Abstract:
Atmospheric escape is a process that affects the structure, composition, and evolution of many planets. The signatures of this escape are detectable on close-in, gaseous exoplanets orbiting bright stars, owing to the high levels of extreme-ultraviolet irradiance from their nearby parent stars. The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a 6U CubeSat mission designed to take advantage of the near-ultraviolet stellar brightness distribution to conduct a survey of the extended atmospheres of nearby close-in planets. The CUTE payload is a near-ultraviolet (2487 – 3376 Angstrom) spectrograph fed by a rectangular, Cassegrain telescope (206 mm x 84mm); the spectrogram is recorded on a back-illuminated, UV-enhanced CCD. CUTE was launched into a polar, low-Earth orbit on 27 September 2021 and has been conducting this survey following an on-orbit commissioning period. I will present an overview of the CUTE mission, including its motivation and development path. I will conclude by presenting on-orbit science data and observations of excess NUV absorption on short-period planets acquired as part of CUTE’s Early Release Science program.
Zoom Info: If you’re interested in attending virtually, please contact Jem Averyt to be added to the mailing list: Jem.Averyt@lasp.colorado.edu
Address Info:
LASP – Space Science Building
SPSC-W120
3665 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303