Design of a compact Near-Infrared spectrometer payload for a Low Earth-Orbit (LEO) Exo-planet spectroscopy satellite.

在我们的太阳系之外，已经确认的行星超过一千颗。其中大多数都是用两种技术（径向速度和光度凌日）中的一种来探测的。这些检测方法允许恢复系统的一些基本参数，但不允许推断地球的化学成分和基本成分是什么。在系外行星领域，大多数计划中的卫星任务都致力于将这种被探测到的系统的数量增加十倍，同时寻找更小（离母星更远）的行星，以努力确定类地系统有多普遍。然而，系外行星的光谱学仍然是一个数据匮乏的领域，因为缺乏专门的任务，这些任务需要在足够稳定的环境中进行近红外光谱（1-5微米，以寻找大多数分子特征），而不会受到地球大气变化的污染。出于这个原因，两项研究正在进行中（欧空局m级提案和国家小型近地轨道概念），以确定需求并详细设计一个小型仪器，该仪器可以在早期的JWST时代飞行，致力于此类科学案例。该项目将（取决于学生的兴趣和他的能力）需要（但不限于）以下一些活动：定义用于评估设计权衡的仪器参数构建模拟工具以预测特定硬件的行为仪器的光学/热建模有效载荷的精确制导系统设计与AOCS回路，并根据最近提议的任务的结果准备参加相关硬件测试活动。

There are in excess of a thousand confirmed planets to have been detected outside of our solar system. The majority of these have been detected with one of two techniques (radial velocity and photometric transit). These methods of detection allow the recovery of a few basic parameters of the system but do not allow to infer what the chemical composition and basic constituents of the planet are. Most planned satellite missions in the exo-planetary field are committed to increase the number of such detected systems by ten-fold as well as searching for smaller (more distant from the parent-star) planets in an effort to establish how common Earth-like systems are. Spectroscopy of exoplanets remains however a data-starved field due to the lack of dedicated missions which require spectroscopy to be performed in the Near-IR (1-5 microns to hunt for most molecular signatures) in a sufficiently stable environment without contamination from the Earth's atmospheric variability.For this reason two studies are underway (an ESA M-class proposal and a national small Low Earth Orbit concept) to define the requirements and design in detail a small instrument which could be flown in the early JWST era dedicated to such science case.The project would (depending on the interest of the student and his capabilities) entail (and is not restrictive to) a number of the following activities:Definition of instrument parameters for evaluation of design trade-offBuild of simulation tools to predicted the behaviour of specific hardwareOptical/thermal modelling of instrumentDesign of the Fine-Guidance System of the payload with AOCS loopand depending on the outcome of recent proposed missions be prepared to take part in relevant hardware testing activities.