Strategy for the Detection and Study of Other Planetary Systems and Extrasolar Planetary Materials 1990-2000 (1990) / Chapter Skim
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7. Relation to Other Astronomical and Astrophysical Studies
7. Relation to Other Astronomical and Astrophysical Studies
Pages 67-74
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From page 67... ...
In the following sections a few examples are given that connect the study of extrasolar planetary materials with other areas of investigation. FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF STARS IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD The search for planetary systems will naturally involve an intensive study of the stars in the solar neighborhood, out to a distance of perhaps lO0 parsecs.
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From page 69... ...
PROPERTIES OF STAR-FORMING REGIONS The investigation of star-forming regions for evidence of protostellar objects, protoplanets, and nebular disks is likely to yield additional information on some of the fundamental questions about star formation. Examples include observational identification of protostars actually in the gravitational free-fall collapse phase; observation of bipolar outflow and its relation to star and planet formation; clarification of mechanisms for binary star formation and the relationship between the formation of binaries and disks; the role of magnetic fields, turbulence, and thermal pressure in initiation of star formation and during the collapse phase of protostellar condensations in molecular clouds; the lifetime of nebular disks, which determines the time available to form planets; and detailed studies of the radiation coming from protostars at all stages of their evolution.
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From page 70... ...
More generally, what are the statistics of the presence, the structure, and the evolutionary time scales for such disklike objects, and how might high-precision astronomical measurements from the ground and in space best provide the basis for diagnosing these statistics? Is the formation of disks with sizes comparable to the solar system and masses comparable to the minimum mass solar nebula a common outcome of the star-formation process?
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From page 71... ...
Do cometary dust grains and the zodiacal dust grains resemble the dust grains in the ISM, in c~rcumstellar shells of evolved stars, and in regions of star formation? How do grains participate in such processes as the onset of stellar collapse, planetary accretion, and the coupling of outflow energy to molecular clouds?
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From page 72... ...
PROBLEMS IN GALACTIC STRUCTURE Progress on a number of problems in galactic structure, such as the distribution of mass in the galaxy, the metal content of the various components of the galaxy, and the once of the globular clusters with respect to the origin of the galaxy itself, is critically dependent on knowledge of stellar distances and motions. One of the instruments proposed in this report, a large astrometric telescope with the capability of measuring displacements small enough for the detection of planets, could also be used fruitfully in the investigation of such problems.
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From page 73... ...
One would also be interested in measuring globular clusters of various metal contents, in order to determine if there is a correlation of metal content with orbit. In addition, the membership of a globular cluster could be determined, and the individual orbits of stars ~ the cluster would be measurable, giving an indication of the dynamical evolution of the cluster.
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From page 74... ...
Detector systems are evolving with such rapidity that we can anticipate positive identification of extrasolar planets, if they exist, within a decade or so of the initiation of a comprehens~ve search. Current theories lead us to suspect that other planetary systems, habitable planets, and perhaps even life forms are likely, but as yet we have no direct conflation that even a single extrasolar planet exists.
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