activity
20182026
most citedA planet within the debris disk around the pre-main-sequence star AU Microscopii

242 citations · 428 across the 23 of their papers we have counts for

collaborators

23 papers

astro-ph.EP2026

Possible Observational Survey Strategies to Maximize Exoplanet Yields: A Report from the Survey Strategies Task Group in the Exoplanet Science Yields Working Group

Natasha Latouf, Corey Spohn, Kevin Fogarty +12

We present a variety of possible observational sequences from planet detection to characterization (i.e., survey strategies) for the initial exoEarth detection and characterization…

astro-ph.IM2026

Ad Astra White Paper: A Pitch for the Next 25 Years of NASA's Physics of the Cosmos Program

Eric Burns, Ivan Agullo, Igor Andreoni +7

Astrophysical observations of our universe have been key to our understanding of how the universe works. Shortly after the turn of the millennium, the National Research Council del…

astro-ph.IM2026

Understanding HWO's Field of Regard and Characterization Requirement Trade Space with a Dynamic Observation Scheduling Algorithm

Corey Spohn, Christopher C. Stark, Dmitry Savransky +1

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) aims to image and characterize at least 25 ExoEarth candidates (EECs). Achieving this goal requires a detailed understanding of the observato…

astro-ph.EP2026

Bayesian Analysis for Remote Biosignature Identification on exoEarths (BARBIE) IV: Analyzing CO2 Detections in the Near-IR to Determine the Long-Wavelength Cut-off for the Habitable Worlds Observatory Coronagraph

Celeste Hagee, Natasha Latouf, Avi M. Mandell +3

We present our analysis of how the detectability of carbon dioxide (CO2) on an Earth-like planet varies with respect to signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), wavelength, and molecular abund…

astro-ph.IM2026

Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO): Living Worlds Community Working Group: The Search for Life on Potentially Habitable Exoplanets

Giada Arney, Niki Parenteau, Natalie Hinkel +25

The discovery of a biosphere on another planet would transform how we view ourselves, and our planet Earth, in relation to the rest of the cosmos. We now know Earth is one planet a…

astro-ph.EP2025

Determining the Detectability of H2O with Photometric Observations using Bayesian Analysis for Remote Biosignature Identification on exoEarths (BARBIE)

Natasha Latouf, Chris Stark, Avi Mandell +1

We examine the detectability of water (H2O) in the reflected-light spectrum of an Earth-like exoplanet assuming a photometric observational approach rather than spectroscopic. By q…

astro-ph.EP2025★ 1 cited

Wavelength Requirements for Life Detection via Reflected Light Spectroscopy of Rocky Exoplanets

Joshua Krissansen-Totton, Anna Grace Ulses, Maxwell Frissell +21

Searching for signs of life is a primary goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). However, merely detecting oxygen, methane, or other widely discussed biosignatures is insuf…

astro-ph.EP2024

Bayesian Analysis for Remote Biosignature Identification on exoEarths (BARBIE) \RNum{3}: Introducing the KEN

Natasha Latouf, Michael D. Himes, Avi M. Mandell +4

We deploy a newly-generated set of geometric albedo spectral grids to examine the detectability of methane (CH4) in the reflected-light spectrum of an Earth-like exoplanet at visib…

astro-ph.EP2024★ 11 cited

The pale blue dot: using the Planetary Spectrum Generator to simulate signals from hyper realistic exo-Earths

Vincent Kofman, Geronimo Villanueva, Thomas Fauchez +5

The atmospheres and surfaces of planets show tremendous amount of spatial variation, which has a direct effect on the spectrum of the object, even if this may not be spatially reso…

physics.ed-ph2024★ 1 cited

Effective & Ethical Mentorship in Physics and Astronomy through Grassroots Organizations

Natasha Latouf, Emma Schwartzman, Jeffrey McKaig +2

Effective and ethical mentorship practices are crucial to improving recruitment and retention especially for historically minoritized groups (HMGs). Spectrum is a diversity, inclus…

astro-ph.EP2024

Paths to Robust Exoplanet Science Yield Margin for the Habitable Worlds Observatory

