scholarly journals Possible evidence of ongoing planet formation in AB Aurigae

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. L5 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Boccaletti ◽  
E. Di Folco ◽  
E. Pantin ◽  
A. Dutrey ◽  
S. Guilloteau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Planet Formation ◽  
Scattered Light ◽  
Density Wave ◽  
Giant Planet ◽  
Wave Model ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Spiral Arms ◽  
High Contrast Imaging ◽  
Very Large Telescope

Context. Planet formation is expected to take place in the first million years of a planetary system through various processes, which remain to be tested through observations. Aims. With the recent discovery, using ALMA, of two gaseous spiral arms inside the ∼120 au cavity and connected to dusty spirals, the famous protoplanetary disk around AB Aurigae presents a strong incentive for investigating the mechanisms that lead to giant planet formation. A candidate protoplanet located inside a spiral arm has already been claimed in an earlier study based on the same ALMA data. Methods. We used SPHERE at the Very Large Telescope to perform near-infrared high-contrast imaging of AB Aur in polarized and unpolarized light in order to study the morphology of the disk and search for signs of planet formation. Results. SPHERE has delivered the deepest images ever obtained for AB Aur in scattered light. Among the many structures that are yet to be understood, we identified not only the inner spiral arms, but we also resolved a feature in the form of a twist in the eastern spiral at a separation of about 30 au. The twist of the spiral is perfectly reproduced with a planet-driven density wave model when projection effects are accounted for. We measured an azimuthal displacement with respect to the counterpart of this feature in the ALMA data, which is consistent with Keplerian motion on a 4 yr baseline. Another point sxce is detected near the edge of the inner ring, which is likely the result of scattering as opposed to the direct emission from a planet photosphere. We tentatively derived mass constraints for these two features. Conclusions. The twist and its apparent orbital motion could well be the first direct evidence of a connection between a protoplanet candidate and its manifestation as a spiral imprinted in the gas and dust distributions.

scholarly journals The likelihood of detecting young giant planets with high-contrast imaging and interferometry

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (1) ◽  
pp. 502-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
A L Wallace ◽  
M J Ireland
Keyword(s):  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Giant Planet ◽  
Giant Planets ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
High Contrast Imaging ◽  
Solar Type ◽  
Infrared Wavelengths ◽  
Core Accretion

ABSTRACT Giant planets are expected to form at orbital radii that are relatively large compared to transit and radial velocity detections (>1 au). As a result, giant planet formation is best observed through direct imaging. By simulating the formation of giant (0.3–5MJ) planets by core accretion, we predict planet magnitude in the near-infrared (2–4 μm) and demonstrate that, once a planet reaches the runaway accretion phase, it is self-luminous and is bright enough to be detected in near-infrared wavelengths. Using planet distribution models consistent with existing radial velocity and imaging constraints, we simulate a large sample of systems with the same stellar and disc properties to determine how many planets can be detected. We find that current large (8–10 m) telescopes have at most a 0.2 per cent chance of detecting a core-accretion giant planet in the L’ band and 2 per cent in the K band for a typical solar-type star. Future instruments such as METIS and VIKiNG have higher sensitivity and are expected to detect exoplanets at a maximum rate of 2 and 8 per cent, respectively.

SPHERE+, Imaging young planets down to the snow line

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Boccaletti ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Imaging Spectroscopy ◽  
Giant Planet ◽  
High Spectral Resolution ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
High Contrast Imaging ◽  
Orbital Periods ◽  
Complementary Techniques ◽  
Technical Solutions

