College of Arts & Sciences

Tara N. Feenan

College of Arts & Sciences Physics

Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Goldberg Physics

Finding Habitable Planets using Microlensing

Gravitational microlensing is a phenomenon where massive objects bend the paths of light sources behind them, thus altering and warping the image of the light source as perceived by the observer, all over the course of a few days to weeks. Current applications of microlensing observations include finding and classifying the non-light emitting mass in space, particularly exoplanets. With a concentration on exoplanet discovery, we then focused on the Drake Equation: a formula that predicts the probability of extraterrestrial intelligence based on preexisting knowledge and assumptions pertaining to our galaxy. Combining the Drake Equation with microlensing analysis, as well as these preexisting assumptions, we predicted the potential observations of future large-scale telescope projects. WFIRST is a NASA-planned infrared telescope with a field of view 100 times greater than that of the Hubble Telescope, and given this wider field of vision, we can combine its future potential microlensing observations with the Drake Equation’s factors, and more accurately predict the answer to the age-old question of whether or not we are alone in our galaxy.