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arXiv 2207.03005astro-ph.IMastro-ph.EPgr-qc
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到达并运行于太阳引力透镜焦点区域的飞行任务架构

A mission architecture to reach and operate at the focal region of the solar gravitational lens

Henry Helvajian, Alan Rosenthal, John Poklemba, Thomas A. Battista, Marc D. DiPrinzio, Jon M. Neff, John P. McVey, Viktor T. Toth, Slava G. Turyshev

AI总结:

本文提出一种利用太阳帆推进和模块化在轨组装的飞行任务架构,以最快渡越时间到达太阳引力透镜焦点区域,对百光年外系外行星进行多像素成像并识别宜居性,证明任务在现有或开发中技术条件下可行。

摘要:

我们介绍一项正在进行的工程研究的初步结果,该研究旨在评估前往太阳引力透镜(SGL)焦点区域的太空飞行任务的可行性。该任务目标是在日心距离约548-900天文单位(AU)的范围内开展系外行星成像作业。从距太阳548 AU处开始,来自位于太阳后方的系外行星的光会被SGL大幅放大。目标是捕获这些光,并利用其对最远100光年外的系外行星进行多像素成像。使用米级望远镜可以生成该系外行星的图像,其表面分辨率以数十公里量级衡量,并识别宜居性迹象。数据是在成像航天器于图像内移动时逐像素获取的。鉴于飞行任务持续时间很长,到达900 AU需要数十年,我们研究了一种在尽可能短的渡越时间内同时降低任务风险和总体成本的架构。该任务架构采用太阳帆推进技术,并对模块化功能单元进行在轨组装以形成具备任务能力的航天器。研究揭示了此类高难度飞行任务的要素,但结果仍然表明,利用现有或正在积极开发的技术,该任务是可行的。

英文摘要:

We present initial results of an ongoing engineering study on the feasibility of a space mission to the focal region of the solar gravitational lens (SGL). The mission goal is to conduct exoplanet imaging operations at heliocentric distances in the range ~548-900 astronomical units (AU). Starting at 548 AU from the Sun, light from an exoplanet located behind the Sun is greatly amplified by the SGL. The objective is to capture this light and use it for multipixel imaging of an exoplanet up to 100 light years distant. Using a meter-class telescope one can produce images of the exoplanet with a surface resolution measured in tens of kilometers and to identify signs of habitability. The data are acquired pixel-by-pixel while moving an imaging spacecraft within the image. Given the long duration of the mission, decades to 900 AU, we address an architecture for the fastest possible transit time while reducing mission risk and overall cost. The mission architecture implements solar sailing technologies and in-space aggregation of modularized functional units to form mission capable spacecraft. The study reveals elements of such a challenging mission, but it is nevertheless found to be feasible with technologies that are either extant or in active development.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

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