HARPS3 and The Terra Hunting Experiment

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

The main scientific goal of the project is to detect Earth-mass exoplanets on longer orbits than is currently possible around nearby, bright stars, with an ultimate aim to push the detection threshold out to Earth-like planets. The scientific impact of such a discovery will be first to demonstrate that the Earth and the Solar System does not belong to a rare category of planetary systems. Second, the identification of a "Goldilocks planet" potentially able to sustain life would stimulate and encourage further studies of its nature and its atmospheric content with the prospect of identifying indirect traces of life. Such a discovery is likely to stimulate excitement and enhanced interest in science amongst the general public and young people. Our aim is to use that excitement to drive the outreach programmes at both Exeter and Cambridge, by ensuring that planet announcements are followed up by related outreach activities.

Our programme is based around the construction of a large, highly technical instrument, and so also involves transfer of technical expertise to those institutes, companies and staff involved.