Studies of expolanets and solar systems with SPICA

Abstract The SPace Infrared telescopefor Cosmology and Astrophysics ( SPICA) is a proposed mid-to- far infrared( 4 – 200 μ m ) astronomy mission, scheduled for launch in 2017. A single, 3.5 m aperture telescope would provide superior image quality at 5 – 200 μ m , and its very cold ( ∼ 5 K ) instrumentation would provide superior sensitivity in the 25–200 μ m wavelength regimes. This would provide a breakthrough opportunity for studies of exoplanets, protoplanetary and debris disk, and small solar systembodies. This paper summarizes the potential scientific impacts for the proposed instrumentation.