PEGASE: a free flying interferometer for the spectroscopy of giant exo-planets

This paper presents a summary of the phase-0 performed in 2005 for the Pegase mission. The main scientific goal is the spectroscopy of hot Jupiters (Pegasides) and brown dwarfs from 2.5 to 5 μm. The mission can extend to the exploration of the inner part of protoplanetary disks, the study of dust clouds around AGN,. The instrument is basically a two-aperture (D=40 cm) interferometer composed of two siderostats and one beam-combiner. The formation is linear and orbits around L2, pointing in the anti-solar direction within a +/-30° cone. The baseline is adjustable from 50 to 500 m in both nulling and visibility measurement modes. The angular resolution ranges from 1 to 20 mas and the spectral resolution is 60. in the nulling mode, a 2.5 nm rms stability of the optical path difference (OPD) and a pointing stability of 30 mas rms impose a two level control architecture. It combines control loops implemented at satellite level and control loops operating inside the payload using fine mechanisms. According to our preliminary study, this mission is feasible within an 8 to 9 years development plan using existing or slightly improved space components, but its cost requires international cooperation. Pegase could be a valuable Darwin/TPF-I pathfinder, with a less demanding, but still ambitious, technological challenge and a highly associated scientific return. © COPYRIGHT SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

PEGASE: a DARWIN/TPF pathfinder

The space mission PEGASE, proposed to the CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales = French Space Agency) in the framework of its call for scientific proposals : "formation flying missions", is a 2-aperture interferometer, composed by 3 free flying satellites (2 siderostats and 1 beam combiner), allowing baselines from 50 to 500 m in both nulling and visibility modes. With an angular resolution of a few mas and a spectral resolution of several tens in the spectral range 2.5-5 microns, PEGASE has several goals:science : spectroscopy of hot jupiters (Pegasides) and brown dwarves, exploration of the inner part of protoplanetary diskstechnology : validation in real space conditions of formation flying, nulling and visibility interferometry concepts.PEGASE has been studied at a 0-level. In this paper, we summarize the scientific program and associated technological and mission trade-off coming from this 0-level study. We also discuss how PEGASE can be considered as a TPF/DARWIN pathfinder in an international roadmap towards more complex space interferometry missions such as DARWIN/TPF

PEGASE... towards DARWIN

International audienc

PEGASE... towards DARWIN

International audienc

PEGASE: a DARWIN/TPF pathfinder

International audienc

PEGASE... towards DARWIN

International audienc

PEGASE... towards DARWIN

The space mission PEGASE, proposed to CNES in the framework of its call for scientific proposals on "formation flying", is a 2-aperture interferometer, composed by 3 free flying satellites. With an angular resolution of a few mas and a spectral resolution of several tens in the spectral range 2.5-5 mum, PEGASE has several goals: - science: spectroscopy of hot jupiters (Pegasides) and brown dwarves, exploration of the inner part of protoplanetary disks; - technology: validation in real space conditions of formation flying, nulling and visibility interferometry concepts. PEGASE, presently in 0-phase study takes place in the context of DARWIN preparation. We detail in this paper the present situation of this projec

PEGASE: a free flying interferometer for the spectroscopy of giant exo-planets

International audienc

Pegase: a space-based nulling interferometer

The space based mission Pegase was proposed to CNES in the framework of its call for scientific proposals for formation flying missions. This paper presents a summary of the phase-0 performed in 2005. The main scientific goal is the spectroscopy of hot Jupiters (Pegasides) and brown dwarfs from 2.5 to 5 mum. The mission can extend to other objectives such as the exploration of the inner part of protoplanetary disks, the study of dust clouds around AGN,... The instrument is basically a two-aperture (D=40 cm) interferometer composed of three satellites, two siderostats and one beam-combiner. The formation is linear and orbits around L2, pointing in the anti-solar direction within a +/-30° cone. The baseline is adjustable from 50 to 500 m in both nulling and visibility measurement modes. The angular resolution ranges from 1 to 20 mas and the spectral resolution is 60. In the nulling mode, a 2.5 nm rms stability of the optical path difference (OPD) and a pointing stability of 30 mas rms impose a two level control architecture. It combines control loops implemented at satellite level and control loops operating inside the payload using fine mechanisms. According to our preliminary study, this mission is feasible within an 8 to 9 years development plan using existing or slightly improved space components, but its cost requires international cooperation. Pegase could be a valuable Darwin/TPF-I pathfinder, with a less demanding, but still ambitious, technological challenge and a high associated scientific return