The discovery of extrasolar planets, recognized with the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics, was one of humanity’s longest-awaited scientific achievements. The contemplation of other worlds has always been an important part of understanding our place in the universe and is now among the fastest growing domains in astronomy. This award funds construction of the Keck Planet Finder (KPF), a new instrument for the W.M. Keck Observatory that will significantly advance the search for and characterization of extrasolar planets. KPF will be a high-resolution spectrometer that will use optical light gathered by the Keck I telescope to measure the tiny Doppler shifts of a star’s spectrum as orbiting planets tug on the star gravitationally. The instrument has a novel design featuring a glass-ceramic material that makes it insensitive to temperature changes. KPF is an investment in the U.S. development of technology on the path to detecting the signal of an Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby Sun-like star. The KPF team will carry out multi-year science projects, including searches for planets orbiting nearby stars that might be studied in detail by future space-borne and ground-based telescopes, explorations of the diverse population of ‘super-Earth’ and ‘sub-Neptune’ planets, and measurements of the masses of Earth-size planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission. KPF will also be a general-purpose Doppler facility for the U.S. astronomy community. The KPF team will organize a Planet Finder Academy for high school students to provide an immersive experience in exoplanet science. The project will also support a public education program at the California Institute of Technology with events including monthly stargazing and a public lecture series.
The Keck Planet Finder (KPF) team will build and deploy a high-resolution spectrometer for the 10-m Keck I telescope at the W.M. Keck Observatory. KPF will discover and characterize extrasolar planets with precise spectroscopy and Doppler measurements. The KPF spectrometer has a unique design that includes an all-Zerodur optical assembly for extreme thermomechanical stability. Four multi-year science projects will be carried out with KPF that address community priorities. First, KPF will discover and characterize planets orbiting nearby, Sun-like stars. These planets will be Earths/super-Earths suitable for imaging and spectroscopy by NASA's HabEx and LUVOIR mission concepts and ice giants for characterization by NASA's WFIRST mission. Second, KPF will discover Earth-analog planets in the Habitable Zones of nearby cool stars (M dwarfs) that can be characterized by future giant segmented mirror telescopes. Third, KPF will characterize the diversity of super-Earths and sub-Neptune planets. Fourth, KPF will determine if the ubiquitous Earth-size planets in the Habitable Zones of Sun-like stars are rocky like Earth or are enshrouded in thick gas envelopes making them incompatible with life. In addition, KPF is a general-purpose Doppler facility that will enable a broad range of science for the U.S. astronomy community. Forty nights of Keck Observatory time will be awarded to the general astronomical community irrespective of affiliation.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
