Search

RISTRETTO is the evolution of the original idea of coupling the VLT instruments SPHERE and ESPRESSO \cite{lovis_2016a}, aiming at High Dispersion Coronagraphy. RISTRETTO is a visitor instrument that should enable the characterization of the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets in reflected light, by using the technique of high-contrast, high-resolution spectroscopy. Its goal is to observe Prox Cen b and other planets placed at about 35mas from their star, i.e. $2\lambda/D$ at $\lambda$=750nm. The instrument is composed of an extreme adaptive optics, a coronagraphic Integral Field Unit, and a diffraction-limited spectrograph (R=140.000, $\lambda =$620-840 nm). We present the RISTRETTO XAO architecture that reach the specification, providing contrasts down to $5\times10^{-5}$ at 2$\lambda/D$ from the star in the visible, in the presence of atmosphere and low wind effect. This performance is allowed by a new two-sensors-one-dm architecture, some variations to the already known concepts of unmodulated pyWFS and zWFS, and exploiting to the maximum of their capabilities the state-of-the-art high speed, low noise cameras \& fast DM. We present the result of end-to-end simulations, that demonstrate stable closed loop operation of an unmodulated pyramid and a zernike WFS (together), and in presence of low wind effect., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

The first generation of ELT instruments includes an optical-infrared high-resolution spectrograph, indicated as ELT-HIRES and recently christened ANDES (ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph). ANDES consists of three fibre-fed spectrographs ([U]BV, RIZ, YJH) providing a spectral resolution of $\sim$100,000 with a minimum simultaneous wavelength coverage of 0.4-1.8 $\mu$m with the goal of extending it to 0.35-2.4 $\mu$m with the addition of a U arm to the BV spectrograph and a separate K band spectrograph. It operates both in seeing- and diffraction-limited conditions and the fibre feeding allows several, interchangeable observing modes including a single conjugated adaptive optics module and a small diffraction-limited integral field unit in the NIR. Modularity and fibre-feeding allow ANDES to be placed partly on the ELT Nasmyth platform and partly in the Coud\'e room. ANDES has a wide range of groundbreaking science cases spanning nearly all areas of research in astrophysics and even fundamental physics. Among the top science cases, there are the detection of biosignatures from exoplanet atmospheres, finding the fingerprints of the first generation of stars, tests on the stability of Nature's fundamental couplings, and the direct detection of the cosmic acceleration. The ANDES project is carried forward by a large international consortium, composed of 35 Institutes from 13 countries, forming a team of almost 300 scientists and engineers which include the majority of the scientific and technical expertise in the field that can be found in ESO member states., Comment: SPIE astronomical telescope and instrumentation 2024, in press

We carried out very deep VLT/SPHERE imaging polarimetry of the nearby system Eps Eri based on 38.5 hours of integration time with a 600 - 900 nm broadband filter to search for polarized scattered light from a planet or from circumstellar dust using AO, coronagraphy, high precision differential polarimetry, and angular differential imaging. We have improved several data reduction and post-processing techniques and also developed new ones to further increase the sensitivity of SPHERE/ZIMPOL. The data provide unprecedented contrast limits, but no significant detection of a point source or an extended signal from circumstellar dust. For each observing epoch, we obtained a point source contrast for the polarized intensity between $2\cdot 10^{-8}$ and $4\cdot 10^{-8}$ at the expected separation of the planet Eps Eri b of 1'' near quadrature phase. The polarimetric contrast limits are about six to 50 times better than the intensity limits because polarimetric imaging is much more efficient in speckle suppression. Combining the entire 14-month data set to the search for a planet moving on a Keplerian orbit with the K-Stacker software further improves the contrast limits by a factor of about two, to about $8 \cdot 10^{-9}$ at 1''. This would allow the detection of a planet with a radius of about 2.5 Jupiter radii. The surface brightness contrast limits achieved for the polarized intensity from an extended scattering region are about 15 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ at 1'', or up to 3 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ deeper than previous limits. For Eps Eri, these limits exclude the presence of a narrow dust ring and they constrain the dust properties. This study shows that the polarimetric contrast limits for reflecting planets with SPHERE/ZIMPOL can be improved to a level $<10^{-8}$ simply by collecting more data over many nights and using the K-Stacker software., Comment: 26 pages, 20 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

