Once PLATO2.0 was chosen by ESA as M3 mission, the UGR team was selected to coordinate the design, construct, verify, and deliver the instrument’s main electronics units (onboard digital processing), under responsibility of IAA-CSIC team (see IAA-CSIC subproject). In 2014, the UGR team started the B1 phase activities. PLATO2.0 will enter the implementation phase (B2) in 2016, after the System Requirements Review to be performed by ESA, with a nominal launch planned around 2024. The present proposal for three years is intented to cover our technical and scientific contribution to the mission for phases B2 and C, which formally finishes at the end of 2018.

The scientific contribution is composed by three main activities: the coordination of two PLATO2.0 workpackages for the science and pipeline analysis preparation, the participation in the “PLATO2.0 additional science” work package and the development of a related scientific project. The main objective of the this project is to study the star hosting planets as a single physical system. This novel approach requires new developments on the study of stellar interiors, planetary dynamics, and harmonic analysis. The UGR team has experience in asteroseismic modeling and dynamics, while the the IAA scientific team has experience in harmonic analysis of stellar lightcurves. For this reason the project is presented as a joint UGR/IAA-CSIC scientific proposal.

Once PLATO2.0 has been adopted by ESA, the UGR will coordinate the design, construction, verification, and delivery of the instrument’s main electronics units (onboard digital processing), under the responsibility of IAA-CSIC team (see IAA-CSIC subproject). Currently, the project is in B2 phase, the consortium is working towards one of the major milestones, the Preliminary Design Review, foreseen for 2018, with a nominal launch planned around 2026. The present proposal for three years is intended to cover our technical and scientific contribution to the mission for phases C and part of D.

The scientific contribution is composed of three main activities: the coordination of two PLATO2.0 work packages for the science and pipeline analysis preparation, the participation in the “PLATO2.0 additional science” work package and the development of a related scientific project. This latter is intended to study the stellar interiors of classical pulsators, today poorly known due to their rapid rotation. We want to characterise them with the same level of detail achieved for solar-like stars. This will provide a significant added value to the PLATO mission as well as a step forward in the understanding of stellar evolution. Likewise, we will study planetary systems (with close planets) in order to assess the impact of asteroseismic constraints on planetary dynamics. This is intended to be part of a preliminary study of an interface between evolutionary and dynamic codes. This novel approach requires new developments in the study of stellar interiors, planetary dynamics, and harmonic analysis. The UGR team has experience in asteroseismic modelling and dynamics, while the IAA scientific team has experience in harmonic analysis of stellar light curves. For this reason, the project is presented as a joint UGR/IAA-CSIC scientific proposal.

Una vez PLATO2.0 fue elegido por la ESA como misión M3, la UGR lo fue para coordinar las actividades del diseño, construcción, verificación y entrega de las unidades de la electrónica principal del instrumento (procesamiento digital en vuelo) MEU. En 2014, el equipo de la UGR inició las actividades de la fase B1. PLATO2.0 entrará en la fase de implementación (B2) en 2016, tras la Revisión Requisitos del Sistema (SRR) por la ESA. El lanzamiento nominal de la misión está planeado alrededor de 2024. La presente propuesta para tres años pretende cubrir nuestra contribución técnica y científica a la misión para las fases B2 y C, esta última acabando formalmente a finales de 2018.

La contribución científica se compone de tres actividades principales: la coordinación de dos paquetes de trabajo de PLATO2.0 para la preparación científica y desarrollo del pipeline de análisis, la participación en el paquete de trabajo de “ciencia adicional de PLATO2.0” y el desarrollo de un proyecto científico relacionado. El principal objetivo este proyecto científico es estudiar la estrella con planetas como un único sistema físico. Este nuevo enfoque exige nuevos desarrollos en el estudio de interiores estelares, la dinámica planetaria y análisis armónico. Mientras nuestro equipo científico de la UGR tiene experiencia en el modelado astrosismológico y en dinámica, el equipo científico del IAA (también subproyeto en esta propuesta coordinada) tiene experiencia en el análisis armónico. Por esta razón, este proyecto se presenta como una propuesta científica conjunta UGR/IAA-CSIC.

