APF Telescope

Lick Observatory's newest telescope is the Automated Planet Finder (APF), to be commissioned in 2009.

Extrasolar planetary research has been very successful at Lick Observatory, yet observing time on the Shane telescope for any one project is extremely limited. By operating robotically every on clear night, APF will greatly increase chances of detecting extrasolar planets. APF's more efficient system and higher resolution spectrometer will increase astronomers' ability to detect these planets.

In addition to Lick Observatory-based extrasolar planetary research, the APF telescope will provide support for one of the Key Science project for the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM): discovery of extrasolar planetary systems. SIM is a space-based interferometer scheduled to be launched in 2012. In the meantime, APF will set the stage for SIM by providing a “treasure map” indicating which nearby stars are likely to have planets similar to Earth. APF will gather data on about 2000 nearby stars.

APF consists of a 2.4-meter automated telescope and enclosure, and a high-resolution spectrograph. In the schematic drawing above, the telescope is yellow and the spectrograph light blue. Click on the image to see an enlargement.

The telescope and spectrograph will operate robotically every night, like the KAIT. APF will target a preprogrammed list of nearby stars and observe them every night for months, in search of rocky planets with very low masses, similar to Earth. The ultimate goal of extrasolar planet research is to find planets like Earth that may support life.

The very sensitive spectrometer, optimized for speed and radial velocity precision, will detect very small changes in each star’s velocity—down to 1 meter per second, equivalent to human walking speed—indicating possible planets. The spectrograph's ability to detect the smallest possible velocity changes means that planets of lowest possible mass can be detected. Spectrographic data will be fed into an extrasolar planet data pipeline, which astronomers will then analyze to discover new planets. A spectrograph schematic is pictured on the right. Click on schematic to view enlargement.

Currently the APF is scheduled to be commissioned in late 2009. The mirror glass was cast and shaped in Russia and optically figured at Rayleigh Optical in Baltimore, MD. The telescope body was assembled in Tucson by EOS. The dome enclosure was fabricated in Australia. The spectrograph was designed by UCO's Steve Vogt. UCO/Lick Observatory Technical Facilities (Engineering) Shops at UCSC is constructing the spectrograph, and it is near completion.

UCO thanks Gloria and Kenneth Levy for their generous and timely support which helped make APF a reality.

To learn more about APF, also known as RPF (Rocky Planet Finder), visit the Rocky Planet Finder website. To learn more about extrasolar planet hunting at Lick Observatory, visit the Lick Observatory research webpage. To learn more about extrasolar planets and research methods, visit the California & Carnegie Exoplanet website.

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