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arXiv · 1406.3778

BRITE-Constellation: nanosatellites for precision photometry of bright stars

W. W. Weiss·S. M. Rucinski·A. F. J. Moffat·A. Schwarzenberg-Czerny·O. F. Koudelka·C. C. Grant·R. E. Zee·R. Kuschnig·St. Mochnacki·J. M. Matthews·P. Orleanski·A. Pamyatnykh·A. Pigulski·J. Alves·M. Guedel·G. Handler·G. A. Wade·K. Zwintz·CCD·Photometry Tiger Teams
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Abstract

BRITE-Constellation (where BRITE stands for BRIght Target Explorer) is an international nanosatellite mission to monitor photometrically, in two colours, the brightness and temperature variations of stars generally brighter than mag(V) ~ 4, with precision and time coverage not possible from the ground. The current mission design consists of six nanosats (hence Constellation): two from Austria, two from Canada, and two from Poland. Each 7 kg nanosat carries an optical telescope of aperture 3 cm feeding an uncooled CCD. One instrument in each pair is equipped with a blue filter, the other with a red filter. Each BRITE instrument has a wide field of view (~24 degrees), so up to about 15 bright stars can be observed simultaneously, sampled in 32 pixel x 32 pixel sub-rasters. Photometry of additional fainter targets, with reduced precision but thorough time sampling, will be possible through onboard data processing. The BRITE sample is dominated by the most intrinsically luminous stars: massive stars seen at all evolutionary stages, and evolved medium-class stars at the very end of their nuclear burning phases. The goals of BRITE-Constellation are to (1) measure p- and g-mode pulsations to probe the interiors and ages of stars through asteroseismology; (2) look for varying spots on the stars surfaces carried across the stellar disks by rotation, which are the sources of co-rotating interaction regions in the winds of the most luminous stars, probably arising from magnetic subsurface convection; and (3) search for planetary transits.

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W. W. Weiss, S. M. Rucinski, A. F. J. Moffat, A. Schwarzenberg-Czerny, O. F. Koudelka, C. C. Grant, R. E. Zee, R. Kuschnig, St. Mochnacki, J. M. Matthews, P. Orleanski, A. Pamyatnykh, A. Pigulski, J. Alves, M. Guedel, G. Handler, G. A. Wade, K. Zwintz, CCD, Photometry Tiger Teams. 2014-06-14. BRITE-Constellation: nanosatellites for precision photometry of bright stars. https://doi.org/10.1086/677236

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