Characterizing the PSF of adaptive optics instruments is of paramount importance both for instrument design and observation planning/optimization. Simulation software, such as PASSATA, have been successfully utilized for PSF characterization in instrument design, which make use of standardized atmospheric turbulence profiles to produce PSFs that represent the typical instrument performance. In this contribution we study the feasibility of using such tool for nowcast application (present-time forecast), such as the characterization of an on-sky measured PSF in real observations. Specifically we will analyze the performance of the simulation software in characterizing the real-time PSF of two different state-of-the-art SCAO adaptive optics instruments: SOUL at the LBT, and SAXO at the VLT. The study will make use of on-sky measurements of the atmospheric turbulence and compare the results of the simulations to the measured PSF figures of merit (namely the FHWM and the Strehl Ratio) retrieved from the instrument telemetry in real observations. Our main goal in this phase is to quantify the level of uncertainly of the AO simulations in reproducing real on-sky observed PSFs with an end-to-end code (PASSATA). In a successive phase we intend to use a faster analytical code (TIPTOP). This work is part of a wider study which aims to use simulation tools joint to atmospheric turbulence forecasts performed nightly to forecast in advance the PSF and support science operations of ground-based telescopes facilities. The 'PSF forecast' option might therefore be added to ALTA Center or the operational forecast system that will be implemented soon at ESO., Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures

RISTRETTO is the evolution of the original idea of coupling the VLT instruments SPHERE and ESPRESSO, aiming at High Dispersion Coronagraphy. RISTRETTO is a visitor instrument that should enable the characterization of the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets in reflected light, by using the technique of high-contrast, high-resolution spectroscopy. Its goal is to observe Prox Cen b and other planets placed at about 35mas from their star, i.e. 2lambda/D at lambda=750nm. The instrument is composed of an extreme adaptive optics, a coronagraphic Integral Field Unit, and a diffraction-limited spectrograph (R=140.000, lambda=620-840 nm). We present the status of our studies regarding the coronagraphic IFU and the XAO system. The first in particular is based on a modified version of the PIAA apodizer, allowing nulling on the first diffraction ring. Our proposed design has the potential to reach > 50% coupling and <1E-4 contrast at 2lambda/D in median seeing conditions., Comment: Proceeding of SPIE Telescopes+Instrumentation 2022. [Added acknowledgments]

On large ground-based telescopes, the combination of extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) and coronagraphy with high-dispersion spectroscopy (HDS), sometimes referred to as high-dispersion coronagraphy (HDC), is starting to emerge as a powerful technique for the direct characterisation of giant exoplanets. The high spectral resolution not only brings a major gain in terms of accessible spectral features but also enables a better separation of the stellar and planetary signals. Ongoing projects such as Keck/KPIC, Subaru/REACH, and VLT/HiRISE base their observing strategy on the use of a few science fibres, one of which is dedicated to sampling the planet's signal, while the others sample the residual starlight in the speckle field. The main challenge in this approach is to blindly centre the planet's point spread function (PSF) accurately on the science fibre, with an accuracy of less than 0.1 $\lambda/D$ to maximise the coupling efficiency. In the context of the HiRISE project, three possible centring strategies are foreseen, either based on retro-injecting calibration fibres to localise the position of the science fibre or based on a dedicated centring fibre. We implemented these three approaches, and we compared their centring accuracy using an upgraded setup of the MITHiC high-contrast imaging testbed, which is similar to the setup that will be adopted in HiRISE. Our results demonstrate that reaching a specification accuracy of 0.1 $\lambda/D$ is extremely challenging regardless of the chosen centring strategy. It requires a high level of accuracy at every step of the centring procedure, which can be reached with very stable instruments. We studied the contributors to the centring error in the case of MITHiC and we propose a quantification for some of the most impacting terms.

Coronagraphic imaging of exoplanets using ground-based instruments on large telescopes is intrinsically limited by speckles induced by uncorrected aberrations. These aberrations originate from the imperfect correction of the atmosphere by an extreme adaptive optics system; from static optical defects; or from small opto-mechanical variations due to changes in temperature, pressure, or gravity vector. More than the speckles themselves, the performance of high-contrast imagers is ultimately limited by their temporal stability, since most post-processing techniques rely on difference of images acquired at different points in time. Identifying the origin of the aberrations and the timescales involved is therefore crucial to understanding the fundamental limits of dedicated high-contrast instruments. We previously demonstrated the use of a Zernike wavefront sensor called ZELDA for sensing non-common path aberrations (NCPA) in VLT/SPHERE. We now use ZELDA to investigate the stability of the instrumental aberrations using 5 long sequences of measurements obtained at high cadence on the internal source. Our study reveals two regimes of decorrelation of the NCPA. The first, with a characteristic timescale of a few seconds and an amplitude of a few nanometers, is induced by a fast internal turbulence within the enclosure. The second is a slow quasi-linear decorrelation on the order of a few $10^{-3}$ nm rms/s that acts on timescales from minutes to hours. We use coronagraphic image reconstruction to demonstrate that these two NCPA contributions have a measurable impact on differences of images, and that the fast internal turbulence is a dominating term over to the slow linear decorrelation. We also use dedicated sequences where the derotator and atmospheric dispersion compensators emulate a real observation to demonstrate the importance of performing observations symmetric around the meridian., Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

