Spitzer Space Telescope - General Observer Proposal #2324


The SIM/TPF Sample:  First Steps in the Comparative Planetology of
Neighboring Solar Systems

Principal Investigator: Charles Beichman
           Institution: JPL

Co-Investigators: 
Keith Grogan, JPL                                                     
Elizabeth Holmes, JPL                                                 
T. Velusamy, JPL                                                      
Mike Shao, JPL                                                        
KArl Stapelfeldt, JPL                                                 
Jonathan Lunine, UofA                                                 
George Rieke, UofA                                                    
Geoff Marcy, UCBerkeley                                               
Debra Fischer, UC Berkeley                                            
Jane Greaves, ROE                                                     
William Dent, ROE                                                     
Wayne Holland, ROE                                                    
MArk Wyatt, ROE                                                       

Science Category: circumstellar/debris disks 
 Observing Modes: IracMap IrsStare MipsPhot MipsSed 
  Hours Approved: 42.0 

Abstract:
In the coming decade, astronomers will characterize the constituents
of neighboring solar systems, including gas-giant planets, dust and
gas from Kuiper Belt objects, comets and asteroids, and ultimately
terrestrial planets using the Space Interferometer Mission (SIM) and
the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF).  While the Spitzer telescope has
neither the sensitivity nor the angular resolution to detect
individual planets, Spitzer is uniquely positioned to characterize the
evolution, amount, structure and composition of the dust associated
with Kuiper and asteroid belts around stars with and without planets.
We request 49.9 hours of Spitzer/MIPS time to observe 165 stars to
complete a de facto survey of nearby stars looking for debris disks
that has been initiated by a variety of GTO and Legacy programs.  The
goals of the survey include:  1.  Completing a large census to enable
statistical investigations of the debris disk phenomenon in terms of
the age, metallicity, and spectral type of parent stars.  2.
Correlating the amount of debris disk emission with planets that have
been or will be discovered through a variety of techniques (radial
velocity searches, SIM and TPF) to deepen our understanding of the
relationship of the presence of planets to the properties of debris
disks.  3.  Understanding the potential influence of zodiacal emission
on the eventual detectability of planets.  4.  Finding the stars with
excesses suitable for follow-up by telescopes at other wavelengths.
We will conduct an efficient survey at 24 and 70  micron to identify
stars with excesses and will carry out a modest second-look program to
characterize more fully the disks we detect.  Our team includes
experts in determining the physical properties of nearby stars, in
developing SED and dynamic models of disks, and in analyzing MIPS
observations.