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Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

Detection of exo-Planets via High-Accuracy Radial-velocity spectrographic measurements with Adaptive Optics enHancement (PHARAOH)

PIEF-GA-2011-300162 (call FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF)

Principal investigator
Carlos M. Correia

Coordinator
Nuno C. Santos

The PHARAOH project aims the detection of exo-Planets via High-Accuracy Radial-velocity spectrographic measurements with Adaptive Optics enHancement. The chief objective of this proposal is therefore to assess the impact of adaptive-optics AO) correction on the detectability of Earth-like planets with a high-resolution, high-stability spectrograph on the future European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT).

Since the discovery of planet 51 Peg b by M. Mayor and D. Queloz, huge progress has been made in the detection and characterization of extra-solar planets. The increasing instrumental precision (in particular in the Doppler radial velocity (RV) domain) has raised the detection efficiency and allowed the scientific community to discover in 2004 the first 'Neptune-mass planet'. The goal with the next generation spectrographs is to be able to detect rocky planets on current telescopes and Earth-like planets with the E-ELT. For that end an outstanding RV precision of 1 cm/s is required to detect the wobble of harbouring stars caused by a revolving planet. Embedding AO in actual instruments can further increase their precision in RV and their efficiency.

For this fellowship, 3 work-packages were identified with scientific and management objectives:
1- AO simulations of the E-ELT,
2- impact of AO on spectrographic resolution and
3- implementation of instrumentation-directed activities at the host institute.

All packages will be developed in strong collaboration with the exo-planet and instrumentation communities in particular those with which the host presently partners internationally: the ESPRESSO spectrograph for the Very Large Telescope and ESA's PLATO mission.

Through a pondered choice of training and transfer-of-knowledge actions together with an exciting scientific project, the fellow will increase the prospect of gaining a mature position in state-of-the-art research and thereupon benefit the European Research Area.

Funding institution
European Commission

Start: 1 April 2013
End: 31 January 2015


European Union  Seventh Framework Programme  Marie Curie Actions

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences

Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA) is a new but long anticipated research infrastructure with a national dimension. It embodies a bold but feasible vision for the development of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, taking full advantage and fully realizing the potential created by the national membership of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). IA resulted from the merging the two most prominent research units in the field in Portugal: the Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Porto (CAUP) and the Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics of the University of Lisbon (CAAUL). It currently hosts more than two-thirds of all active researchers working in Space Sciences in Portugal, and is responsible for an even greater fraction of the national productivity in international ISI journals in the area of Space Sciences. This is the scientific area with the highest relative impact factor (1.65 times above the international average) and the field with the highest average number of citations per article for Portugal.

Proceed on CAUP's website|Go to IA website