Una vez que PLATO2.0 ha sido adoptado por la ESA, la UGR coordinará el diseño, construcción, verificación y entrega de las principales unidades electrónicas del instrumento (procesamiento digital a bordo), bajo la responsabilidad del equipo IAA-CSIC (ver subproyecto IAA-CSIC). Actualmente el proyecto está en fase B2. El consorcio está trabajando hacia uno de los hitos más importantes PDR (Preliminary Design Review), que está previsto para 2018, con un lanzamiento nominal planeado hacia 2026. La presente propuesta por cuatro años está destinada a cubrir nuestras necesidades técnicas y Contribución científica a la misión para las fases C y parte de D.

La contribución científica se compone de tres actividades principales: la coordinación de dos paquetes de trabajo para la preparación del análisis científico y de tratamiento de datos, la participación en el paquete de trabajo “PLATO2.0 ciencia adicional” y el desarrollo de un proyecto científico relacionado. Este último tiene por objeto estudiar los interiores estelares de pulsadores clásicos, hoy mal conocidos debido a su rápida rotación. Queremos caracterizarlos con el mismo nivel de detalle alcanzado para estrellas de tipo solar. Esto supondrá un valor añadido significativo para la misión PLATO, así como un paso adelante en la comprensión de la evolución estelar. Asimismo, estudiaremos los sistemas planetarios (con planetas cercanos) para evaluar el impacto de las restricciones astrosismológicas sobre la dinámica planetaria. Esto pretende ser parte de un estudio preliminar de una interfaz entre códigos evolutivos y dinámicos. Este nuevo enfoque requiere nuevos desarrollos en el estudio de los interiores estelares, la dinámica planetaria y el análisis armónico. El equipo de UGR tiene experiencia en modelado y dinámica astrosismológica, mientras que el equipo científico de IAA tiene experiencia en análisis armónico de curvas de luz estelares. Por esta razón, el proyecto se presenta como una propuesta científica conjunta UGR / IAA-CSIC.

This project puts the IAA-CSIC instrumentalists and space engineers as well as Spanish space industry in the forefront of space development for years to come. Moroever, it gives the opportunity for young researchers (JCS at UGR) to coordinate technological activities as a necessary link between scientists and instrumentalists. Likewise, our scientific proposal will have a direct impact in the strategies followed by the PLATO 2.0 consortium during its scientific preparation, selection of targets and potential exploitation. In particular we propose a new approach for analysis of stellar lightcurves and new theoretical developments for the study of the stellar evolution including effects of both rotation and planetary dynamics. The results of this project are not only of interest for the PLATO 2.0 community but for many astrophysical branches that depend on stellar modelling (stellar populations, chemical evolution of the galaxy, supernovae, etc.).

We plan to disseminate our results within the scientific community not only through scientific papers and conferences, but also through the development of open source tools (e.g., TOUCAN, OleMIARMA, modified MERCURY, etc.) to guarantee the reproducibility and falsifiability. Likewise, results will also be broadcasted to society using IAA-CSIC and UGR outreach facilities (press releases, radio, dedicated video series, etc.), as well as the through the website of the project. Our team will dedicate effort and time to get involved in the vulgarisation of the project reesults, participating in public events, giving seminars in schools and universities, writing popularization papers, etc.

This project puts the IAA-CSIC instrumentalists and space engineers as well as Spanish space industry in the forefront of space development for years to come. Moreover, it gives the opportunity for young researchers (JCS at UGR) to coordinate technological activities as a necessary link between scientists and instrumentalists. Likewise, our scientific proposal will have a direct impact on the strategies followed by the PLATO 2.0 consortium during its scientific preparation, selection of targets and potential exploitation. In particular, we propose a new approach for the analysis of stellar light curves and new theoretical developments for the study of the stellar evolution including effects of both rotation and planetary dynamics. The results of this project are not only of interest for the PLATO 2.0 community but for many astrophysical branches that depend on stellar modelling (stellar populations, chemical evolution of the galaxy, supernovae, etc.).

We plan to disseminate our results within the scientific community not only through scientific papers and conferences but also through the development of open source tools (e.g., TOUCAN, OleMIARMA, modified MERCURY, etc.) to guarantee the reproducibility and falsifiability. Likewise, results will also be broadcasted to society using IAA-CSIC and UGR outreach facilities (press releases, radio, dedicated video series, etc.), as well as the through the website of the project. Our team will dedicate effort and time to get involved in the vulgarisation of the project results, participating in public events, giving seminars in schools and universities, writing popularisation papers, etc.

TASE is currently contractor for the MEU design and documentation activities related with the preparation of the System Requirements Review that ESA will execute next october 2015. The company manifests its interest in maintain collaboration for the B2/C phases of the mission. A formal letter of interest from this EPO has been received at UGR.