[en] The Hunt for Observable Signatures of Terrestrial planetary Systems (HOSTS) on the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer will survey nearby stars for faint emission arising from ~300 K dust (exozodiacal dust), and aims to determine the exozodiacal dust luminosity function. HOSTS results will enable planning for future space telescopes aimed at direct spectroscopy of habitable zone terrestrial planets, as well as greater understanding of the evolution of exozodiacal disks and planetary systems. We lay out here the considerations that lead to the final HOSTS target list. Our target selection strategy maximizes the ability of the survey to constrain the exozodi luminosity function by selecting a combination of stars selected for suitability as targets of future missions and as sensitive exozodi probes. With a survey of approximately 50 stars, we show that HOSTS can enable an understanding of the statistical distribution of warm dust around various types of stars and is robust to the effects of varying levels of survey sensitivity induced by weather conditions.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Weinberger, Alycia J. ; Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA
Bryden, Geoff; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
Kennedy, Grant M.; Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK
Roberge, Aki ; Exoplanets & Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Defrere, Denis ; Université de Liège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Hinz, Philip M.; Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Lane, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Millan-Gabet, Rafael; NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Rieke, George; Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Lane, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Bailey, Vanessa P.; Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Lane, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Danchi, William C.; Exoplanets & Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Haniff, Chris; Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
Mennesson, Bertrand ; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
Serabyn, Eugene; Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
Skemer, Andrew J.; Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Lane, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Stapelfeldt, Karl R.; Exoplanets & Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Wyatt, Mark C.; Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK)