To date, nearly two hundred planet-forming disks have been imaged with high resolution. Our propensity to study bright and extended objects is however biasing our view of the disk demography. In this work, we contribute to alleviate this bias by analyzing fifteen disks targeted with VLT/SPHERE that look faint in scattered light. Sources were selected based on a low far-IR excess from the spectral energy distribution. The comparison with the ALMA images available for a few sources shows that the scattered light surveyed by these datasets is only detected from a small portion of the disk extent. The mild anti-correlation between the disk brightness and the near-IR excess demonstrates that these disks are self-shadowed: the inner disk rim intercepts much starlight and leaves the outer disk in penumbra. Based on the uniform distribution of the disk brightness in scattered light across all spectral types, self-shadowing would act similarly for inner rims at a different distance from the star. We discuss how the illumination pattern of the outer disk may evolve with time. Some objects in the sample are proposed to be at an intermediate stage toward bright disks from the literature with either no shadow or with sign of azimuthally confined shadows., Comment: Accepted for publication in A\&A

Context. Spiral arms in protoplanetary disks could be shown to be the manifestation of density waves launched by protoplanets and propagating in the gaseous component of the disk. At least two point sources have been identified in the L band in the MWC 758 system as planetary mass object candidates. Aims. We used VLT/SPHERE to search for counterparts of these candidates in the H and K bands, and to characterize the morphology of the spiral arms . Methods. The data were processed with now-standard techniques in high-contrast imaging to determine the limits of detection, and to compare them to the luminosity derived from L band observations. Results. In considering the evolutionary, atmospheric, and opacity models we were not able to confirm the two former detections of point sources performed in the L band. In addition, the analysis of the spiral arms from a dynamical point of view does not support the hypothesis that these candidates comprise the origin of the spirals. Conclusions. Deeper observations and longer timescales will be required to identify the actual source of the spiral arms in MWC 758., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Context. Debris disks have commonly been studied around intermediate-mass stars. Their intense radiation fields are believed to efficiently remove the small dust grains that are constantly replenished by collisions. For lower-mass stars, in particular M-stars, the dust removal mechanism needs to be further investigated given the much weaker radiation field produced by these objects. Aims. We present new polarimetric observations of the nearly edge-on disk around the pre-main sequence M-type star GSC 07396-00759, taken with VLT/SPHERE IRDIS, with the aim to better understand the morphology of the disk, its dust properties, and the star-disk interaction via the stellar mass-loss rate. Methods. We model our observations to characterize the location and properties of the dust grains using the Henyey-Greenstein approximation of the polarized phase function and evaluate the strength of the stellar winds. Results. We find that the observations are best described by an extended and highly inclined disk ($i\approx 84.3\,^{\circ}\pm0.3$) with a dust distribution centered at a radius $r_{0}\approx107\pm2$ au. The polarized phase function $S_{12}$ is best reproduced by an anisotropic scattering factor $g\approx0.6$ and small micron-sized dust grains with sizes $s>0.3\,\mathrm{\mu}$m. We furthermore discuss some of the caveats of the approach and a degeneracy between the grain size and the porosity. Conclusions. Even though the radius of the disk may be over-estimated, our results suggest that using a given scattering theory might not be sufficient to fully explain key aspects such as the shape of the phase function, or the dust grain size. With the caveats in mind, we find that the average mass-loss rate of GSC 07396-00759 can be up to 500 times stronger than that of the Sun, supporting the idea that stellar winds from low-mass stars can evacuate small dust grains from the disk., Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables

Large surveys with new-generation high-contrast imaging instruments are needed to derive the frequency and properties of exoplanet populations with separations from $\sim$5 to 300 AU. A careful assessment of the stellar properties is crucial for a proper understanding of when, where, and how frequently planets form, and how they evolve. The sensitivity of detection limits to stellar age makes this a key parameter for direct imaging surveys. We describe the SpHere INfrared survey for Exoplanets (SHINE), the largest direct imaging planet-search campaign initiated at the VLT in 2015 in the context of the SPHERE Guaranteed Time Observations of the SPHERE consortium. In this first paper we present the selection and the properties of the complete sample of stars surveyed with SHINE, focusing on the targets observed during the first phase of the survey (from February 2015 to February 2017). This early sample composed of 150 stars is used to perform a preliminary statistical analysis of the SHINE data, deferred to two companion papers presenting the survey performance, main discoveries, and the preliminary statistical constraints set by SHINE. Based on a large database collecting the stellar properties of all young nearby stars in the solar vicinity (including kinematics, membership to moving groups, isochrones, lithium abundance, rotation, and activity), we selected the original sample of 800 stars that were ranked in order of priority according to their sensitivity for planet detection in direct imaging with SPHERE. The properties of the stars that are part of the early statistical sample were revisited, including for instance measurements from the GAIA Data Release 2.

