Precursor Science for HWO with the CRAFTS Sounding Rocket

Fernando Cruz Aguirre, Ph.D.

The Coronal Radiation of Active F-Type Stars (CRAFTS) Sounding Rocket Experiment is a rocket-borne mission concept designed to observe the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation environments of nearby (< 20 pc), active (R’HK ≳ -4.8, Prot ≲ 10 days) F-type stars identified as priority targets for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). HWO aims to study 100 main sequence F-, G-, and K-type stars, with the goal of identifying at least 25 potentially habitable exo-Earths. Stellar EUV emission, which is strongest for active F-type stars, is believed to be the primary driver of exoplanet atmospheric escape. We do not fully understand the EUV radiation environments around active F-type stars, and therefore we cannot properly gauge their impact on exoplanet atmospheres. F-type stars make up 40% of the current list of HWO priority targets; this uncertainty on whether exoplanets within these systems can retain their atmospheres brings into question whether these systems are suitable targets for HWO.
CRAFTS is designed to make critical observations of the ionizing EUV radiation environments around active F-type stars in order to determine whether HWO is likely to find habitable exo-Earths around F-type stars. Attenuation by the interstellar medium is most significant above 350 Å for nearby stars; CRAFTS prioritizes photometric EUV observations in two bandpasses, 165 – 215 Å and 245 – 295 Å, selected to capture the majority of coronal and upper transition region radiation from magnetically active stars below 350 Å. High sensitivity in the EUV, particularly within a 5 minute observing window, is achieved through the instrument’s prime focus design, the use of high-throughput multi-layer coatings that are optimized for each EUV channel, and an aluminum filter to reject out-of-band light from reaching the detector.

To join this event virtually via ZOOM, go to https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/6449961139?omn=92272194517.