Exoplanet Roadmap presentation – PPARC AAP – 10 November 2005

1. Exoplanet Roadmap presentation – PPARC AAP –10 November 2005 Glenn White, The Open University and The Rutherford Laboratory, Space Science Department

2. Why bother? Whether or not planets exist outside the Solar System which have the potential to foster the development of life is one of the outstanding questions in modern science The characterisation of other planetary systems, and the search for life on planets outside the solar system, is going to happen within the coming decade Given the immense scientific, cultural and philosophical impact this will have, it is essential for the UK to play a leading role This requires a coherent strategy for long-term support and development of UK Exoplanet science

3. Terms of Reference to the Roadmap • To develop a roadmap for UK Exoplanet science that lies within PPARC’s portfolio of interests, extending from now through to the ESA DARWIN space mission • To facilitate the exchange of information and collaboration between the various UK groups interested in Exoplanet science, astrobiology and planet science • To establish what the scientific priorities of the UK community are in Exoplanet science • To determine whether these scientific priorities can be met cost effectively within PPARC’s portfolio, and to roadmap them into a realistic programme that could be fitted into PPARC’s 10 year forward look • To provide advice on these issues to PPARC through the Astronomy Advisory Panel

4. How did the Exoplanet Forum interpret this? • The Forum took the lead to develop a 10 year strategy to → • enhance UK leadership in Exoplanet science • ensure UK scientists positioned to gain leadership in future space (ESA's DARWIN mission) and ground-based (ELTs) Exoplanet search programmes • The strategy developed here seeks to → • maintain and build short-term support for areas of existing UK strength and expertise • enhance the international credibility of UK Exoplanet research, whist facilitating scientific and technical developments that will serve as a stepping stone to DARWIN, and beyond • encourage the self-assembly of the required interdisciplinary community • Our starting assumption is that a primary goal of Exoplanet research is to detect and study the light directly from an Earth-like planet orbiting in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star

5. From the interstellar medium to stars and planets The Interstellar Medium Exoplanets Formation of stars and planets Near / mid IR Mm wave - ALMA ESA – far-IR ESA DARWIN presentation – SSC – 13 September 2005, Glenn White, Open University, Rutherford Labs, PPARC

6. Finding the Earth’s Our goal is“to find Earth-like planets and to characterise their ability to host life … ” From Darwin definition document, 1997

7. Detection techniques

8. Current and future Exoplanet search status Keith Horne - 2005 Theoretical models (Lin, Papaloizu, Nelson etc) predict a huge population of rocky earth mass and icy worlds just below current detection thresholds – timelines suggest achieving this around 2015

9. The UK Community • A Community Meeting organised by PPARC was held at University College, London to engage the UK Community in discussion of a UK Strategy • Almost 70 people pre-registered for the meeting, with 83 people attended in person, demonstrating the wide interest in the UK Community for involvement in the science and technology challenges for an Exoplanet Science programme • Fourteen speakers from 14 different ‘establishments’ (both academic and commercial) gave summaries of 22 projects describing their work or interest in technology and data analysis related areas • Our survey shows is that the UK community interested in Exoplanet science now exceeds 100 PhD level astronomers • Our view is that this process has added significantly to the self-assembly of a coherent interdisciplinary community We caution that our report has not yet been publicly released to the Community for comment

10. Key programme recommendations • Planet Searches • Provide increased operational support for SuperWASP • Maintain funding for the AAT Planet Search programme • Support development of the Precision Radial Velocity System on Gemini (North) • Negotiate entry to Las Cumbres Observatory global telescope network, or fund an 8 x 1 m telescope network to expand the UK microlens detection capability • Support participation in the ESA-ESO GENIE science programme as a precursor to DARWIN

11. Key programme recommendations • Science Exploitation • Provide support for a Project Coordinator ramping up to full time position by 2009 • Establish an (initially) virtual DARWIN Integrated Science Centre (DISC) with a targeted Visiting Fellowship programme and a series of Science Focus Meetings • Provide targeted PhD studentship support in Exoplanet research, at >5 studentships yr -1 for 10 years • Provide additional support for PDRAs in Exoplanet research at >5 per yr -1 for 10 years • Provide stable and continuous investment in HPC facilities over the next 10 years to support Theory and Modelling • Support the establishment of a UK GAIA Data Centre

12. Key programme recommendations • Technology Development • Develop end-to-end systems modelling to allow optimisation of the science capability of the DARWIN and ELT systems • Fund or support a major UK laboratory facility as a test-bed for ultra-high quality imaging, coronography, and image quality evaluation techniques • Support a series of Technology Focus Meetings

13. Key programme recommendations • Beyond DARWIN … • Plan for full engagement in ESA's Cosmic Visions 2015 - 2025 Far-IR observatory mission (FIRM), and the 2015 – 2018 Japanese SPICA mission • Plan for full engagement in a 100 m class ELT • Provide flexibility of an uncommitted funding line to respond to new opportunities

14. Strategy costs – New money

15. Strategy costs – funded from other PPARC programmes

16. Programme spend by year

17. Recommendations to AAP • To endorse the Exoplanet Forum strategic planning assumptions that we should build from leadership positions to develop our DARWIN and ELT involvement by targeted enhancement of present areas of UK excellence in transit, radial velocity and microlensing studies • To earmark funding for the Exoplanet Forum baseline programme that supports our interdisciplinary communities to work efficiently together • To develop at least one next generation based instrument • To provide infrastructure to stimulate UK industry to develop critical technologies that are in the National Interest, and that maximise juste retour • To recommend rephasing the present Operational Plan’s DARWIN line to bring it forward by three years • To build into the long term planning provision to support ELTs and post 2020 space mission development • To provide the opportunities for UK scientists to hold a leading position in the first detection of the biomarker signature from and earth-like extrasolar planet

18. PPARC Press Release (~ 2017): We report the first evidence for biological activity on another Earth ...... Prepared by the UK Exoplanet Forum: Matt Burleigh (Leicester), Andrew Collier Cameron (St Andrews), Monica Grady (Open University), Keith Horne (St Andrews), Hugh Jones (Hertfordshire), Andy Longmore (ATC), Richard Nelson (QMUL), Glenn White, (Open University / Rutherford Labs)and reviewed by Mark McCaughrean (Exeter) Stephen Smartt (QUB) and Alan Smith (MSSL)