SIM Call for Planet-Finding Astrometry Analysis Teams

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Call for SIM Planet-Finding Astrometry Analysis Teams

SIM_Concept2006

Congratulations to the Four Selected Teams!!

"Characterization of Planetary Systems and Detection of Earth-Like Planets With SIM/PlanetQuest"
PI: Stefano Casertano (Space Telescope Science Institute)
Co-Is: Alessandro Sozzetti (Harvard CfA/INAF), Mario G. Lattanzi (INAF/Observatorio Astronomico di Torino), Dimitri Pourbaix (Universite Libre de Bruxelles)

"Modeling Multi-Planet Systems"
PI: Debra Fischer (San Francisco State University)
Co-Is: Rory Barnes (University of Arizona), Joe Barranco (San Francisco State University), Genya Takeda (Northwestern University), Matt Giguere (San Francisco State University), Thomas Ader (San Francisco State University)

"Using Dynamic Filtering for the Analysis of Astrometric and Radial Velocity Data Sets for the Detection of Terrestrial Exoplanets with SIM/PlanetQuest"
PI: N. Jeremy Kasdin (Princeton University)
Co-I: Edwin L. Turner (Princeton University)

"Characterizing Exoplanet Systems with Astrometric and Radial Velocity Measurements"
P.I. Matthew W. Muterspaugh (U.C. Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory)
Co-Is: Geoffrey C. Bower (U.C. Berkeley Astronomy), Andrew Howard (U.C. Berkeley Astronomy), Jason Wright (Cornell)

Proposal Call Information

The Space Interferometry Mission—PlanetQuest (herein SIM/PQ) Project at JPL seeks several teams of scientists (the "external teams") to participate in a near-term project to calculate the ability of SIM/PQ to detect an Earth-mass planet in the habitable zone (HZ) around a nearby star, in the presence of a multiple-planet system as well as instrumental and astrophysical noise. The goal is to perform a double-blind test to understand the ability of the combination of the astrometric SIM/PQ mission, when combined with ground-based radial-velocity (RV) observations, to detect terrestrial-mass exoplanets, and to establish the minimum requirements on this combination. There will be three types of science teams (A, B, and C) involved in reaching the goal of this Call.

Team A: Planetary system model generating teams, designated A1, A2, etc. Will provide current best estimates of model planetary system parameters (mass and orbital elements). Teams will be directly funded by the SIM Project. This Call does not solicit participation in Team A activities.

Team B: Data modeling team. Based at Michelson Science Center and JPL, will take input models from Team A, and generate astrometric and RV simulated data for these targets. This Call does not solicit participation in Team B.

Team C: Data analysis teams, designated C1, C2, etc. Will analyze simulated data sets to estimate planetary system parameters, in a double-blind test. This Call solicits participation in Team C activities.

The first experiments are due to be completed in July 2008, but the prospects of follow-on work on this subject are excellent contingent on available funding and successful completion of the first study phase. Proposals are due to the MSC by 5 PM PST 17 March 2008.

Please see the detailed versions of this call for complete instructions on responding to this opportunity:

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Proposals were due by 5PM PST 17 March 2008 and submitted to the Michelson Science Center in electronic (PDF, PS, or Word) format through the MSC on-line submission portal.

If you have questions not addressed in the call for proposals, please see the FAQ Page.

Here is a sample Statement of Work.

Last Updated:
8 Apr 2008