's 1.7-meter ultraviolet space telescope WSO-UV was approved as a project in JAXA. In addition, a large MCP and high dispersion spectrograph were developed for participation in the 6-meter space telescope project, which is expected to be launched in the 2040s. Although the plan has progressed significantly beyond the initial assumption at the beginning of the research, the situation in February 2022 made it difficult to provide the equipment to WSOUV due to export restrictions as planned.

Free Research Field

惑星科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

広大な宇宙において、地球そして人類は唯一の存在だろうか？地球のように表層に海洋を有し、生命を育む惑星は他に見つかっていない。太陽系外に多数の惑星が見つかっており、その大きさと熱輻射量が地球と同程度の惑星も見つかっている。これらの惑星を調査し、生命保有惑星を発見することは天文・惑星科学分野の究極的な目標である。本研究によって開発を進めた紫外線検出技術はこれらの惑星の大気進化を明らかにし、遠方の系外惑星の姿に迫るものである。