Research related to detection of exo-Earth by Terra Hunting Experiment

In the past two decades we have acquired a wealth of knowledge about the structure and the occurrence of planetary systems. Despite this large success, no Earth "twin" has yet been detected. The challenge in exploring Earth-twin regime is obviously related to the technical difficulty to reach the adequate precision. To make progress we are installing a fully dedicated facility equipped with a state-of-the art precise spectrograph (HARPS-3) on the Isaac Newton telescope (INT). To reach the goal of the experiment, new developments are needed on detector calibration, analysis of the radial velocity and correction of the stellar noise.
The first work of the PhD student will be first to setup a calibration bench to measure its detailed geometric structure. Then his work will be directed towards preparatory work about data interpretation , stellar correction and target selection. In addition the first light of the instrument is expected in less than 3 years, providing a chance to the PhD student to take an active part in the commissioning and early science results.