Corot
COROT is a French-led European space mission of ultra-high precision photometry dedicated to Stellar Seismology and Planet Finding launched in 2006. The scientific programme of the satellite consists of a Core Programme dedicated to the study of seismic properties of stars and to the detection of telluric planets, using long sequences of continuous observations of 150 days and a few shorter sequences. It is complemented by an Additional Programme dedicated to other scientific purposes. For more information, see the COROT web pages.
We were partly responsible for the development of the scientific calibration of the COROT instruments in the COROT mission center (CMC), more particularly for definition, implemention and execution of instrumental correction algorithms. The global instrumental corrections workpackage (ICW) consists of corrections for temperature variations of several sub-systems, frequency drifts of the on-board clock and satellite attitude fluctuations. The global instrument model, acquired during technical pre-launch studies, was validated with real data after launch by including the effective characteristics of all the subsystems as they function in-orbit.
Connected to this instrumental work, we were also involved in the detection and classification of new variable stars discovered from the data obtained in the COROT exoplanet field and on of course many other science topics related to the mission.
People involved
Conny Aerts Maryline Briquet Joris De Ridder Katrien Kolenberg Bart Vandenbussche Jonas Debosscher Wolfgang Zima
Related links
COROT webpage
COROT webpage (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille)
Related missions:
MOST webpage
Roemer/MONS webpage
MONS B star group webpage
Asteroseismology in Belgium:
Belgian Asteroseismology Group
