Keeping Exoplanet Science Caffeinated with ESPRESSO

TL;DR

The ESPRESSO spectrograph at VLT has significantly advanced exoplanet detection and characterization, enabling the discovery of small planets and atmospheric studies, with ongoing efforts to reach Earth-like detection precision.

Contribution

This paper provides an overview of early ESPRESSO results and discusses progress towards achieving 10 cm/s radial velocity precision for Earth-like planet detection.

Findings

Detection of small, low-mass exoplanets.

Detailed atmospheric studies of exoplanets.

Progress towards 10 cm/s radial velocity precision.

Abstract

The ESPRESSO spectrograph at ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) has, since it began science operations in October 2018, revolutionised exoplanet science. The combination of the large VLT mirrors and the high resolution and stability of the spectrograph is enabling the detection of small, low-mass planets as well as detailed studies of the planets' atmospheres. In this article, we present a brief overview of the first results from ESPRESSO and a hopeful glimpse towards the ultimate goal of reaching the radial velocity precision of 10 cm/s needed to detect an Earth-like planet.