Direct Acceleration: Cosmic and Exoplanet Synergies

TL;DR

This paper explores how direct acceleration measurements can advance cosmology and exoplanet research, improving dark energy understanding and enabling detection of Earth-like planets through enhanced radial velocity techniques.

Contribution

It highlights the synergy between acceleration measurement technologies for cosmology and exoplanet detection, proposing a unified approach for multiple scientific goals.

Findings

Redshift drift can significantly improve dark energy constraints.

Enhanced radial velocity methods enable Earth-mass planet detection.

Acceleration measurements can map the Milky Way's gravitational potential.

Abstract

Direct measurement of acceleration is a key scientific goal for both cosmology and exoplanets. For cosmology, the concept of redshift drift (more than 60 years old by the 2020s) could directly establish the Friedmann-Lema{\^\i}tre-Robertson-Walker model. It would increase the dark energy figure of merit by a factor of 3 beyond Stage 4 experiments, in combination with cosmic microwave background measurements. For exoplanets, the same technology required provides unprecedented radial velocity accuracy, enabling detection of Earth mass planets in the habitable zone. Other science cases include mapping the Milky Way gravitational potential and testing its dark matter distribution.