1. Meeting #3
BDT meeting #3

2. Agenda items News and discussions ESA news EP-RAT news
The Blue Dots conference
Funding issues (H. Lammer)
Methodology, deliverables
Microlensing
Single aperture imaging
Transit (+ astrometry?)
Radial velocities
Planetary atmospheres
Targets
Habitability
BDT meeting #3

3. EP-RAT news
BDT meeting #3

4. Blue Dots conference Date: 14th-18th September, 2008
Location: CosmoCaixa, Barcelona
SOC:
BDT (21 people):
V. Coudé du Foresto, I. Ribas, H. Zinnecker, S. Wolf, F. Selsis, C. Cockell, G. Tinetti, A. Boccaletti, M. Ollivier, J-P. Beaulieu, N. Santos, D. Segransan, A. Sozzeti, E. Szuszkiewicz, H. Lammer, C. Keller,Gerard van Belle, C. Beichman, H. Shibai, M. Khodachenko, G. Zhao, A. Chakraborty
B. Danchi (NASA Ames), W. Traub (JPL), D. Sasselov (CfA, TBC)
LOC: I. Ribas + ?
Support: City of Barcelona + ?
BDT meeting #3

5. Blue Dots conference Rationale:
Does life exist elsewhere than on our Earth? This question is almost as old as humanity, yet only in the last few decades has it been possible to address it scientifically. Since the discovery of a companion to the star 51 Peg in 1995 we now know that planets can orbit other suns. To date, about 250 exoplanetary systems have been found in our galaxy, a number which is growing exponentially as new discoveries are being made almost on a daily basis. None of these worlds however, so far, can sustain life as we know it. One of the most important scientific challenges for the 21st century is therefore the search of habitable worlds around other stars, and the characterization of their atmosphere with the goal of detecting signs of biological activity. Eventually, a space mission will fly that will be able to address those questions. This is a long term, broad interdisciplinary endeavor, which involves astrophysicists, biologists, planetary scientists and instrument specialists.
The Blue Dots conference will bring together prominent international experts in those fields. They will discuss the necessary steps to be undertaken in order to detect life on another planet, and propose a road map towards that goal.
BDT meeting #3

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9. Methodology How to collect information ? How to synthesize it ?
Virtual call for proposal replaced by proactive collection
How to synthesize it ?
BDT meeting #3

10. Observational grid (for instrumentation groups)
Observables:
Contrast, reflex motion etc.
Precision / sensitivity
Budget:
30M€ / 5 years
300M€ / 10 years
700M€ / 15 years
++++M€ / 20 years
BDT meeting #3

11. Planetary characterization grid
Milestone scientific questions
Physical facts:
Mass, radius, composition, temperature etc.
Statiscal depth (sample -> exhaustive)
BDT meeting #3

12. Matrix example (µlensing)
Sweet spot: Low mass stars / low mass planets
Parameter space for detectability
Define quality criterion for each parameter
List nominal mission (or range of missions) for each box G M L XL Mp
> 10Mearth all
> 1Mearth some
> 1Mearth all
> 0.1Mearth some
Mstar
0.1 – 1 Msol a
0,5 – 5 AU
etajup
10 / 580
580
etaearth
320
BDT meeting #3

13. Connecting the grids Milestone questions vs. physical facts
PC WG
Physical facts vs. observable, sensitivity
PC & Inst WGs
Observables vs. budget
Inst WG & Industry
BDT meeting #3

14. Presenting grids On the Web site as they build up At the BD conference
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BDT meeting #3