The WFIRST Exoplanet Microlensing Survey


Abstract in English

The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) was the top ranked large space mission in the 2010 New Worlds, New Horizons decadal survey, and it was formed by merging the science programs of 3 different mission concepts, including the Microlensing Planet Finder (MPF) concept (Bennett etal 2010). The WFIRST science program (Spergel etal 2015) consists of a general observer program, a wavefront controlled technology program, and two targeted science programs: a program to study dark energy, and a statistical census of exoplanets with a microlensing survey, which uses nearly one quarter of WFIRSTs observing time in the current design reference mission. The New Worlds, New Horizons (decadal survey) midterm assessment summarizes the science case for the WFIRST exoplanet microlensing survey with this statement: WFIRSTs microlensing census of planets beyond 1 AU will perfectly complement Keplers census of compact systems, and WFIRST will also be able to detect free-floating planets unbound from their parent starsrlap.

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