I. Overview.

 

I.1 Scientific programme glossary

The scientific programme has two components:

* Core programme (CP): restricted to CO-Is, dedicated to the main scientific cases of the mission

Seismology in the seismology field
Exoplanet search in the exoplanet field

 Ressources available: all the long runs , half of the short runs (see below)
  

* Additional programmes (AP): open to the world-wide astronomical community

Any scientific case not included in the Core programme
 

Ressources available:
 
* Short Runs  : half of the short runs
* Windows (specific targets)  during the runs of the CP: ~ a few 100
* Data of the CP, for any other scientific case

I.2 Mission profile

There are two 
types of observing runs:

- Long runs (150 days) A minimum number of 5 long runs is required.

- Short runs (20 to 30 days)

To avoid the Sun direction, the spacecraft is rotated 180° around the 
North.South axis every six months.
Nominally, each half year contains a long run and a short run, 
between two 180 degrees rotations. The order is not imposed, but will depend on the 
pointing position to optimise the observation conditions. from the centre to the 
anticentre autumn, one can begin the observations in the anticentre with a short run, 
followed by a long run  (1a on the figure) or by a long run followed by a short one. (1b). 

The planning is symetrical with respect to the line of nodes of the orbit.

I.3 Continuous viewing zones (the eyes of COROT)

The observable regions of the sky are limited by the Earth globe, which produces straylight.

The maximum aceeptable angle is around 10°. These regions are approximately two circles of 10° radius in opposite directions. Their position have been fixed taking into acount to stellar content in terms of possible targets for both programmes.

A small drift of the plane of the orbit will optimize the observing conditions with respect to straylight, and transform these circles in slightly elongated ellipses.

 

I.4 Focal plane

The  position of the focal plane is defined  in Corotsky  by 3 values
alpha and delta of the centre C of the focal plane
rho= roll angle defined as follows: the columns are almost aligned with alpha and the rows with delta.
A limited rotation of the satellite is possible around the centre of the focal plane.
Its maximum amplitude is ± 20° around a median position almost parallel to the delta axis,as indicated by Corotsky.

I.5 Corot photometric properties

Response of the Corot instrument for seismology and 
exoplanet channels as a function of 
wavelength, compared to the classical UBVRI bands, the  bands 
used by EXODAT Vint and Rint, and those (very aprroximate) of USNO-A2.
The COROT efficiency curves are the real one.

Response of the Corot instrument for seismology and 
exoplanet channels as a function of wavelength, compared to the Hipparcos efficiency. 
The Corot bandpass is larger than the Hipparcos one and translated to the 
red.

I.6 Targets

For each pointing

Seismology field: 5 targets per CCD

limiting magnitude 5.7 <mv< 9.5 (up to 10.5 for specific cases)
integration time : 32 s. (1s available on request)

Exoplanet field: 6000 targets per CCD

limiting magnitude:  11.5 <mv< 16 
(the bright limit due to saturation has to be confirmed) 

integration time: 512 s. (32s for 500 windows per CCD)
Colour information : up to 5000 windows for mv<15