Astro Combs
Certain observations in astronomy require extremely precise measurements of the spectrum of light. In other words, sometimes researchers need to find the colors of light from an astronomical object to a higher precision than ordinary detectors allow. For that purpose, they’ve developed a type of device called a “laser comb” or “astro comb”, which splits light from a laser into very specific colors in parallel. Among other things, astro combs allow astronomers to measure tiny variations in a star’s light created by orbiting exoplanets, possibly helping identify Earth-sized planets.
Our Work
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian scientists are developing astro comb technology to create the next generation of observatories:
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Measuring the Doppler “wobble” from increasingly small planets, in hopes of finding exoplanets the size of Earth. The challenge has been to adapt astro combs to visible light colors, since this method works best for infrared light. To test the method, astronomers looked at our own Sun for the wobble produced from Venus, which is very close in mass to Earth, but produces a bigger Doppler effect on the Sun thanks to its smaller orbit.
Rediscovering Venus to Find Faraway Earths -
Using astro combs on the HARPS-North instrument to verify exoplanets discovered by the Kepler Observatory. Kepler’s method of detecting planets reveals their size, but not their mass. The Doppler effect depends directly on mass, and that’s where HARPS-North comes in. astro combs improve the ability to locate lower-mass planets in Doppler data.
HARPS-N Instrument Will Help Confirm Kepler's Planet Finds -
Developing models for potential future gravitational wave observatories based on astro combs. These concepts require very precise atomic clocks, based on astro comb technology, to find small timing differences created by passing disturbances in spacetime.
Gravity Wave Detection with Atomic Clocks
Combing the Skies
When planets orbit stars, their gravity tugs back on the stars slightly, moving them a small amount on each pass. That motion shifts the apparent colors of the star’s light toward shorter, bluer wavelengths when the star is moving toward us and to longer, redder wavelengths when the star is moving away.
This is the same Doppler effect that changes the pitch of a siren as a fire truck passes. The Doppler effect for exoplanets is tiny, and so far has mostly been useful for massive planets orbiting very close to their host stars. To improve the sensitivity — and detect lower-mass planets — some astronomers use astro combs.
Laser light is nearly one pure color, meaning the wavelength of each photon coming out of a laser is almost exactly the same. An astro comb splits the light into short bursts, which can be tuned to very specific colors — the “teeth” of the comb. Astronomers use these colors to fine-tune their instruments when measuring the spectrum from a star. That precision leads to huge improvements in the measurement of the Doppler effect. An astro comb is currently part of the High Accuracy Radial-velocity Planet Searcher for the Northern hemisphere (HARPS-North). Researchers hope to reach the precision necessary to detect Earth-like planets using this method.
Telescopes and Instruments
High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher-North (HARPS-N)
Visit the HARPS-N Website
Lynx X-Ray Observatory
Visit the Lynx X-Ray Observatory Website
Spitzer Space Telescope
Visit the Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC Page