<p>SPHERE, the high contrast imaging facility at the VLT has contributed significantly to the exploration of planetary systems, by revealing many details in proto-planetary and debris disks, by measuring the atmospheric properties of young giant planets and by deriving constraints on the giant planet population in long orbital periods. Such achievements allow us to provide a better understanding of planetary formation and evolution. The versatility of SPHERE also enables various secondary and sometimes unexpected science cases owing to a large spectral coverage from the visible to the near IR, and the availability of several observing modes as imaging, spectroscopy and polarimetry. Yet the access to the region where planets are expected to form, is not complete and still represents a challenge. To overcome this limitation larger contrasts at shorter separations are definitely required.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>The SPHERE+ concept precisely aims to provide the capabilities to primarily access the bulk of the young giant planet population down to the snowline<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>in order to bridge the gap with complementary techniques. As a second objective, SPHERE+ should be able to observe an increased sample of targets, fainter and redder than those observed in the first survey. Finally, SPHERE+ will provide a higher level of characterization of planet’s atmospheres. To achieve these goals, SPHERE should be upgraded with a faster Adaptive Optics system to reach<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>high contrasts at closer angular separations, together with a more sensitive wavefront sensor in the infrared to observe redder targets. Medium and high spectral resolution in the near infrared will be brought by a dedicated IFU spectrograph or taking advantage of the HiRISE project to combined SPHERE and CRIRES+. We will present the science cases and the technical solutions that are foreseen to reach the appropriate performances, and provide potential ways for such an upgrade. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>

scholarly journals Discovery of a point-like source and a third spiral arm in the transition disk around the Herbig Ae star MWC 758

2018 ◽  
Vol 611 ◽  
pp. A74 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Reggiani ◽  
V. Christiaens ◽  
O. Absil ◽  
D. Mawet ◽  
E. Huby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Spiral Structure ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Infrared Camera ◽  
Central Star ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Spiral Arms ◽  
Band Emission ◽  
High Contrast Imaging

Context. Transition disks offer the extraordinary opportunity to look for newly born planets and to investigate the early stages of planet formation.Aim. In this context we observed the Herbig A5 star MWC 758 with the L′-band vector vortex coronagraph installed in the near-infrared camera and spectrograph NIRC2 at the Keck II telescope, with the aim of unveiling the nature of the spiral structure by constraining the presence of planetary companions in the system.Methods. Our high-contrast imaging observations show a bright (ΔL′ = 7.0 ± 0.3 mag) point-like emission south of MWC 758 at a deprojected separation of ~20 au (r = 0.′′111 ± 0.′′004) from the central star. We also recover the two spiral arms (southeast and northwest), already imaged by previous studies in polarized light, and discover a third arm to the southwest of the star. No additional companions were detected in the system down to 5 Jupiter masses beyond 0.′′6 from the star.Results. We propose that the bright L′-band emission could be caused by the presence of an embedded and accreting protoplanet, although the possibility of it being an asymmetric disk feature cannot be excluded. The spiral structure is probably not related to the protoplanet candidate, unless on an inclined and eccentric orbit, and it could be due to one (or more) yet undetected planetary companions at the edge of or outside the spiral pattern. Future observations and additional simulations will be needed to shed light on the true nature of the point-like source and its link with the spiral arms.

scholarly journals Investigating the young solar system analog HD 95086

2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A76 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Chauvin ◽  
R. Gratton ◽  
M. Bonnefoy ◽  
A.-M. Lagrange ◽  
J. de Boer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Scattered Light ◽  
Spectral Energy Distribution ◽  
Giant Planet ◽  
Giant Planets ◽  
Dual Band ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Semi Major Axis ◽  
Integral Field Spectrograph

Context. HD 95086 (A8V, 17 Myr) hosts a rare planetary system for which a multi-belt debris disk and a giant planet of 4–5 MJup have been directly imaged. Aims. Our study aims to characterize the global architecture of this young system using the combination of radial velocity and direct imaging observations. We want to characterize the physical and orbital properties of HD 95086 b, search for additional planets at short and wide orbits and image the cold outer debris belt in scattered light. Methods. We used HARPS at the ESO 3.6 m telescope to monitor the radial velocity of HD 95086 over two years and investigate the existence of giant planets at less than 3 au orbital distance. With the IRDIS dual-band imager and the IFS integral field spectrograph of SPHERE at VLT, we imaged the faint circumstellar environment beyond 10 au at six epochs between 2015 and 2017. Results. We do not detect additional giant planets around HD 95086. We identify the nature (bound companion or background contaminant) of all point-like sources detected in the IRDIS field of view. None of them correspond to the ones recently discovered near the edge of the cold outer belt by ALMA. HD 95086 b is resolved for the first time in J-band with IFS. Its near-infrared spectral energy distribution is well fitted by a few dusty and/or young L7–L9 dwarf spectral templates. The extremely red 1–4 μm spectral distribution is typical of low-gravity objects at the L/T spectral type transition. The planet’s orbital motion is resolved between January 2015 and May 2017. Together with past NaCo measurements properly re-calibrated, our orbital fitting solutions favor a retrograde low to moderate-eccentricity orbit e = 0.2+0.3−0.2, with a semi-major axis ~52 au corresponding to orbital periods of ~288 yr and an inclination that peaks at i = 141°, which is compatible with a planet-disk coplanar configuration. Finally, we report the detection in polarimetric differential imaging of the cold outer debris belt between 100 and 300 au, consistent in radial extent with recent ALMA 1.3 mm resolved observations.

