NASA's Dr. Giada Arney, "The Story of the Universe with the LUVOIR Telescope"

NOTE: SAS MEMBERS PLEASE JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL MEET AND GREET OPPORTUNTIY WITH DR. ARNEY FROM 6-6:30 PM, Followed by presentation and Q & A to the public from 6:30-7:30 PM PST.

Presentation: Telling the Story of Life in the Universe with the LUVOIR Concept

Abstract: The Large Ultra Violet-Optical-Infrared (LUVOIR) Surveyor is one of four flagship-class mission concepts being considered by the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. LUVOIR is a general-purpose space-based observatory with a large aperture in the 8-15 m range and a total bandpass spanning from the far-UV to the near-infrared. One of LUVOIR’s main science objectives is to directly image temperate Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of sunlike stars, measure their spectra, analyze the chemistry of their atmospheres, and obtain information about their surfaces. Such observations will allow us to evaluate these worlds’ habitability and search for the presence of remotely detectable signs of life known as “biosignatures.” We anticipate LUVOIR could detect dozens of Earth-like exoplanets based on currently known exoplanet occurrence rates. We will discuss the strategies for Exo-Earth detection and characterization, including specific observational requirements for astrobiological assessments of exoplanetary environments. The search for Exo-Earths would also uncover hundreds of other exoplanets,  bringing about a revolution in comparative planetology, and helping place the planets of our our Solar System in a broader context.

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