Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 367
This version created on 05 October 2006

JTPF and planet finding activities in Japan


Motohide Tamura, NAOJ
Hiroshi Shibai, Nagoya University
Lyu Abe, NAOJ
Ryuji Suzuki, NAOJ
Jun Nishikawa, NAOJ
Keigo Enya, ISAS
Takao Nakagawa, ISAS

I would like to introduce recent activities, from both ground and
space, on exoplanet and related studies in Japan.  First I will
summarize the results of indirect exoplanet observations and those of
direct searches for exoplanets and disks on the Subaru telescope,
which have shown diversity of exoplanets and morphological diversity
of disks.  I will also report the status of the new high contrast
instrument for the Subaru telescope, HiCIAO.  It will provide a
powerful high contrast imaging capability with spectroscopic or
polarimetric simultaneous differential imaging for self-luminous young
planet or various disk detections.  Then two future space missions
discussed in Japan are introduced, which are closely related with
planet finding and characterization.  One is the coronagraph mode of
the SPICA mission, a 3.5m MIR and FIR telescope, whose aim is to
detect and characterize self-luminous outer planets around nearby
stars.  The other is the JTPF mission, a 3.5m optical and NIR off-axis
telescope for the studies of Earth-like planets.  The "Japanese-lead"
TPF might make full use of the SPICA bus-system, with an optimization
to the shorter working wavelengths.  Alternatively, we are also
seeking for a possibility of "Japanese-joining" TPF, which can be a
collaborative joining with the foreign terrestrial planet finding
missions.  Various R&D activities for the space coronagraph
developments at ISAS and NAOJ will be also introduced.  

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