scholarly journals Simulations of scattered light control algorithms for coronagraphic high contrast imaging

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott A. Basinger ◽  
Joseph J. Green ◽  
Stuart B. Shaklan ◽  
David C. Redding
Keyword(s):  
Scattered Light ◽  
Control Algorithms ◽  
High Contrast ◽  
Light Control ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
High Contrast Imaging

How many suns are in the sky? Multiplicity surveys of exoplanet host stars

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (S345) ◽  
pp. 316-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mugrauer ◽  
C. Ginski ◽  
N. Vogt ◽  
R. Neuhäuser ◽  
C. Adam
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Planet Formation ◽  
High Contrast ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Direct Imaging ◽  
High Contrast Imaging ◽  
Multiple Stars ◽  
First Results ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Host Stars

AbstractIn order to determine the true impact of stellar multiplicity on the formation and evolution of planets, we initiated direct imaging surveys to search for (sub)stellar companions of exoplanet host stars on close orbits, as their gravitational impact on the planet bearing disk at first and on formed planets afterwards is expected to be maximal. According to theory these are the most challenging environments for planet formation and evolution but might occur quite frequently in the milky way, due to the large number of multiple stars within our galaxy. On this poster we showed results, obtained so far in the course of our AO and Lucky-imaging campaigns of exoplanet host stars, conducted with NACO/ESO-VLT for southern and with AstraLux/CAHA2.2m for northern targets, respectively. In addition, we introduced our new high contrast imaging survey with SPHERE/ESO-VLT to search for close companions of southern exoplanet host stars, and presented some first results.

scholarly journals Constraining the properties of HD 206893 B

2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. L9 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Grandjean ◽  
A.-M. Lagrange ◽  
H. Beust ◽  
L. Rodet ◽  
J. Milli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Semimajor Axis ◽  
High Contrast ◽  
Brown Dwarf ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Dynamical Mass ◽  
Orbital Parameters ◽  
High Contrast Imaging ◽  
Very Large Telescope ◽  
Astrometric Data

Context. High contrast imaging enables the determination of orbital parameters for substellar companions (planets, brown dwarfs) from the observed relative astrometry and the estimation of model and age-dependent masses from their observed magnitudes or spectra. Combining astrometric positions with radial velocity gives direct constraints on the orbit and on the dynamical masses of companions. A brown dwarf was discovered with the VLT/SPHERE instrument at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in 2017, which orbits at ∼11 au around HD 206893. Its mass was estimated between 12 and 50 MJ from evolutionary models and its photometry. However, given the significant uncertainty on the age of the system and the peculiar spectrophotometric properties of the companion, this mass is not well constrained. Aims. We aim at constraining the orbit and dynamical mass of HD 206893 B. Methods. We combined radial velocity data obtained with HARPS spectra and astrometric data obtained with the high contrast imaging VLT/SPHERE and VLT/NaCo instruments, with a time baseline less than three years. We then combined those data with astrometry data obtained by HIPPARCOS and Gaia with a time baseline of 24 yr. We used a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach to estimate the orbital parameters and dynamical mass of the brown dwarf from those data. Results. We infer a period between 21 and 33 yr and an inclination in the range 20−41° from pole-on from HD 206893 B relative astrometry. The RV data show a significant RV drift over 1.6 yr. We show that HD 206893 B cannot be the source of this observed RV drift as it would lead to a dynamical mass inconsistent with its photometry and spectra and with HIPPARCOS and Gaia data. An additional inner (semimajor axis in the range 1.4–2.6 au) and massive (∼15 MJ) companion is needed to explain the RV drift, which is compatible with the available astrometric data of the star, as well as with the VLT/SPHERE and VLT/NaCo nondetection.

