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Detecting Biomarkers in ExoPlanetary Atmospheres with Terrestrial Planet Finder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2010

S. R. Heap*
Affiliation:
Code 667, NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
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Abstract

Current design concepts for an optical terrestrial planet-finding mission (TPF) are limited to the spectral range, 0.4–1.05 µm. However, there are good reasons to extend the spectral range of observation to shorter wavelengths such as higher angular resolution. But the most important reason is that the sensitivity to the presence of life on habitable exoplanets is increased over a hundred-fold by access to the ozone biomarker in the mid-ultraviolet.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© EAS, EDP Sciences, 2010

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References

Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millennium, available at http://www.nap.edu
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