1. In the simulation below (for question 3), you will be using the radial velocity, or doppler wobble, method of planetary detection. This technique has been used to date to discover the vast majority of extra solar planetary systems. However, other techniques also exist.
   
   For this question, please provide a summary of at least three of the other techniques used to discover extra solar planetary systems.
   
   
2. Describe the design and goals of the eventual Terrestrial Planet Finder mission being developed by NASA.
   
   
3. In the exercise linked below, you should try to detect and measure the doppler perturbation of virtual planets around virtual stars to try an ascertain the observing and detector requirements in order to see the full orbital period reflex motion of the host star.
   
   For each star you select, you are to try and find a solution of the system in terms of the mass of the orbiting planet and its separation from its host 1 solar mass star.
   
   You must make 3 measurements per star, depending on the Case detectors below. Thus, you should be reporting a total of 9 measurements. (Many of which won't yield a detection – you are to report on why no detection is available for that particular Case.)
   
   A successful detection means that the white line model fit, obtained by adjusting the mass and distance in the third step of the applet goes through the red data points. Note the gray bars around the red data points are observational error, which you can adjust.
   
   Detector plus Observing Conditions
   
   Within the simulation, you can set these 3 items.
   
   
   Observing period (number of years that you will be observing the star).
   
   
   • Number of observations over the observing period.
     
     
   • The error or precision in your radial velocity.
   
   Okay open up the simulator
   • Check the Specify a catalog box.
     
     
   • Scroll down to where it says Four Sample Stars.
     
     
   • Check the Specify a solar system box to select each one of these 4 stars.
     
     
   • After selection go to Step 2: Observe Radial Velocity.
     
     
   • Set the Time Span, Record Rate and Error to each of the 3 cases below.
     
     
   • With that set up, go to Step 3 and try to see if you can fit the data with a model. If you can, report the results (i.e., mass of planet and distance from sun). If you can't, then explain why your observations are deficient and preclude a successful detection.
     
     
   • By way of example, let's follow this walk thru.
     
     
     1. Select The Sun.
        
        
     2. Click on Step 2.
        
        
     3. Use the Case III conditions (set time span = 20, record rate=80 (i.e. 4 observations per year) , error = 3 meters/sec).
        
        
     4. Notice that under these conditions, a noisy sine wave appears.
        
        
     5. Now go to Step 3.
        
        
     6. Here we want to adjust the Mass and distance values to make the white line go through the data. The default values are a perturbing planet of mass 0.5 Jupiter masses at a distance of 6 AU from the sun. That guess does not work.

        Adjust the mass to 1 Jupiter mass and notice that's close in amplitude to the data but it seems out of phase.
        
        adjust the distance to 5 AU and voila, the white line goes through the data.

        So this system has a solution of 1 Jupiter mass at 5 AU.
        
        
     7. Now go back to Step 2 and use the Case I observing/detector conditions (e.g. 10, 50, 15) notice the sign wave has disappeared and you can no longer detect the perturbing planet under these worse conditions. In particular, the error is too large, but also the time span is less than a full orbital period. So, the point is that for each combination of detector/observing parameters there are systems that you can and cannot detect.
        
        You can now go back to Step 3 (where your original solution still pertains); although the white line kind of goes through the data, there is too much variation and no one would believe this is a secure detection.

Your assignment is to now fit the other three stars, using the three combinations below, to either a) determine the model parameters or b) explain why the given system can't be detected in either Case I, II, or III.

Observing/Detector Cases

Case I:

Time Span= 10 years

Record Rate = 50

Error = 15

Case II:

Time Span = 4 years

Samples =20

Error = 7

Case III:

Time Span= 20 years

Record Rate = 80

Error = 3