scholarly journals precision: a fast python pipeline for high-contrast imaging – application to SPHERE observations of the red supergiant VX Sagitariae

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (3) ◽  
pp. 3200-3211
Author(s):  
P Scicluna ◽  
F Kemper ◽  
R Siebenmorgen ◽  
R Wesson ◽  
J A D L Blommaert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Extrasolar Planets ◽  
Asymmetric Structure ◽  
High Contrast ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Near Ir ◽  
High Contrast Imaging ◽  
Infrared Imager ◽  
Imaging Application ◽  
Efficient Reduction

ABSTRACT The search for extrasolar planets has driven rapid advances in instrumentation, resulting in cameras such as SPHERE at the VLT, GPI at Gemini South and SCExAO at Subaru, capable of achieving very high contrast (∼106) around bright stars with small inner working angles (${\sim}0.1\,{\rm arcsec}$). The optimal exploitation of data from these instruments depends on the availability of easy-to-use software to process and analyse their data products. We present a pure-python pipeline, precision, which provides fast, memory-efficient reduction of data from the SPHERE/IRDIS near-infrared imager, and can be readily extended to other instruments. We apply precision to observations of the extreme red supergiant VX Sgr, the inner outflow of which is revealed to host complex, asymmetric structure in the near-IR. In addition, optical polarimetric imaging reveals clear extended polarized emission on ∼0.5 arcsec scales that varies significantly with azimuth, confirming the asymmetry. While not conclusive, this could suggest that the ejecta are confined to a disc or torus, which we are viewing nearly face on, although other non-spherical or clumpy configurations remain possible. VX Sgr has no known companions, making such a geometry difficult to explain, as there is no obvious source of angular momentum in the system.

scholarly journals First scattered light detection of a nearly edge-on transition disk around the T Tauri star RY Lupi

2018 ◽  
Vol 614 ◽  
pp. A88 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Langlois ◽  
A. Pohl ◽  
A.-M. Lagrange ◽  
A.- L. Maire ◽  
D. Mesa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Planet Formation ◽  
Scattered Light ◽  
Emission Feature ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Tauri Star ◽  
Dual Band ◽  
High Angular Resolution ◽  
T Tauri

Context. Transition disks are considered sites of ongoing planet formation, and their dust and gas distributions could be signposts of embedded planets. The transition disk around the T Tauri star RY Lup has an inner dust cavity and displays a strong silicate emission feature. Aims. Using high-resolution imaging we study the disk geometry, including non-axisymmetric features, and its surface dust grain, to gain a better understanding of the disk evolutionary process. Moreover, we search for companion candidates, possibly connected to the disk. Methods. We obtained high-contrast and high angular resolution data in the near-infrared with the VLT/SPHERE extreme adaptive optics instrument whose goal is to study the planet formation by detecting and characterizing these planets and their formation environments through direct imaging. We performed polarimetric imaging of the RY Lup disk with IRDIS (at 1.6 μm), and obtained intensity images with the IRDIS dual-band imaging camera simultaneously with the IFS spectro-imager (0.9–1.3 μm). Results. We resolved for the first time the scattered light from the nearly edge-on circumstellar disk around RY Lup, at projected separations in the 100 au range. The shape of the disk and its sharp features are clearly detectable at wavelengths ranging from 0.9 to 1.6 μm. We show that the observed morphology can be interpreted as spiral arms in the disk. This interpretation is supported by in-depth numerical simulations. We also demonstrate that these features can be produced by one planet interacting with the disk. We also detect several point sources which are classified as probable background objects.

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