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Nature 452, 538-539 (3 April 2008) | doi:10.1038/452538a; Published online 2 April 2008
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Extrasolar planets: With a coarse-tooth comb
Gordon Walker1
Abstract
The search for Earth-like planets outside our Solar System is bedevilled by the lack of an adequate frequency standard for calibrating starlight. Tweaking existing laser 'frequency combs' could be a way forward.
As we look for planets orbiting other suns, it is often tiny, periodic shifts in the spectrum of light coming from a star — a tell-tale 'Doppler wobble' — that reveals the presence of one or more smaller, unseen companions. But when it comes to finding Earth-like planets, this technique reaches a hurdle: the lack of a suitable frequency standard with which to measure the truly tiny spectral shifts caused by such very small planets.
- Gordon Walker is emeritus professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada.
Email: gordonwa@uvic.ca
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