New ultra-fast camera for hunting exoplanets developed

The MKID Exoplanet Camera (MEC) uses microwave kinetic inductance (MKID) detectors.They allow you to

Scientists can directly image exoplanets around bright stars.It is the first continuously deployed superconducting camera operating in the optical and near-infrared spectrums.

MKID's advantage lies in its abilitydetermine the energy of each photon entering the detector. So scientists not only determine the brightness of the planet, but can also study its spectrum (brightness as a function of energy). This gives astronomers additional information about the properties of the exoplanet - about its age, mass, and potential atmospheric composition.

The 20440 pixel MKID device developed for the MKID Exoplanet camera presentsImage  courtesy of the researchers

Another advantage of MKID over traditionalcameras that they are very fast. These detectors can read data thousands of times per second. So the device further clears the image by removing some of the scattered and diffracted starlight.

The ultimate goal of studying exoplanets is to search for evidence of life, and the MEC is an important step along this path, the scientists conclude.

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