1. Imaging low-mass planets within the habitable zone of α Centauri
- Author
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Wagner, Kevin, Boehle, Anna, Pathak, Prashant, Kasper, Markus, Arsenault, Robin, Jakob, Gerd, Käufl, Ulli, Leveratto, Serban, Maire, Anne-Lise, Pantin, Eric, Siebenmorgen, Ralf, Zins, Gerard, Absil, Olivier, Ageorges, Nancy, Apai, Daniel, Carlotti, Alexis, Choquet, Elodie, Delacroix, Christian, Dohlen, Kjetil, Duhoux, Philippe, Forsberg, Pontus, Fuenteseca, Eloy, Gutruf, Sven, Guyon, Oliver, Huby, Elsa, Kampf, Dirk, Karlsson, Mikael, Kervella, Pierre, Kirchbauer, Jean Paul, Klupar, Peter, Kolb, Johann, Mawet, Dimitri, N’Diaye, Mamadou, Orban de Xivry, Gilles, Quanz, Sascha P., Reutlinger, Arnd, Ruane, Garreth, Riquelme, Miguel, Soenke, Christian, Sterzik, Michael Fritz, Vigan, Arthur, de Zeeuw, Tim, Wagner, Kevin, Boehle, Anna, Pathak, Prashant, Kasper, Markus, Arsenault, Robin, Jakob, Gerd, Käufl, Ulli, Leveratto, Serban, Maire, Anne-Lise, Pantin, Eric, Siebenmorgen, Ralf, Zins, Gerard, Absil, Olivier, Ageorges, Nancy, Apai, Daniel, Carlotti, Alexis, Choquet, Elodie, Delacroix, Christian, Dohlen, Kjetil, Duhoux, Philippe, Forsberg, Pontus, Fuenteseca, Eloy, Gutruf, Sven, Guyon, Oliver, Huby, Elsa, Kampf, Dirk, Karlsson, Mikael, Kervella, Pierre, Kirchbauer, Jean Paul, Klupar, Peter, Kolb, Johann, Mawet, Dimitri, N’Diaye, Mamadou, Orban de Xivry, Gilles, Quanz, Sascha P., Reutlinger, Arnd, Ruane, Garreth, Riquelme, Miguel, Soenke, Christian, Sterzik, Michael Fritz, Vigan, Arthur, and de Zeeuw, Tim
- Abstract
Giant exoplanets on wide orbits have been directly imaged around young stars. If the thermal background in the mid-infrared can be mitigated, then exoplanets with lower masses can also be imaged. Here we present a ground-based mid-infrared observing approach that enables imaging low-mass temperate exoplanets around nearby stars, and in particular within the closest stellar system, alpha Centauri. Based on 75-80% of the best quality images from 100h of cumulative observations, we demonstrate sensitivity to warm sub-Neptune-sized planets throughout much of the habitable zone of alpha Centauri A. This is an order of magnitude more sensitive than state-of-the-art exoplanet imaging mass detection limits. We also discuss a possible exoplanet or exozodiacal disk detection around alpha Centauri A. However, an instrumental artifact of unknown origin cannot be ruled out. These results demonstrate the feasibility of imaging rocky habitable-zone exoplanets with current and upcoming telescopes. Imaging of low-mass exoplanets can be achieved once the thermal background in the mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths can be mitigated. Here, the authors present a ground-based MIR observing approach enabling imaging low-mass temperate exoplanets around nearby stars.
- Published
- 2021
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