Project description
New data-analysis methods help distinguish exoplanets from stellar activity
The radial velocity method is one the most effective methods for locating extrasolar planets, and one of the most direct ways to measure their masses. The key factor limiting the sensitivity of the method is stellar activity, which can induce unwanted signals in the stellar spectra observed. Building on the success of newly developed data analysis methods that can differentiate between stellar activity and exoplanets, the EU-funded GPRV project will study existing data collected by the HARPS and HARPS-N instruments, as well as new data to be generated by the forthcoming Terra Hunting Experiment. The project will significantly enhance our understanding of stellar activity for different types of star, and may reveal planets that were missed by previous analyses. It will pave the way for the next generation of radial velocity surveys to detect Earth-like planets around nearby stars.
Objective
Radial velocity (RV) planet searches are a key exoplanet detection method, and one of the only ways to measure a planet's mass. The best RV instruments today reach precisions well below 1 m/s, something which would have seemed impossible 30 years ago. The key factor limiting the sensitivity of RV surveys now is stellar activity. Regions of enhanced magnetic flux on the stellar surface alter the shape of absorption lines in the stellar spectrum, and perturb the measured RVs. I have developed physically motivated but flexible, data-driven methods to disentangle planets from activity in RV data, which are critical to the success of future surveys. I now propose to apply these state-of-the-art techniques to the very large sample of multi-epoch spectra collected by HARPS and HARPS-N, the leading RV spectrographs of the past decade, and then to the forthcoming Terra Hunting Experiment (THE), which will use a copy of HARPS on a dedicated telescope to search for Earth-analogues around nearby stars.
The combined HARPS(N) archives are a treasure trove of information on activity-induced perturbations to spectra and RVs, which is currently under-exploited. This project have a transformative effect on our understanding of different types of activity effects, their dependence on stellar properties, and their signatures in the spectra and RVs. It will reveal planets that were missed by previous analyses, particularly around active (young) stars. Finally, it sets out a clear route to the efficient mitigation of activity effects that the THE survey requires to achieve its goals. THE will discover some of the best exoplanet characterisation targets for the next 15-20 years, and my ERC-funded team will be central to its success.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2019-COG
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OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
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