Science targets fix wavelength, baseline, and architecture for space and lunar interferometers; shared tech tall poles and pathfinder choices will govern which become operational observatories.
Database of Candidate Targets for the LIFE Mission
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abstract
We present the database of potential targets for the Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE), a space-based mid-infrared nulling interferometer mission proposed for the Voyage 2050 science program of the European Space Agency (ESA). The database features stars, their planets and disks, main astrophysical parameters, and ancillary observations. It allows users to create target lists based on various criteria to predict, for instance, exoplanet detection yields for the LIFE mission. As such, it enables mission design trade-offs, provides context for the analysis of data obtained by LIFE, and flags critical missing data. Work on the database is in progress, but given its relevance to LIFE and other space missions, including the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), we present its main features here. A preliminary version of the LIFE database is publicly available on the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (GAVO).
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astro-ph.IM 1years
2026 1verdicts
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Space and Lunar Interferometry: Emerging Concepts and Pathways
Science targets fix wavelength, baseline, and architecture for space and lunar interferometers; shared tech tall poles and pathfinder choices will govern which become operational observatories.