31 March 2005, 49 pages
Final Report for Phase I Study of New Worlds Imager
This report focuses on the first study performed on New Worlds Observer. It begins with an explanation of the science objectives that the mission would aim to answer. The paper also diagrams and explains the pinhole camera idea and the pinspeck camera idea. The next section explains diffraction control and suppression for both the pinhole and pinspeck options. Section E and F explain deployment and formation flying, respectively. In Section F, the telescope requirements are presented. Simulations of exoplanetary systems using both the pinhole and pinspeck ideas are illustrated. The interference of zodiacal light and deep-field galaxies is also introduced. Spectroscopy and photometry are discussed in terms of the mission’s science objectives. Section III introduces the New Worlds Imager, a mission aimed at directly imaging terrestrial extrasolar planets. The report concludes with a discussion of a preliminary roadmap for the mission, noting science objectives and key technologies.
2005
