http://arxiv.org/abs/2204.04866
We discuss the feasibility of direct multipixel imaging of exoplanets with the solar gravitational lens (SGL) in the context of a realistic deep space mission. For this, we consider an optical telescope, placed in the image plane that forms in the strong interference region of the SGL. We consider an Earth-like exoplanet located in our immediate stellar neighborhood and model its characteristics using our own Earth. We estimate photon fluxes from such a compact, extended, resolved exoplanet. This light appears in the form of an Einstein ring around the Sun, seen through the solar corona. The solar corona background contributes a significant amount of stochastic noise and represents the main noise source for observations utilizing the SGL. We estimate the magnitude of this noise. We compute the resulting signal-no-noise ratios and related integration times that are needed to perform imaging measurements under realistic conditions. We conclude that an imaging mission is challenging but feasible, using technologies that are either already available or in active development. Under realistic conditions, megapixel imaging of Earth-like exoplanets in our galactic neighborhood requires only weeks or months of integration time, not years as previously thought.
S. Turyshev and V. Toth
Tue, 12 Apr 22
15/87
Comments: 10 pages, 5 figures
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