[FPSPACE] Observations of Extrasolar Planets Enabled by a Return to the Moon

[LARRY KLAES]

Astrophysics, abstract
astro-ph/0703328

From: Peter R. McCullough [view email]

Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:33:03 GMT   (181kb)

Observations of Extrasolar Planets Enabled by a Return to the Moon

Authors: P. R. McCullough

Comments: To be published in Astrophysics Enabled by the Return to the Moon, 
Ed. M. Livio (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), 2007

Ambitious studies of Earth-like extrasolar planets are outlined in the 
context of an exploration initiative for a return to the Earth's Moon. Two 
mechanism for linearly polarizing light reflected from Earth-like planets 
are discussed: 1) Rayleigh-scattering from a planet's clear atmosphere, and 
2) specular reflection from a planet's ocean. Both have physically simple 
and predictable polarized phase functions. The exoplanetary diurnal 
variation of the polarized light reflected from a ocean but not from a land 
surface has the potential to enable reconstruction of the continental 
boundaries on an Earth-like extrasolar planet. Digressions on the lunar 
exploration initiative also are presented.

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0703328