The EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope (EXCITE)

Thumbnail Image

Files

121840V.pdf (3.3 MB)

Links to Files

https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/12184/121840V/The-EXoplanet-Climate-Infrared-TElescope-EXCITE/10.1117/12.2629373.full

Permanent Link

https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629373
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/26124

Collections

UMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST) / Center for Research and Exploration in Space Sciences & Technology II (CRSST II)
UMBC Faculty Collection

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9238-4918

Date

2022-08-29

Type of Work

conference papers and proceedings
Text

Department

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Peter C. Nagler, Lee Bernard, Andrea Bocchieri, Nat Butler, Quentin Changeat, Azzurra D'Alessandro, Billy Edwards, John Gamaunt, Qian Gong, John Hartley, Kyle Helson, Logan Jensen, Daniel P. Kelly, Kanchita Klangboonkrong, Annalies Kleyheeg, Nikole K. Lewis, Steven Li, Michael Line, Stephen F. Maher, Ryan McClelland, Laddawan R. Miko, Lorenzo V. Mugnai, C. Barth Netterfield, Vivien Parmentier, Enzo Pascale, Jennifer Patience, Tim Rehm, Javier Romualdez, Subhajit Sarkar, Paul A. Scowen, Gregory S. Tucker, Augustyn Waczynski, Ingo Waldmann, "The EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope (EXCITE)," Proc. SPIE 12184, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy IX, 121840V (29 August 2022); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2629373

Rights

This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
Public Domain Mark 1.0

Subjects

Abstract

The EXoplanet Climate Infrared TElescope (EXCITE) is a 0.5 meter near-infrared spectrograph that will fly from a high altitude balloon platform. EXCITE is designed to perform phase-resolved spectroscopy – continuous spectroscopic observations of a planet’s entire orbit about its host star – of transiting hot Jupiter-type exoplanets. With spectral coverage from 0.8 – 4 um, EXCITE will measure the peak of a target’s spectral energy distribution and the spectral signatures of many hydrogen and carbon-containing molecules. Phase curve observations are highly resource intensive, especially for shared-use facilities, and they require exceptional photometric stability that is difficult to achieve, even from space. In this work, we introduce the EXCITE experiment and explain how it will solve both these problems. We discuss its sensitivity and stability, then provide an update on its current status as we work toward a 2024 long duration science flight.