Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope-Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets WFIRST-AFTA Final Report

D. Spergel; N. Gehrels; J. Breckinridge; M. Donahue; A. Dressler; B. S. Gaudi; T. Greene; O. Guyon; C. Hirata; J. Kalirai; N. J. Kasdin; W. Moos; S. Perlmutter; M. Postman; B. Rauscher; J. Rhodes; Y. Wang; D. Weinberg; J. Centrella; W. Traub; C. Baltay; J. Colbert; D. Bennett; A. Kiessling; B. Macintosh; J. Merten; M. Mortonson; M. Penny; E. Rozo; D. Savransky; K. Stapelfeldt; Y. Zu; C. Baker; E. Cheng; D. Content; J. Dooley; M. Foote; R. Goullioud; K. Grady; C. Jackson; J. Kruk; M. Levine; M. Melton; C. Peddie; J. Ruffa; S. Shaklan

arXiv · 1305.5422

Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope-Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets WFIRST-AFTA Final Report

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Abstract

The Astro2010 Decadal Survey recommended a Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) as its top priority for a new large space mission. As conceived by the decadal survey, WFIRST would carry out a dark energy science program, a microlensing program to determine the demographics of exoplanets, and a general observing program utilizing its ultra wide field. In October 2012, NASA chartered a Science Definition Team (SDT) to produce, in collaboration with the WFIRST Project Office at GSFC and the Program Office at JPL, a Design Reference Mission (DRM) for an implementation of WFIRST using one of the 2.4-m, Hubble-quality mirror assemblies recently made available to NASA. This DRM builds on the work of the earlier WFIRST SDT, reported by Green et al. (2012). The 2.4-m primary mirror enables a mission with greater sensitivity and higher angular resolution than the 1.3-m and 1.1-m designs considered previously, increasing both the science return of the primary surveys and the capabilities of WFIRST as a Guest Observer facility. The option of adding an on-axis, coronagraphic instrument would enable imaging and spectroscopic studies of planets around nearby stars. This document presents the final report of the SDT.

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D. Spergel, N. Gehrels, J. Breckinridge, M. Donahue, A. Dressler, B. S. Gaudi, T. Greene, O. Guyon, C. Hirata, J. Kalirai, N. J. Kasdin, W. Moos, S. Perlmutter, M. Postman, B. Rauscher, J. Rhodes, Y. Wang, D. Weinberg, J. Centrella, W. Traub, C. Baltay, J. Colbert, D. Bennett, A. Kiessling, B. Macintosh, J. Merten, M. Mortonson, M. Penny, E. Rozo, D. Savransky, K. Stapelfeldt, Y. Zu, C. Baker, E. Cheng, D. Content, J. Dooley, M. Foote, R. Goullioud, K. Grady, C. Jackson, J. Kruk, M. Levine, M. Melton, C. Peddie, J. Ruffa, S. Shaklan. 2013-05-23. Wide-Field InfraRed Survey Telescope-Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets WFIRST-AFTA Final Report. https://arxiv.org/abs/1305.5422

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