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VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:UW-Madison-Physics-Events
BEGIN:VEVENT
SEQUENCE:0
UID:UW-Physics-Event-2112
DTSTART:20110204T211500Z
DTEND:20110204T223000Z
DTSTAMP:20260307T190343Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20110201T204823Z
LOCATION:4421 Sterling Hall
SUMMARY:Direct Imaging of Exoplanets: Prospects for comparative Exopla
 netology\, Astronomy Colloquium\, Beth Biller\, MPIA Heidelberg
DESCRIPTION:Direct detection\, and direct spectroscopy in particular\,
 <br>
\nhave great potential for advancing our understanding of extraso
 lar<br>
\nplanets. In combinations with other methods of planet detect
 ion\,<br>
\ndirect imaging and spectroscopy will allow us to eventuall
 y: 1) fully map out the architecture of typical planetary systems and 
 2) study the physical properties of exoplanets (colors\, temperatures\
 , etc.) in depth. I will discuss initial results from the ongoing 500 
 hour NICI Planet-Finding Campaign using the novel Near-IR Coronagraphi
 c Imager (NICI) at the 8-m Gemini South telescope. NICI combines a num
 ber of techniques to attenuate starlight a suppress superspeckles for 
 direct detection of exoplanets: 1) Lyot coronagraphic imaging\, 2) dua
 l channel imaging for Spectral Differential Imaging (SDI) and 3)operat
 ion in a fixed Cassegrain rotator mode for Angular Differential Imagin
 g (ADI). The combination of these techniques allows unprecedented cont
 rasts of dmag > 14 (median value) at 1" in H band\, sufficient to imag
 e giant planets (<5 MJup) around stars in nearby young moving groups a
 nd super jupiters (<10 MJup) around stars in the immediate solar neigh
 borhood.  I will also discuss the discovery of a tight substellar comp
 anion to the young solar analog PZ Tel(Biller et al. 2010)\, a member 
 of the &#946\; Pic moving group observed as part of the Gemini Near-In
 frared Coronagraphic Imager Planet-Finding Campaign.<br>
\n<br>
\nPZ T
 el B is one of the few young substellar companions<br>
\ndirectly imag
 ed at orbital separations similar to those of giant<br>
\nplanets in o
 ur own solar system.<br>
\n <br>
\nPlanetary mass companions to brown 
 dwarfs are an important counterpart to planets around stars and provid
 e key benchmark objects for evolutionary models of substellar objects.
   Therefore\, I will also discuss results from a systematic Keck Laser
  Guide Star (LGS) adaptive optics search to directly image planetary m
 ass companions to young brown dwarfs in the Upper Sco embedded cluster
  (Biller et al. 2011).<br>
\n
URL:https://www.physics.wisc.edu/events/?id=2112
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