The Planet Formation Imager
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-4-2018
Publication Title
Experimental Astronomy
Volume
46
Issue
3
First page number:
517
Last page number:
529
Abstract
The Planet Formation Imager (PFI, www.planetformationimager.org) is a next-generation infrared interferometer array with the primary goal of imaging the active phases of planet formation in nearby star forming regions. PFI will be sensitive to warm dust emission using mid-infrared capabilities made possible by precise fringe tracking in the near-infrared. An L/M band combiner will be especially sensitive to thermal emission from young exoplanets (and their disks) with a high spectral resolution mode to probe the kinematics of CO and H2O gas. In this paper, we give an overview of the main science goals of PFI, define a baseline PFI architecture that can achieve those goals, point at remaining technical challenges, and suggest activities today that will help make the Planet Formation Imager facility a reality.
Keywords
Interferometry; Infrared; Planet formation; Exoplanets
Disciplines
Astrophysics and Astronomy
Language
English
Repository Citation
Monnier, J. D.,
Kraus, S.,
Ireland, M. J.,
Baron, F.,
Bayo, A.,
Berger, J.,
Creech-Eakman, M.,
Dong, R.,
Duchêne, G.,
Espaillat, C.,
Haniff, C.,
Hönig, S.,
Isella, A.,
Juhasz, A.,
Labadie, L.,
Lacour, S.,
Leifer, S.,
Merand, A.,
Michael, E.,
Minardi, S.,
Mordasini, C.,
Mozurkewich, D.,
Olofsson, J.,
Paladini, C.,
Petrov, R.,
Pott, J.,
Ridgway, S.,
Rinehart, S.,
Stassun, K.,
Surdej, J.,
ten Brummelaar, T.
(2018).
The Planet Formation Imager.
Experimental Astronomy, 46(3),
517-529.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10686-018-9594-1