The BRITE space telescope: Using a nanosatellite constellation to measure stellar variability in the most luminous stars

被引：8

作者：

Deschamps, Norman C. ^{[1
]}

Grant, C. Cordell ^{[1
]}

Foisy, Daniel G. ^{[1
]}

Zee, Robert E. ^{[1
]}

Moffat, Anthony F. J. ^{[2
]}

Weiss, Werner W. ^{[3
]}

机构：

[1] Univ Toronto, Inst Aerosp Studies, Space Flight Lab, Toronto, ON, Canada

[2] Univ Montreal, Dept Phys, Montreal, PQ H3C 3J7, Canada

[3] Univ Vienna, Inst Astron, A-1180 Vienna, Austria

来源：

ACTA ASTRONAUTICA | 2009年 / 65卷 / 5-6期

基金：

加拿大自然科学与工程研究理事会;

关键词：

D O I：

10.1016/j.actaastro.2009.01.026

中图分类号：

V [航空、航天];

学科分类号：

08 ; 0825 ;

摘要：

The BRIght Target Explorer (BRITE)-Constellation is a group of Canadian/Austrian nanosatellites that will examine the apparently brightest stars in the sky for variability using precise differential photometry. The constellation consists of four low Earth-orbiting nanosatellites, divided into pairs, with each member of a pair having a different optical filter. Each BRITE satellite will observe a region of interest for up to 100 days or longer, allowing the measurement of stellar oscillations on the order of hours to months. Each BRITE satellite utilizes a number of new, innovative technologies including reaction wheels, star tracker and optical telescope, all sized and designed around space flight laboratory's 5-kg, 20 x 20 x 20 cm(3) CanX nanosatellite bus. The BRITE science instrument is a low power complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detector coupled with a custom lens system designed to provide a telecentric, slightly defocused image optimized for observing stellar intensity with an accuracy of I mmag per data point per orbit down to a visual magnitude of +3.5. Photometric measurements will have an error amplitude spectrum no greater than 20 ppm over measurement periods longer than a month. The optics will have a small (30 mm) aperture and a maximum length of 100 mm in order to fit within the nanosatellite bus. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

引用

页码：643 / 650

页数：8