Christopher C. Stark, Bertrand Mennesson, Steve Bryson +11

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) will seek to detect and characterize potentially Earth-like planets around other stars. To ensure that the mission achieves the Astro2020 Dec…

astro-ph.EP2024★ 14 cited

Optimized Bandpasses for the Habitable Worlds Observatory's ExoEarth Survey

Christopher C. Stark, Natasha Latouf, Avi M. Mandell +1

A primary scientific goal of the future Habitable Worlds Observatory will be the direct detection and characterization of Earth-like planets. Estimates of the exoplanet yields for…

astro-ph.EP2023★ 1 cited

Bayesian Analysis for Remote Biosignature Identification on exoEarths (BARBIE) II: Using Grid-Based Nested Sampling in Coronagraphy Observation Simulations for O2 and O3

Natasha Latouf, Avi Mandell, Geronimo Villanueva +8

We present the results for the detectability of the O2 and O3 molecular species in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet using reflected light at the visible wavelengths. By quant…

astro-ph.EP2023★ 2 cited

Bayesian Analysis for Remote Biosignature Identification on exoEarths (BARBIE) I: Using Grid-Based Nested Sampling in Coronagraphy Observation Simulations for H2O

Natasha Latouf, Avi Mandell, Geronimo Villanueva +4

Detecting H2O in exoplanet atmospheres is the first step on the path to determining planet habitability. Coronagraphic design currently limits the observing strategy used to detect…

astro-ph.EP2023★ 3 cited

The transmission spectrum of the potentially rocky planet L 98-59 c

Thomas Barclay, Kyle B. Sheppard, Natasha Latouf +32

We present observations of the 1.35+/-0.07 Earth-radius planet L 98-59 c, collected using Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope. L 98-59 is a nearby (10.6 pc), bright (…

astro-ph.EP2022

Characterizing and Mitigating the Impact of Telluric Absorption in Precise Radial Velocities

Sharon Xuesong Wang, Natasha Latouf, Peter Plavchan +7

Precise radial velocity (PRV) surveys are important for the search of Earth analogs around nearby bright stars. Such planets induce a small stellar reflex motion with RV amplitude…

astro-ph.EP2022

Characterizing and Mitigating Telluric Absorption in Precise Radial Velocities II: A Study of an M2 Type Star

Natasha Latouf, Sharon Xuesong-Wang, Bryson Cale +1

Telluric absorption lines impact measuring precise radial velocities (RVs) from ground-based, high-resolution spectrographs. In this paper, we simulate the dependence of this impac…

astro-ph.IM2022★ 6 cited

An asynchronous object-oriented approach to the automation of the 0.8-meter George Mason University campus telescope in Python

Michael Reefe, Owen Alfaro, Shawn Foster +22

We present a unique implementation of Python coding in an asynchronous object-oriented programming (OOP) framework to fully automate the process of collecting data with the George…

astro-ph.EP2021★ 41 cited

TESS Delivers Five New Hot Giant Planets Orbiting Bright Stars from the Full Frame Images

Joseph E. Rodriguez, Samuel N. Quinn, George Zhou +115

We present the discovery and characterization of five hot and warm Jupiters -- TOI-628 b (TIC 281408474; HD 288842), TOI-640 b (TIC 147977348), TOI-1333 b (TIC 395171208, BD+47 352…

astro-ph.EP2020★ 242 cited

A planet within the debris disk around the pre-main-sequence star AU Microscopii

Peter Plavchan, Thomas Barclay, Jonathan Gagné +84

AU Microscopii (AU Mic) is the second closest pre main sequence star, at a distance of 9.79 parsecs and with an age of 22 million years. AU Mic possesses a relatively rare and spat…

astro-ph.IM2020★ 8 cited

EarthFinder Probe Mission Concept Study: Characterizing nearby stellar exoplanet systems with Earth-mass analogs for future direct imaging

Peter Plavchan, Gautam Vasisht, Chas Beichman +52

EarthFinder is a NASA Astrophysics Probe mission concept selected for study as input to the 2020 Astrophysics National Academies Decadal Survey. The EarthFinder concept is based on…

astro-ph.EP2019★ 95 cited

A Hot Saturn Orbiting An Oscillating Late Subgiant Discovered by TESS

Daniel Huber, William J. Chaplin, Ashley Chontos +139

We present the discovery of TOI-197.01, the first transiting planet identified by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) for which asteroseismology of the host star is po…

astro-ph.IM2018★ 3 cited

EarthFinder: A Precise Radial Velocity Probe Mission Concept For the Detection of Earth-Mass Planets Orbiting Sun-like Stars

Peter Plavchan, Bryson Cale, Patrick Newman +40

EarthFinder is a Probe Mission concept selected for study by NASA for input to the 2020 astronomy decadal survey. This study is currently active and a final white paper report is d…