Presenter: Ravi KOPPARAPU
Abstract:
In this talk, I will discuss the prospects of characterizing atmospheres of potential habitable planets around GKM stars in the near future. Several ground-based observatories are poised to come online in few years, and large space-based mission studies such as LUVOIR, HabEX and Origins Space Telescope (in U.S) are currently being evaluated as next generation large flagship missions. Both the ground and space-based missions cover two orders of magnitude in the observable spectrum from 0.2 micron to 20 micron (UV to Mid-IR), providing an incredible opportunity to characterize the atmospheres of terrestrial planets in the habitable zones for bio-signatures and technosignatures. I will discuss the prospects and limitations of such characterization, and the need for a bolder vision if we ever want to identify inhabited planets.