SPIRou : main scientific drivers

SPIRou will essentially be dedicated to:

detecting earth-like planets in habitable zones of low-mass stars;

investigating magnetised star/planet formation;

dynamo processes in brown dwarfs.

It can also be used for:

exploring stellar environments & envelopes;

other potential applications.

Most of the selected science programs have similar requirements:

spectral domain: 0.98-2.4µm (w/ full coverage up to at least 2µm)

spectral resolution > 50,000 (70,000 if possible)

radial velocity accuracy < 1m/s

S/N=150 per 3km/s pixel in 1hr @ J=12 & K=11

thermal background from instrument in the K band smaller than telescope thermal emission (main contributor to the K band), ie K>13.5

all polarisation states accessible with >99% efficiency and <1% crosstalk over full spectral domain