Habitable Planet Detection and Characterization with Far Infrared Coherent Interferometry
The characterization of extrasolar earth-like atmospheres for biosignatures remains one of the most compelling and elusive challenges in astronomy. Coronagraphy, nulling interferometry and free-ying occulters have been advanced as potential techniques to accomplish this gaol. In this paper, a complementary approach, coherent interferometry in the far infrared is considered. For an interferometer operating close to the quantum noise limit, a collecting area of 1000 m 2 and baselines of 200 m are sucient to detect an earth-like planet. The high spectral resolution achievable with coherent detection further enables unambiguous molecular inventory of an atmosphere and retrieval of atmospheric temperature-pressure-composition proles. The far-infrared is rich in molecular features, particularly transitions of the key biosignature molecules H2O and O3. The level of detail that can be obtained on atmospheres is such that the goals of detection and detailed characterization of biosignatures can be accomplished by the same mission. Hitherto, however, the majority of modeling eorts concerning the extrasolar planet atmospheres has been limited to the visible and thermal infrared regimes considered for coronagraphs and nulling interferometry. It is therefore worth seriously investigating the feasibility of such an architecture for a possible mission, and considering biosignatures that might be available in the far-infrared.