Over the past decades, direct imaging has confirmed the existence of substellar companions (exoplanets or brown dwarfs) on wide orbits (>10 au) from their host stars. To understand their formation and evolution mechanisms, we have initiated in 2015 the SPHERE infrared survey for exoplanets (SHINE), a systematic direct imaging survey of young, nearby stars to explore their demographics.} {We aim to detect and characterize the population of giant planets and brown dwarfs beyond the snow line around young, nearby stars. Combined with the survey completeness, our observations offer the opportunity to constrain the statistical properties (occurrence, mass and orbital distributions, dependency on the stellar mass) of these young giant planets.} {In this study, we present the observing and data analysis strategy, the ranking process of the detected candidates, and the survey performances for a subsample of 150 stars, which are representative of the full SHINE sample. The observations were conducted in an homogeneous way from February 2015 to February 2017 with the dedicated ground-based VLT/SPHERE instrument equipped with the IFS integral field spectrograph and the IRDIS dual-band imager covering a spectral range between 0.9 and 2.3 $\mu$m. We used coronographic, angular and spectral differential imaging techniques to reach the best detection performances for this study down to the planetary mass regime.}

The optimization and scheduling of scientific observations done with instrumentation supported by adaptive optics could greatly benefit from the forecast of PSF figures of merit (FWHM, Strehl Ratio, Encircle Energy and contrast), that depend on the AO instrument, the scientific target and turbulence conditions during the observing night. In this contribution we explore the the possibility to forecast a few among the most useful PSF figures of merit (SR and FWHM). To achieve this goal, we use the optical turbulence forecasted by the mesoscale atmospheric model Astro-Meso-NH on a short timescale as an input for PSF simulation software developed and tailored for specific AO instruments. A preliminary validation will be performed by comparing the results with on-sky measured PSF figures of merit obtained on specific targets using the SCAO systems SOUL (FLAO upgrade) feeding the camera LUCI at LBT and SAXO, the extreme SCAO system feeding the high resolution SPHERE instrument at VLT. This study will pave the way to the implementation of an operational forecasts of such a figure of merits on the base of existing operational forecast system of the atmosphere (turbulence and atmospheric parameters). In this contribution we focus our attention on the forecast of the PSF on-axis., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables

Future high-contrast imagers on ground-based extremely large telescopes will have to deal with the segmentation of the primary mirrors. Residual phase errors coming from the phase steps at the edges of the segments will have to be minimized in order to reach the highest possible wavefront correction and thus the best contrast performance. To study these effects, we have developed the MITHIC high-contrast testbed, which is designed to test various strategies for wavefront sensing, including the Zernike sensor for Extremely accurate measurements of Low-level Differential Aberrations (ZELDA) and COronagraphic Focal-plane wave-Front Estimation for Exoplanet detection (COFFEE). We recently equipped the bench with a new atmospheric turbulence simulation module that offers both static phase patterns representing segmented primary mirrors and continuous phase strips representing atmospheric turbulence filtered by an AO or an XAO system. We present a characterisation of the module using different instruments and wavefront sensors, and the first coronagraphic measurements obtained on MITHIC., Comment: Presented at SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation + Telescope 2016

Studies of atmospheres of directly imaged exoplanets with high-resolution spectrographs have shown that their characterization is predominantly limited by noise on the stellar halo at the location of the studied exoplanet. An instrumental combination of high-contrast imaging and high spectral resolution that suppresses this noise and resolves the spectral lines can therefore yield higher quality spectra. We study the performance of the proposed HiRISE fiber coupling between the SPHERE and CRIRES+ at the VLT for spectral characterization of directly imaged planets. Using end-to-end simulations of HiRISE we determine the S/N of the detection of molecular species for known exoplanets in $H$ and $K$ bands, and compare them to CRIRES+. We investigate the ultimate detection limits of HiRISE as a function of stellar magnitude, and we quantify the impact of different coronagraphs and of the system transmission. We find that HiRISE largely outperforms CRIRES+ for companions around bright hosts like $\beta$ Pic or 51 Eri. For an $H=3.5$ host, we observe a gain of a factor of up to 16 in observing time with HiRISE to reach the same S/N on a companion at 200 mas. More generally, HiRISE provides better performance than CRIRES+ in two-hour integration times between 50-350 mas for hosts with $H<8.5$ and between 50-700 mas for $H<7$. For fainter hosts like PDS 70 and HIP 65426, no significant improvements are observed. We find that using no coronagraph yields the best S/N when characterizing known exoplanets due to higher transmission and fiber-based starlight suppression. We demonstrate that the overall transmission of the system is in fact the main driver of performance. Finally, we show that HiRISE outperforms the best detection limits of SPHERE for bright stars, opening major possibilities for the characterization of future planetary companions detected by other techniques., Comment: 21 pages, 17 figures. 2 tables. Originally accepted for publication in A&A. Revised version after error in sky background was discovered (too high) and corrected in proofing stage. Revisions made in Abstract, Sections 3-6 and Figures 6-12,C1,C2 that address the changes in performance. Resubmitted to A&A

