WE PROPOSE TO UPDATE THE SPACE-BASED EXOPLANET SURVEY SIMULATION CODE THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SELECTION OF SUCH A SURVEY AS A PART OF THE WFIRST MISSION. THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS UPGRADE WILL BE TO INCLUDE ALL THE EFFECTS THAT CAN BE USED TO MAKE DIRECT MASS MEASUREMENTS AND DISTANCE ESTIMATES OF THE PLANETARY SYSTEMS FOUND BY THE SURVEY. THESE EFFECTS INCLUDE MICROLENSING PARALLAX ANDDIRECT MEASUREMENT OF THE RELATIVE PROPER MOTION BETWEEN THE SOURCE AND PLANET HOST STAR. THE SIMULATIONS WILL ALSO INCLUDE FULLY REALISTIC SIMULATED IMAGES WITH ALL KNOWN NOISE SOURCES AND SYSTEMATIC ERRORS. THIS WILL ALLOW THE SIMULATION TO BE USED TO HELP DEVELOP THE WFIRST EXOPLANET MICROLENSING SURVEY PHOTOMETRY AND ASTROMETRY PIPELINE.
$-78,754FY2016National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA
University Of Notre Dame Du Lac