Determine the mass-radius relation in the planetary mass range from 20 down to 1 Earth mass, with unprecedented precision. In particular CHEOPS will be able to measure radii to a precision of 10%. By targeting stars located anywhere on the sky which are bright enough for precise radial velocity follow-up, CHEOPS will not suffer from the limitations in planet mass associated with fainter stars. CHEOPS will provide a unique and large sample of small planets, with well-measured radii, enabling the robust bulk density estimates needed to test theories of planet formation and evoluation to be made.
Identify planets with atmospheres. CHEOPS will identify planets with significant atmopsheres with a range of massess, distances from the host star and stellar parameters. Using observations of a sample of planets with and without significant gaseous envelopes, CHEOPS will be able to constran the critical core mass (in the case of runaway gas accretion) or the loss of primordial H/He atmospheres as a function of the distance to the star and possible stellar parameters (eg. mass and metallicity). Note in the case of planets that are extremely close to their host star, evaporation could be an issue.
Place constraints on planet migration paths. CHEOPS will provide a sufficiently large sample of planets with accurate densities to enable discrimination to be made between common groups of migration path. In particular, CHEOPS will place constraints on possible planet migration paths followed during the formation and evolution of planets for which the clear presence of a massive gasous envelope cannot be discerned.
Study energy transport in hot Jupiter atmospheres. CHEOPS will have the capability to measure the phase curve of hot Jupiters which will provide information on planet albedos. The mission will bring new constraints on the atmospheric properties of known hot Jupiters that will help in the studies of the physical mechanisms and efficiency of energy transport from the dayside to the night side of the planet.
CHEOPS will have the capability to provide precise, time-differential photometric time series with high cadence (1 minute) of a wide range of variable light sources on timescales of <= 2 days.