The SHINE project is a 500-star survey performed with SPHERE on the VLT for the purpose of directly detecting new substellar companions and understanding their formation and early evolution. Here we present an initial statistical analysis for a subsample of 150 stars that are representative of the full SHINE sample. Our goal is to constrain the frequency of substellar companions with masses between 1 and 75 MJup and semimajor axes between 5 and 300 au. We adopt detection limits as a function of angular separation from the survey data for all stars converted into mass and projected orbital separation using the BEX-COND-hot evolutionary tracks and known distance to each system. Based on the results obtained for each star and on the 13 detections in the sample, we use a MCMC tool to compare our observations to two different types of models. The first is a parametric model based on observational constraints, and the second type are numerical models that combine advanced core accretion and gravitational instability planet population synthesis. Using the parametric model, we show that the frequencies of systems with at least one substellar companion are $23.0_{-9.7}^{+13.5}\%$, $5.8_{-2.8}^{+4.7}\%$, and $12.6_{-7.1}^{+12.9}\%$ for BA, FGK, and M stars, respectively. We also demonstrate that a planet-like formation pathway probably dominates the mass range from 1-75 MJup for companions around BA stars, while for M dwarfs, brown dwarf binaries dominate detections. In contrast, a combination of binary star-like and planet-like formation is required to best fit the observations for FGK stars. Using our population model and restricting our sample to FGK stars, we derive a frequency of $5.7_{-2.8}^{+3.8}\%$, consistent with predictions from the parametric model. More generally, the frequency values that we derive are in excellent agreement with values obtained in previous studies., Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

We present observations of the young multiple system UX Tauri to look for circumstellar disks and for signs of dynamical interactions. We obtained SPHERE/IRDIS deep differential polarization images in the J and H bands. We also used ALMA archival CO data. Large extended spirals are well detected in scattered light coming out of the disk of UX Tau A. The southern spiral forms a bridge between UX Tau A and C. These spirals, including the bridge connecting the two stars, all have a CO (3-2) counterpart seen by ALMA. The disk of UX Tau C is detected in scattered light. It is much smaller than the disk of UX Tau A and has a major axis along a different position angle, suggesting a misalignment. We performed PHANTOM SPH hydrodynamical models to interpret the data. The scattered light spirals, CO emission spirals and velocity patterns of the rotating disks, and the compactness of the disk of UX Tau C all point to a scenario in which UX Tau A has been perturbed very recently (about 1000 years) by the close passage of UX Tau C., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters. (8pages, 8 figures). 2 movies will be available on-line

Context. Detecting and characterizing substellar companions for which the luminosity, mass, and age can be determined independently is of utter importance to test and calibrate the evolutionary models due to uncertainties in their formation mechanisms. HD 19467 is a bright and nearby star hosting a cool brown dwarf companion detected with RV and imaging, making it a valuable object for such studies. Aims. We aim to further characterize the orbital, spectral, and physical properties of the HD 19467 system. Methods. We present new high-contrast imaging data with the SPHERE and NaCo instruments. We also analyze archival data from HARPS, NaCo, HIRES, UVES, and ASAS. We also use proper motion data of the star from Hipparcos and Gaia. Results. We refine the properties of the host star and derive an age of 8.0$^{+2.0}_{-1.0}$ Gyr based on isochrones, gyrochronology, and chemical and kinematic arguments. This estimate is slightly younger than previous estimates of ~9-11 Gyr. No orbital curvature is seen in the current imaging, RV, and astrometric data. From a joint fit of the data, we refine the orbital parameters for HD 19467B: period 398$^{+95}_{-93}$ yr, inclination 129.8$^{+8.1}_{-5.1}$ deg, eccentricity 0.56$\pm$0.09, longitude of the ascending node 134.8$\pm$4.5 deg, and argument of the periastron 64.2$^{+5.5}_{-6.3}$ deg. We assess a dynamical mass of 74$^{+12}_{-9}$ MJ. The fit with atmospheric models of the spectrophotometric data of HD 19467B indicates an atmosphere without clouds or with very thin clouds, an effective temperature of 1042$^{+77}_{-71}$ K, and a large surface gravity of 5.34$^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$ dex. The comparison to model predictions of the bolometric luminosity and dynamical mass of HD 19467B, assuming our system age estimate, indicates a better agreement with the Burrows et al. models; whereas the other evolutionary models used tend to underestimate its cooling rate., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 25 pages, 23 figures, 9 tables. Abstract slightly abridged to match arXiv requirements. Updated after language editing

