Atomic Spectroscopy and Gaussian Processes to Enable Earth-like Exoplanet Detection

Precision radial velocity (PRV) exoplanet astronomy has reached a critical sensitivity barrier in the detection of Earth-like planets. We describe techniques to overcome this barrier. We have developed a small solar telescope located in the Canary Islands, which we use to observe the Sun as a point source of light, i.e., as if it was a distant star.~ We are employing methods from atomic spectroscopy and Gaussian processes to analyze the Sun-as-a-star data, and thereby to understand systematic effects on PRV signals arising from ``stellar jitter" (oscillations, sunspots, etc.).