title: Instrumentation for the detection and characterization of exoplanets.
abstract: In no other field of astrophysics has the impact of new instrumentation been as substantial as in the domain of exoplanets. Before 1995 our knowledge of exoplanets was mainly based on philosophical and theoretical considerations. The years that followed have been marked, instead, by surprising discoveries made possible by high-precision instruments. Over the past decade, the availability of new techniques has moved the focus of research from the detection to the characterization of exoplanets. Next-generation facilities will produce even more complementary data that will lead to a comprehensive view of exoplanet characteristics and, by comparison with theoretical models, to a better understanding of planet formation.
authors.affiliation: Observatoire Astronomique de l'Université de Genève, 51 Chemin des Maillettes, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pepe
authors.affiliation: Observatoire Astronomique de l'Université de Genève, 51 Chemin des Maillettes, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ehrenreich
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Institute for Astronomy, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Meyer