The PLATO field selection process: I. Identification and content of the long-pointing fields

V. Nascimbeni; G. Piotto; A. Börner; M. Montalto; P. M. Marrese; J. Cabrera; S. Marinoni; C. Aerts; G. Altavilla; S. Benatti; R. Claudi; M. Deleuil; S. Desidera; M. Fabrizio; L. Gizon; M. J. Goupil; V. Granata; A. M. Heras; D. Magrin; L. Malavolta; J. M. Mas-Hesse; S. Ortolani; I. Pagano; D. Pollacco; L. Prisinzano; R. Ragazzoni; G. Ramsay; H. Rauer; S. Udry

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202142256

The PLATO field selection process: I. Identification and content of the long-pointing fields

V. Nascimbeni, G. Piotto, A. Börner, M. Montalto, P. M. Marrese, J. Cabrera, S. Marinoni, C. Aerts, G. Altavilla, S. Benatti, R. Claudi, M. Deleuil, S. Desidera, M. Fabrizio, L. Gizon, M. J. Goupil, V. Granata, A. M. Heras, D. Magrin, L. MalavoltaJ. M. Mas-Hesse, S. Ortolani, I. Pagano, D. Pollacco, L. Prisinzano, R. Ragazzoni, G. Ramsay, H. Rauer, S. Udry

Center for Space Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars is an ESA M-class satellite planned for launch by the end of 2026 and dedicated to the wide-field search of transiting planets around bright and nearby stars, with a strong focus on discovering habitable rocky planets hosted by solar-like stars. The choice of the fields to be pointed at is a crucial task since it has a direct impact on the scientific return of the mission. In this paper, we describe and discuss the formal requirements and the key scientific prioritization criteria that have to be taken into account in the Long-duration Observation Phase (LOP) field selection, and apply a quantitative metric to guide us in this complex optimization process. We identify two provisional LOP fields, one for each hemisphere (LOPS1 and LOPN1), and we discuss their properties and stellar content. While additional fine-tuning shall be applied to LOP selection before the definitive choice, which is set to be made two years before launch, we expect that their position will not move by more than a few degrees with respect to what is proposed in this paper.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	A31
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	658
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202142256
State	Published - Feb 1 2022

Keywords

Astronomical databases: miscellaneous
Catalogs
Planetary systems
Planets and satellites: detection
Stars: fundamental parameters
Techniques: photometric

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1051/0004-6361/202142256

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Nascimbeni, V., Piotto, G., Börner, A., Montalto, M., Marrese, P. M., Cabrera, J., Marinoni, S., Aerts, C., Altavilla, G., Benatti, S., Claudi, R., Deleuil, M., Desidera, S., Fabrizio, M., Gizon, L., Goupil, M. J., Granata, V., Heras, A. M., Magrin, D., ... Udry, S. (2022). The PLATO field selection process: I. Identification and content of the long-pointing fields. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 658, Article A31. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202142256

Nascimbeni, V, Piotto, G, Börner, A, Montalto, M, Marrese, PM, Cabrera, J, Marinoni, S, Aerts, C, Altavilla, G, Benatti, S, Claudi, R, Deleuil, M, Desidera, S, Fabrizio, M, Gizon, L, Goupil, MJ, Granata, V, Heras, AM, Magrin, D, Malavolta, L, Mas-Hesse, JM, Ortolani, S, Pagano, I, Pollacco, D, Prisinzano, L, Ragazzoni, R, Ramsay, G, Rauer, H & Udry, S 2022, 'The PLATO field selection process: I. Identification and content of the long-pointing fields', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 658, A31. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202142256