Recent high-contrast imaging surveys, looking for planets in young, nearby systems showed evidence of a small number of giant planets at relatively large separation beyond typically 20 au where those surveys are the most sensitive. Access to smaller physical separations between 5 and 20 au is the next step for future planet imagers on 10 m telescopes and ELTs in order to bridge the gap with indirect techniques (radial velocity, transit, astrometry with Gaia). In that context, we recently proposed a new algorithm, Keplerian-Stacker, combining multiple observations acquired at different epochs and taking into account the orbital motion of a potential planet present in the images to boost the ultimate detection limit. We showed that this algorithm is able to find planets in time series of simulated images of SPHERE even when a planet remains undetected at one epoch. Here, we validate the K-Stacker algorithm performances on real SPHERE datasets, to demonstrate its resilience to instrumental speckles and the gain offered in terms of true detection. This will motivate future dedicated multi-epoch observation campaigns in high-contrast imaging to search for planets in emitted and reflected light. Results. We show that K-Stacker achieves high success rate when the SNR of the planet in the stacked image reaches 7. The improvement of the SNR ratio goes as the square root of the total exposure time. During the blind test and the redetection of HD 95086 b, and betaPic b, we highlight the ability of K-Stacker to find orbital solutions consistent with the ones derived by the state of the art MCMC orbital fitting techniques, confirming that in addition to the detection gain, K-Stacker offers the opportunity to characterize the most probable orbital solutions of the exoplanets recovered at low signal to noise., Comment: Astronomy & Astrophysics accepted, 13 Pages, 11 Figures

SPHERE (Beuzit et al,. 2019) has now been in operation at the VLT for more than 5 years, demonstrating a high level of performance. SPHERE has produced outstanding results using a variety of operating modes, primarily in the field of direct imaging of exoplanetary systems, focusing on exoplanets as point sources and circumstellar disks as extended objects. The achievements obtained thus far with SPHERE (~200 refereed publications) in different areas (exoplanets, disks, solar system, stellar physics...) have motivated a large consortium to propose an even more ambitious set of science cases, and its corresponding technical implementation in the form of an upgrade. The SPHERE+ project capitalizes on the expertise and lessons learned from SPHERE to push high contrast imaging performance to its limits on the VLT 8m-telescope. The scientific program of SPHERE+ described in this document will open a new and compelling scientific window for the upcoming decade in strong synergy with ground-based facilities (VLT/I, ELT, ALMA, and SKA) and space missions (Gaia, JWST, PLATO and WFIRST). While SPHERE has sampled the outer parts of planetary systems beyond a few tens of AU, SPHERE+ will dig into the inner regions around stars to reveal and characterize by mean of spectroscopy the giant planet population down to the snow line. Building on SPHERE's scientific heritage and resounding success, SPHERE+ will be a dedicated survey instrument which will strengthen the leadership of ESO and the European community in the very competitive field of direct imaging of exoplanetary systems. With enhanced capabilities, it will enable an even broader diversity of science cases including the study of the solar system, the birth and death of stars and the exploration of the inner regions of active galactic nuclei., Comment: White paper submitted to ESO on Feb. 20th, 2020

RefPlanets is a guaranteed time observation (GTO) programme that uses the Zurich IMaging POLarimeter (ZIMPOL) of SPHERE/VLT for a blind search for exoplanets in wavelengths from 600-900 nm. The goals of this study are the characterization of the unprecedented high polarimetic contrast and polarimetric precision capabilities of ZIMPOL for bright targets, the search for polarized reflected light around some of the closest bright stars to the Sun and potentially the direct detection of an evolved cold exoplanet for the first time. For our observations of Alpha Cen A and B, Sirius A, Altair, Eps Eri and Tau Ceti we used the polarimetric differential imaging (PDI) mode of ZIMPOL which removes the speckle noise down to the photon noise limit for angular separations >0.6". We describe some of the instrumental effects that dominate the noise for smaller separations and explain how to remove these additional noise effects in post-processing. We then combine PDI with angular differential imaging (ADI) as a final layer of post-processing to further improve the contrast limits of our data at these separations. For good observing conditions we achieve polarimetric contrast limits of 15.0-16.3 mag at the effective inner working angle of about 0.13", 16.3-18.3 mag at 0.5" and 18.8-20.4 mag at 1.5". The contrast limits closer in (<0.6") depend significantly on the observing conditions, while in the photon noise dominated regime (>0.6"), the limits mainly depend on the brightness of the star and the total integration time. We compare our results with contrast limits from other surveys and review the exoplanet detection limits obtained with different detection methods. For all our targets we achieve unprecedented contrast limits. Despite the high polarimetric contrasts we are not able to find any additional companions or extended polarized light sources in the data that has been taken so far., Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, 2 table, Accepted for publication in A&A

