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G 9-40b: HPF’s first planet validation

HPF has validated its first planet called G 9-40b, a sub-Neptune sized planet (2 Earth radii) orbiting a nearby low mass M-dwarf star with an orbital period of 6 days. The paper has been published in the Astronomical Journal and … Continue reading

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Fabrication of the Cryostat Vacuum Chamber

In order to preserve a cold, stable environment for the HPF optics, the entire instrument must be kept in a giant vacuum chamber, called a cryostat.  The cryostat must seal out the ambient atmosphere for years at a time, while … Continue reading

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