Planetary Science Goals for the Spitzer Warm Era

TL;DR

This paper discusses how to utilize Spitzer Space Telescope's infrared imaging to study Solar System formation and evolution, emphasizing large survey projects during the warm era post-cold operations.

Contribution

It proposes specific large-scale survey projects using Spitzer's warm mission to enhance understanding of planetary system formation and evolution.

Findings

Identification of key survey projects for the warm era

Potential to discover new Solar System objects

Advancement in understanding planetary formation processes

Abstract

The overarching goal of planetary astronomy is to deduce how the present collection of objects found in our Solar System were formed from the original material present in the proto-solar nebula. As over two hundred exo-planetary systems are now known, and multitudes more are expected, the Solar System represents the closest and best system which we can study, and the only one in which we can clearly resolve individual bodies other than planets. In this White Paper we demonstrate how to use Spitzer Space Telescope InfraRed Array Camera Channels 1 and 2 (3.6 and 4.5 um) imaging photometry with large dedicated surveys to advance our knowledge of Solar System formation and evolution. There are a number of vital, key projects to be pursued using dedicated large programs that have not been pursued during the five years of Spitzer cold operations. We present a number of the largest and most important projects here; more will certainly be proposed once the warm era has begun, including important observations of newly discovered objects.