Cosmic Origins
Searching for answers about our universe and its origins

Cosmic Origins Program Analysis Group
Mission Studies

Large Mission Concepts Studies for Decadal Survey 2020

Presentations to PhysPAG

  • Far-IR Surveyor Concept [PDF]
  • X-ray Surveyor: Science drivers and strawman mission design [PDF]
  • Large UV/Optical/IR Telescope Surveyor [PDF]
  • HabEx: Notional Mission Properties and Science Applications [PDF]

White Paper Responses from the Community

  • 2012 Request for Information (RFI2012) – Responses
  • 2012 Request for Information (RFI2012) – Submissions
  • COPAG White Papers, 18 May 2015
White Papers List
  • COPAG Merged White Papers (Single Document) [PDF]
Title Author
Science Cases for Ultraviolet Polarimetry in the 21st Century [PDF] B-G. Anderson
Mapping Turbulent Energy Dissipation through Shocked Molecular Hydrogen in the Universe [PDF] P. Appleton
Are Flagships the Best Way to Advance Astrophysics? [PDF] D. Ardila
Cubesats for Astrophysics [PDF] D. Ardila
The Dusty Co-evolution of Black Holes and Galaxies: A Science Case for a Large Far-IR Space Telescope [PDF] L. Armus
Actuated Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Mirror Development [PDF] B. Baldauf et al.
Astrophysics Enabled by Extreme Contrast Ratio Technologies [PDF] D. Batcheldor
A FIR-Survey of TNOs and Related Bodies [PDF] J. Bauer et al.
Cryogenic Telescope for Far-Infrared Astrophysics: A Vision for NASA in the 2020 Decade [PDF] C. Bradford et al.
Imaging Polarimetry for ExoPlanet science & astrophysics [PDF] J. Breckinridge
Dust in Distant Galaxies – Overcoming Confusion Noise with a 5m FIR Facility [PDF] C. Casey et al.
Far-Infrared Spectral Line Studies of the Epoch of Reionization [PDF] A. Cooray et al.
A Joint Exoplanet & UVOIR Surveyor [PDF] J. Dalcanton
The earliest epoch of star-formation in the very young universe [PDF] D. Ebbets
Characterizing the Habitable Zones of Exoplanetary Systems with a Large Ultraviolet/Visible/Near-IR Space Observatory [PDF] K. France et al.
The bulk composition of exo-planets [PDF] Boris Gänsicke et al.
Flagship Missions for the Decadal Review [PDF] J. Green
Life Finder Telescope [PDF] S. Heap
Galaxy Evolution Spectroscopic Surveyor (GESS) [PDF] S. Heap
Precision Ages for Milky Way Star Clusters [PDF] J. Kalirai
Interferometry Concept for the Far-Infrared Surveyor [PDF] D. Leisawitz et al.
Importance of Design Reference Missions for Developing the Next Large Mission Concepts [PDF] P. Lightsey and E. Wilkinson
An Evolvable Space Telescope for the Far Infrared Surveyor Mission [PDF] C. Lillie et al.
Exoplanet Environment Monitor [PDF] J. Linsky et al.
Definitive Determination of Galaxy Luminosity Functions at Energies Above the Hydrogen Ionization Edge, Covering 11 Billion Years of Evolution [PDF] S. McCandliss
Probing Transient Structures in the Universe [PDF] P. Natarajan
An Evolvable Space Telescope for Future UV/Opt/IR Astronomical Missions [PDF] R. Polidan et al.
A Rotating Synthetic Aperture (RSA) Space Telescope for Future UV/Opt/IR Astronomical Missions [PDF] – R. Polidan et al. R. Polidan et al.
UVOIR Surveyor: The need for high resolution, wide field, deep multi-wavelength imaging and IFU spectroscopy [PDF] R. Rampazzo et al.
Probe class missions in the far infrared [PDF] J. Rizzo et al.
The First Stars and the First Metals [PDF] I. Roederer et al.
The Origin of the Elements Heavier than Iron [PDF] I. Roederer et al.
HabX2: a 2020 mission concept for flagship science at modest cost [PDF] M. Swain et al.
Listening to the Cosmic Dawn [PDF] I. Thorpe et al.
A Large-Aperture UVOIR Space Telescope [PDF] H. Thronson et al.
Galaxy Fueling and Quenching: A Science Case for Future UV MOS Capability [PDF] J. Tumlinson and D. Schiminovich
UV/Optical/IR Surveyor: The Crucial Role of High Spatial Resolution, High Sensitivity UV Observations to Galaxy Evolution Studies [PDF] B. Williams and J. Dalcanton

Science Division Documents

Supporting Documents

  • TPF-C Levine paper (see science goals, Sec. 2) [PDF]
  • The New Worlds Observer [PDF]
  • AURA Report: From Cosmic Birth to Living Earths [PDF]
News
10 May 2024
JWST Senior Project Scientist Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
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AGN SIG – X-ray and Far IR Probe Panel Discussion | Tuesday, May 14th , 12:00pm ET
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Call for Community Input into the TESS Extended Mission Planning
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Astrophysics Technology Gaps Public Webinar | May 14th, 2024 2:00 – 3:00pm ET
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Diffuse Gas in Cosmic Ecosystems Science Interest Group (DGCE SIG) | May 23rd , 2024 – 4:00pm ET / 1:00pm PT
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