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title = "The PLATO field selection process: I. Identification and content of the long-pointing fields",

abstract = "PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars is an ESA M-class satellite planned for launch by the end of 2026 and dedicated to the wide-field search of transiting planets around bright and nearby stars, with a strong focus on discovering habitable rocky planets hosted by solar-like stars. The choice of the fields to be pointed at is a crucial task since it has a direct impact on the scientific return of the mission. In this paper, we describe and discuss the formal requirements and the key scientific prioritization criteria that have to be taken into account in the Long-duration Observation Phase (LOP) field selection, and apply a quantitative metric to guide us in this complex optimization process. We identify two provisional LOP fields, one for each hemisphere (LOPS1 and LOPN1), and we discuss their properties and stellar content. While additional fine-tuning shall be applied to LOP selection before the definitive choice, which is set to be made two years before launch, we expect that their position will not move by more than a few degrees with respect to what is proposed in this paper.",

keywords = "Astronomical databases: miscellaneous, Catalogs, Planetary systems, Planets and satellites: detection, Stars: fundamental parameters, Techniques: photometric",

author = "V. Nascimbeni and G. Piotto and A. B{\"o}rner and M. Montalto and Marrese, {P. M.} and J. Cabrera and S. Marinoni and C. Aerts and G. Altavilla and S. Benatti and R. Claudi and M. Deleuil and S. Desidera and M. Fabrizio and L. Gizon and Goupil, {M. J.} and V. Granata and Heras, {A. M.} and D. Magrin and L. Malavolta and Mas-Hesse, {J. M.} and S. Ortolani and I. Pagano and D. Pollacco and L. Prisinzano and R. Ragazzoni and G. Ramsay and H. Rauer and S. Udry",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} ESO 2022.",

year = "2022",

month = feb,

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doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/202142256",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - The PLATO field selection process

T2 - I. Identification and content of the long-pointing fields

AU - Nascimbeni, V.

AU - Piotto, G.

AU - Börner, A.

AU - Montalto, M.

AU - Marrese, P. M.

AU - Cabrera, J.

AU - Marinoni, S.

AU - Aerts, C.

AU - Altavilla, G.

AU - Benatti, S.

AU - Claudi, R.

AU - Deleuil, M.

AU - Desidera, S.

AU - Fabrizio, M.

AU - Gizon, L.

AU - Goupil, M. J.

AU - Granata, V.

AU - Heras, A. M.

AU - Magrin, D.

AU - Malavolta, L.

AU - Mas-Hesse, J. M.

AU - Ortolani, S.

AU - Pagano, I.

AU - Pollacco, D.

AU - Prisinzano, L.

AU - Ragazzoni, R.

AU - Ramsay, G.

AU - Rauer, H.

AU - Udry, S.

PY - 2022/2/1

Y1 - 2022/2/1

N2 - PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars is an ESA M-class satellite planned for launch by the end of 2026 and dedicated to the wide-field search of transiting planets around bright and nearby stars, with a strong focus on discovering habitable rocky planets hosted by solar-like stars. The choice of the fields to be pointed at is a crucial task since it has a direct impact on the scientific return of the mission. In this paper, we describe and discuss the formal requirements and the key scientific prioritization criteria that have to be taken into account in the Long-duration Observation Phase (LOP) field selection, and apply a quantitative metric to guide us in this complex optimization process. We identify two provisional LOP fields, one for each hemisphere (LOPS1 and LOPN1), and we discuss their properties and stellar content. While additional fine-tuning shall be applied to LOP selection before the definitive choice, which is set to be made two years before launch, we expect that their position will not move by more than a few degrees with respect to what is proposed in this paper.

AB - PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars is an ESA M-class satellite planned for launch by the end of 2026 and dedicated to the wide-field search of transiting planets around bright and nearby stars, with a strong focus on discovering habitable rocky planets hosted by solar-like stars. The choice of the fields to be pointed at is a crucial task since it has a direct impact on the scientific return of the mission. In this paper, we describe and discuss the formal requirements and the key scientific prioritization criteria that have to be taken into account in the Long-duration Observation Phase (LOP) field selection, and apply a quantitative metric to guide us in this complex optimization process. We identify two provisional LOP fields, one for each hemisphere (LOPS1 and LOPN1), and we discuss their properties and stellar content. While additional fine-tuning shall be applied to LOP selection before the definitive choice, which is set to be made two years before launch, we expect that their position will not move by more than a few degrees with respect to what is proposed in this paper.

KW - Astronomical databases: miscellaneous

KW - Catalogs

KW - Planetary systems

KW - Planets and satellites: detection

KW - Stars: fundamental parameters

KW - Techniques: photometric

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SN - 0004-6361

VL - 658

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - A31

ER -

The PLATO field selection process: I. Identification and content of the long-pointing fields

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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