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We investigate the influence of lunar-like satellites on the infrared orbitallight curves of Earth-analog extra-solar planets. Such light curves will beobtained by NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and ESA's Darwin missions asa consequence of repeat observations to confirm the companion status of aputative planet. We use an energy balance model to calculate disk-averagedinfrared (bolometric) fluxes from planet-satellite systems over a full orbitalperiod (one year). The satellites are assumed to lack an atmosphere, have a lowthermal inertia like that of the Moon and span a range of plausible radii. Theplanets are assumed to have thermal and orbital properties that mimic those ofthe Earth while their obliquities and orbital longitudes of inferiorconjunction remain free parameters. Even if the gross thermal properties of theplanet can be independently constrained (e.g. via spectroscopy orvisible-wavelength detection of specular glint from a surface ocean) only thelargest (approximately Mars-size) lunar-like satellites can be detected bylight curve data from a TPF-like instrument (i.e. one that achieves aphotometric signal-to-noise of 10-20 at infrared wavelengths). Non-detection ofa lunar-like satellite can obfuscate the interpretation of a given system'sinfrared light curve so that it may resemble a single planet with highobliquity, different orbital longitude of vernal equinox relative to inferiorconjunction and in some cases drastically different thermal characteristics. Ifthe thermal properties of the planet are not independently established then thepresence of a lunar-like satellite cannot be inferred from infrared data, thusdemonstrating that photometric light curves alone can only be used forpreliminary study of extra-solar Earth-like planets.

The Effect of Lunar-like Satellites on the Orbital Infrared Light Curves of Earth-analog Planets