The current generation of radial-velocity spectrographs are at the precipice of discovering a multitude Earth-like exoplanets orbiting in the habitable zones of nearby stars. Such detections require Doppler precision of approximately 10 cm s^{-1), an order of magnitude better than the typical best-case measurement from the previous generation of instruments. Therefore, the radial-velocity community requires research and innovation from all angles to push our technology over the brink. This thesis present multiple contributions to this field—ranging from the development of precision laser equipment to the implementation of advanced statistical data analysis algorithms—all in support of the EXtreme PREcision Spectrograph with the goal of improving instrument precision and exoplanet detection capability.
Thesis advisor: Debra Fischer (debra.fischer@yale.edu)
Contact Stacey Watts for zoom information.