Context. PDS 70 is a young (5.4 Myr), nearby (~113 pc) star hosting a known transition disk with a large gap. Recent observations with SPHERE and NACO in the near-infrared (NIR) allowed us to detect a planetary mass companion, PDS70b, within the disk cavity. Moreover, observations in H_alpha with MagAO and MUSE revealed emission associated to PDS70b and to another new companion candidate, PDS70c, at a larger separation from the star. Aims. Our aim is to confirm the discovery of the second planet PDS70c using SPHERE at VLT, to further characterize its physical properties, and search for additional point sources in this young planetary system. Methods. We re-analyzed archival SPHERE NIR observations and obtained new data in Y, J, H and K spectral bands for a total of four different epochs. The data were reduced using the data reduction and handling pipeline and the SPHERE data center. We then applied custom routines (e.g. ANDROMEDA and PACO) to subtract the starlight. Results. We re-detect both PDS 70 b and c and confirm that PDS70c is gravitationally bound to the star. We estimate this second planet to be less massive than 5 M Jup and with a T_eff around 900 K. Also, it has a low gravity with log g between 3.0 and 3.5 dex. In addition, a third object has been identified at short separation (~0.12") from the star and gravitationally bound to the star. Its spectrum is however very blue, so that we are probably seeing stellar light reflected by dust and our analysis seems to demonstrate that it is a feature of the inner disk. We, however, cannot completely exclude the possibility that it is a planetary mass object enshrouded by a dust envelope. In this latter case, its mass should be of the order of few tens of M_Earth. Moreover, we propose a possible structure for the planetary system based on our data that, however, cannot be stable on a long timescale., Comment: Accepted by A&A - 12 pages - 9 figures

Context. Polarimetric imaging is one of the most effective techniques for high-contrast imaging and characterization of protoplanetary disks, and has the potential to be instrumental in characterizing exoplanets. VLT/SPHERE contains the InfraRed Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph (IRDIS) with a dual-beam polarimetric imaging (DPI) mode, which offers the capability to obtain linear polarization images at high contrast and resolution. Aims. We aim to provide an overview of IRDIS/DPI and study its optical design to improve observing strategies and data reduction. Methods. For H-band observations of TW Hya, we compare two data reduction methods that correct for instrumental polarization effects in different ways: a minimization of the noise image, and a polarimetric-model-based correction method that we present in Paper II of this study. Results. We use observations of TW Hya to illustrate the data reduction. In the images of the protoplanetary disk around this star we detect variability in the polarized intensity and angle of linear polarization with pointing-dependent instrument configuration. We explain these variations as instrumental polarization effects and correct for these effects using our model-based correction method. Conclusions. IRDIS/DPI has proven to be a very successful and productive high-contrast polarimetric imaging system. However, the instrument performance depends on the specific instrument configuration. We suggest adjustments to future observing strategies to optimize polarimetric efficiency in field tracking mode by avoiding unfavourable derotator angles. We recommend reducing on-sky data with the pipeline called IRDAP that includes the model-based correction method (described in Paper II) to optimally account for the remaining telescope and instrumental polarization effects and to retrieve the true polarization state of the incident light., Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures

Second-generation exoplanet imagers using extreme adaptive optics and coronagraphy have demonstrated their great potential for studying close circumstellar environments and for detecting new companions and helping to understand their physical properties. However, at very small angular separation, their performance in contrast is limited by several factors: diffraction by the complex telescope pupil not perfectly canceled by the coronagraph, residual dynamic wavefront errors, chromatic wavefront errors, and wavefront errors resulting from noncommon path aberrations (NCPAs). In a previous work, we demonstrated the use of a Zernike wavefront sensor called ZELDA for sensing NCPAs in VLT/SPHERE and their compensation. In the present work, we move to the next step with the on-sky validation of NCPA compensation with ZELDA. We start by reproducing previous results on the internal source and show that the amount of aberration integrated between 1 and 15 cycles/pupil is decreased by a factor of five, which translates into a gain in raw contrast of between 2 and 3 below 300 mas. On sky, we demonstrate that NCPA compensation works in closed loop, leading to an attenuation of the amount of aberration by a factor of approximately two. However, we identify a loss of sensitivity for the sensor that is only partly explained by the difference in Strehl ratio between the internal and on-sky measurements. Coronagraphic imaging on sky is improved in raw contrast by a factor of 2.5 at most in the ExAO-corrected region. We use coronagraphic image reconstruction based on a detailed model of the instrument to demonstrate that both internal and on-sky raw contrasts can be precisely explained, and we establish that the observed performance after NCPA compensation is no longer limited by an improper compensation for aberration but by the current apodized-pupil Lyot coronagraph design. [abridged], Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

