MSIP: The Keck Planet Finder

2019年诺贝尔物理学奖表彰了太阳系外行星的发现，这是人类期待已久的科学成就之一。对其他世界的冥想一直是理解我们在宇宙中的位置的重要部分，现在是天文学中增长最快的领域之一。该奖项为凯克行星探测器(KPF)的建设提供资金，这是W.M.凯克天文台的一种新仪器，将显著促进太阳系外行星的搜索和表征。KPF将是一台高分辨率光谱仪，它将利用Keck I望远镜收集的光学光来测量恒星在轨道行星引力作用下的光谱微小的多普勒频移。该仪器具有新颖的设计，采用微晶玻璃材料，使其对温度变化不敏感。KPF是对美国技术开发的一项投资，该技术将用于探测类地行星围绕附近类太阳恒星运行的信号。KPF团队将执行多年的科学项目，包括搜索围绕附近恒星运行的行星，这些行星可能会被未来的天基和地面望远镜详细研究，探索不同数量的超级地球和海王星以下的行星，以及测量NASA开普勒任务发现的地球大小的行星的质量。KPF也将是美国天文学界的通用多普勒仪。KPF团队将为高中生组织一个行星发现者学院，提供系外行星科学的身临其境的体验。该项目还将支持加州理工学院的公共教育项目，活动包括每月观星和一系列公开讲座。Keck行星探索者(KPF)团队将为W.M.Keck天文台的10米Keck I望远镜建造和部署一台高分辨率光谱仪。KPF将通过精确的光谱和多普勒测量来发现和表征太阳系外的行星。KPF光谱仪具有独特的设计，包括一个全零光学组件，以实现极高的热机械稳定性。将与KPF一起执行四个涉及社区优先事项的多年期科学项目。首先，KPF将发现并描述围绕附近类太阳恒星运行的行星。这些行星将是适合由NASA的HabEx和LUVOIR任务概念和冰巨人成像和光谱的地球/超级地球，供NASA的WFIRST任务描述。其次，KPF将在附近凉爽恒星(M矮星)的宜居带发现类似地球的行星，这可以用未来的巨型分段镜式望远镜来表征。第三，KPF将描述超级地球和海王星以下行星的多样性。第四，KPF将确定在类太阳恒星的宜居带中无处不在的地球大小的行星是像地球一样岩石，还是被厚厚的气体包裹着，使它们与生命不相容。此外，KPF是一种通用的多普勒设备，将为美国天文学社区提供广泛的科学支持。40个夜晚的凯克天文台时间将授予普通天文学社区，无论其归属如何。这一奖励反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The discovery of extrasolar planets, recognized with the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics, was one of humanity’s longest-awaited scientific achievements. The contemplation of other worlds has always been an important part of understanding our place in the universe and is now among the fastest growing domains in astronomy. This award funds construction of the Keck Planet Finder (KPF), a new instrument for the W.M. Keck Observatory that will significantly advance the search for and characterization of extrasolar planets. KPF will be a high-resolution spectrometer that will use optical light gathered by the Keck I telescope to measure the tiny Doppler shifts of a star’s spectrum as orbiting planets tug on the star gravitationally. The instrument has a novel design featuring a glass-ceramic material that makes it insensitive to temperature changes. KPF is an investment in the U.S. development of technology on the path to detecting the signal of an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby Sun-like star. The KPF team will carry out multi-year science projects, including searches for planets orbiting nearby stars that might be studied in detail by future space-borne and ground-based telescopes, explorations of the diverse population of ‘super-Earth’ and ‘sub-Neptune’ planets, and measurements of the masses of Earth-size planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission. KPF will also be a general-purpose Doppler facility for the U.S. astronomy community. The KPF team will organize a Planet Finder Academy for high school students to provide an immersive experience in exoplanet science. The project will also support a public education program at the California Institute of Technology with events including monthly stargazing and a public lecture series. The Keck Planet Finder (KPF) team will build and deploy a high-resolution spectrometer for the 10-m Keck I telescope at the W.M. Keck Observatory. KPF will discover and characterize extrasolar planets with precise spectroscopy and Doppler measurements. The KPF spectrometer has a unique design that includes an all-Zerodur optical assembly for extreme thermomechanical stability. Four multi-year science projects will be carried out with KPF that address community priorities. First, KPF will discover and characterize planets orbiting nearby, Sun-like stars. These planets will be Earths/super-Earths suitable for imaging and spectroscopy by NASA's HabEx and LUVOIR mission concepts and ice giants for characterization by NASA's WFIRST mission. Second, KPF will discover Earth-analog planets in the Habitable Zones of nearby cool stars (M dwarfs) that can be characterized by future giant segmented mirror telescopes. Third, KPF will characterize the diversity of super-Earths and sub-Neptune planets. Fourth, KPF will determine if the ubiquitous Earth-size planets in the Habitable Zones of Sun-like stars are rocky like Earth or are enshrouded in thick gas envelopes making them incompatible with life. In addition, KPF is a general-purpose Doppler facility that will enable a broad range of science for the U.S. astronomy community. Forty nights of Keck Observatory time will be awarded to the general astronomical community irrespective of affiliation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.