Telescopes

Tender description

There are 2 principal reasons for purchasing this telescope and using it as part of the ERC Starter Grant called BEBOP. Both types of observation will be carried out. The grant includes funds to access telescopes in order to collect transits of circumbinary plantes. While we gained extensive access to spectroscopic data, we still lack photometric access, which Ganymede will provide. Our first target is identified. The telescope’s depreciation cost is comparable to provisions budgeted for the grant. There are 2 principal reasons for purchasing this telescope and using it as part of the ERC Starter Grant called BEBOP. Both types of observation will be carried out. The grant includes funds to access telescopes in order to collect transits of circumbinary plantes. While we gained extensive access to spectroscopic data, we still lack photometric access, which Ganymede will provide. Our first target is identified. The telescope’s depreciation cost is comparable to provisions budgeted for the grant. One theme of the ERC grant is to investigate double-line binaries, pairs of stars orbiting one another, where each component can be resolved via spectroscopic means. A natural extension is to study extreme brightness ratio binaries. Both are stated goals of BEBOP. From these a new case was generated since the grant was initiated. This scientific case has been accepted by ERC officer Daniel Canja, who is BEBOP’s person of contact in Brussels, and listed as a reason for accessing Ganymede. The idea is as follow: As far as data is concerned, there is no difference between a double-line binary star, and a star accompanied by a planet, so long as the brightness ratio between that star and that putative planet is large enough. This situation can occur in the infrared for temperate planets orbiting very low mass stars. Ganymede will grant us access to transiting stellar systems with known temperate rocky planets. After identification, we aim to follow them spectroscopically. Using new methods developed in the course of the BEBOP ERC, we will then attempt to recover the planets’ spectra. These spectra contain information about the mass of the star, the period of the planet, and atmospheric information, for instance the planets’ albedo, temperature, vertical temperature structure, the presence of molecules, and even the chance to distinguish between various isotopes. Currently it is hard to identify rocky temperate planets. The spectroscopic methods developed during the ERC project BEBOP, and employed on planets discovered by the Ganymede Telescope, as part of the SPECULOOS search for planets will allow us to develop and test new detection methods employing spectroscopy only. Armed with these new methods Birmingham will be able to seek planets orbiting nearer, brighter stars for temperate planets that are not in transiting configuration. Despite that we will be able to discover them, and measure their atmospheric composition. The SPECULOOS consortium designed 4 telescopes including Ganymede to detect small Earth-like planets. The telescope is robotic, with a 1 m diameter mirror and equipped with a state-of-the art camera with a demonstrated ability to discover small planets. This telescope is already built, fully commissioned, and for sale by the constructor at a competitive price (protected by an NDA). With this purchase, we save vast amount of time normally dedicated for design, construction and commissioning. We also access software already developed for the project and join a world-leading collaboration.