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VERSION:2.0
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PRODID:UW-Madison-Physics-Events
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SEQUENCE:0
UID:UW-Physics-Event-2112
DTSTART:20110204T211500Z
DTEND:20110204T223000Z
DTSTAMP:20240329T005524Z
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\,
\nhave great potential for advancing our understanding of extraso
lar
\nplanets. In combinations with other methods of planet detect
ion\,
\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 β\; Pic moving group observed as part of the Gemini Near-In
frared Coronagraphic Imager Planet-Finding Campaign.
\n
\nPZ T
el B is one of the few young substellar companions
\ndirectly imag
ed at orbital separations similar to those of giant
\nplanets in o
ur own solar system.
\n
\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).
\n
URL:https://www.physics.wisc.edu/events/?id=2112
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