Exoplanet Search and Characterization with the Proposed POET Canadian Space Mission

TL;DR

POET is a proposed Canadian micro-satellite mission designed to discover and characterize transiting exoplanets using simultaneous tri-band photometry, aiming to identify nearby potentially habitable Earth-sized planets for future biosignature studies.

Contribution

It introduces a new multi-band space telescope with enhanced capabilities for exoplanet detection and characterization, especially around ultracool dwarfs, building on previous Canadian missions.

Findings

Simulated yield of rocky planets around ultracool dwarfs.

Potential to discover nearby Earth-sized habitable exoplanets.

Enhanced star spot separation through tri-band photometry.

Abstract

The Photometric Observations of Exoplanet Transits (POET) is a proposed micro-satellite mission dedicated to the characterization and discovery of transiting exoplanets. POET has been identified as a top priority small-sat space mission in the Canadian Astronomy Long Range Plan 2020-2030. POET is being proposed as Canada's next astronomy space mission, with launch possible in late 2029. POET is an iteration on the designs of the Canadian MOST and NEOSSat space missions, which had 15 cm-sized telescopes and observed only in the visible band pass. POET will have a larger 20 cm telescope aperture and three band passes: near-ultraviolet (nUV; 300-400 nm), visible near-infrared (VNIR; 400-900 nm), and short-wavelength infrared (SWIR; 900-1700 nm). All mission components either already have significant space heritage or are seeing rapid adoption in commercial space missions. POET's simultaneous tri-band 300-1700 nm photometric monitoring will allow it to separate the impact of star spots on the transmission spectrum of extended atmospheres on super-Earth or larger exoplanets. POET's SWIR band is optimally sensitive to the emission peak of ultracool dwarf stars and would enable a systematic search for Earth-sized planets around them. POET aims to discover some of the nearest potentially habitable Earth-sized exoplanets that could be scrutinized for biosignatures with JWST or future telescopes. Herein we present the assembly of the POET Input Catalog of Ultracool Dwarfs and simulations of the expected yield of rocky planets with POET.