Jets are rarely associated with pre-main-sequence intermediate-mass stars. Optical and near-IR observations of jet-driving sources are often hindered by the presence of a natal envelope. Jets around partly embedded sources are a useful diagnostic to constrain the geometry of the concealed protoplanetary disk. In fact, the jet-driving mechanisms are affected by both spatial anisotropies and episodic variations at the (sub-)au scale from the star. We obtained a rich set of high-contrast VLT/SPHERE observations from 0.6 micron to 2.2 micron of the young intermediate-mass star RY Tau. Given the proximity to the Sun of this source, our images have the highest spatial resolution ever obtained for an atomic jet. Optical observations in polarized light show no sign of the protoplanetary disk detected by ALMA. Instead, we observed a diffuse signal resembling a remnant envelope with an outflow cavity. The jet is detected in four spectral lines. The jet appears to be wiggling and its radial width increasing with the distance is complementary to the shape of the outflow cavity suggesting a strong jet/envelope interaction. Through the estimated tangential velocity, we revealed a possible connection between the launching time of the jet sub-structures and the stellar activity of RY Tau. RY Tau is at an intermediate stage toward the dispersal of the natal envelope. This source shows episodic increases of mass accretion/ejection similarly to other known intermediate-mass stars. The amount of observed jet wiggle is consistent with the presence of a precessing disk warp or misaligned inner disk that would be induced by an unseen planetary/sub-stellar companion at sub-/few-au scales. The high disk mass of RY Tau and of two other jet-driving intermediate-mass stars, HD163296 and MWC480, suggests that massive, full disks are more efficient at launching prominent jets., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication by A\&A

Planetary systems hold the imprint of the formation and of the evolution of planets especially at young ages, and in particular at the stage when the gas has dissipated leaving mostly secondary dust grains. The dynamical perturbation of planets in the dust distribution can be revealed with high-contrast imaging in a variety of structures. SPHERE, the high-contrast imaging device installed at the VLT, was designed to search for young giant planets in long period, but is also able to resolve fine details of planetary systems at the scale of astronomical units in the scattered-light regime. As a young and nearby star, NZ Lup was observed in the course of the SPHERE survey. A debris disk had been formerly identified with HST/NICMOS. We observed this system in the near-infrared with the camera in narrow and broad band filters and with the integral field spectrograph. High contrasts are achieved by the mean of pupil tracking combined with angular differential imaging algorithms. The high angular resolution provided by SPHERE allows us to reveal a new feature in the disk which is interpreted as a superimposition of two belts of planetesimals located at stellocentric distances of $\sim$85 and $\sim$115\,au, and with a mutual inclination of about 5$\degb$. Despite the very high inclination of the disk with respect to the line of sight, we conclude that the presence of a gap, that is, a void in the dust distribution between the belts, is likely. We discuss the implication of the existence of two belts and their relative inclination with respect to the presence of planets., Comment: accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Context. The mechanisms governing the opening of cavities in transition disks are not fully understood. Several processes have been proposed but their occurrence rate is still unknown. Aims. We present spatially resolved observations of two transition disks and aim at constraining their vertical and radial structure using multiwavelength observations. Methods. We have obtained near-IR scattered light observations with VLT/SPHERE of the transition disks J1608 and J1852. We complement our datasets with ALMA observations and with unresolved photometric observations covering a wide range of wavelengths. We performed radiative transfer modeling to analyze the morphology of the disks and compare the results with a sample of 20 other transition disks observed with both SPHERE and ALMA. Results. The scattered light image of J1608 reveals a very inclined disk, with two bright lobes and a large cavity. J1852 shows an inner ring extending beyond the coronagraphic radius up to 15au, a gap and a second ring at 42au. Our radiative transfer model of J1608 indicates that the millimeter-sized grains are less extended vertically and radially than the micron-sized grains, indicating advanced settling and radial drift. We find good agreement with the observations of J1852 with a similar model, but due to the low inclination of the system, the model remains partly degenerate. The analysis of 22 transition disks shows that, in general, the cavities observed in scattered light are smaller than the ones detected at millimeter wavelengths. Conclusions. The analysis of a sample of transition disks indicates that the small grains can flow inward of the region where millimeter grains are trapped. While 15 out of the 22 cavities in our sample could be explained by a planet of less than 13 Jupiter masses, the others either require the presence of a more massive companion or of several low-mass planets., Comment: Accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Observations of circumstellar environments to look for the direct signal of exoplanets and the scattered light from disks has significant instrumental implications. In the past 15 years, major developments in adaptive optics, coronagraphy, optical manufacturing, wavefront sensing and data processing, together with a consistent global system analysis have enabled a new generation of high-contrast imagers and spectrographs on large ground-based telescopes with much better performance. One of the most productive is the Spectro-Polarimetic High contrast imager for Exoplanets REsearch (SPHERE) designed and built for the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. SPHERE includes an extreme adaptive optics system, a highly stable common path interface, several types of coronagraphs and three science instruments. Two of them, the Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS) and the Infra-Red Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph (IRDIS), are designed to efficiently cover the near-infrared (NIR) range in a single observation for efficient young planet search. The third one, ZIMPOL, is designed for visible (VIR) polarimetric observation to look for the reflected light of exoplanets and the light scattered by debris disks. This suite of three science instruments enables to study circumstellar environments at unprecedented angular resolution both in the visible and the near-infrared. In this work, we present the complete instrument and its on-sky performance after 4 years of operations at the VLT., Comment: Final version accepted for publication in A&A

The European Extremely Large Telescope will see first lights by the end of 2024. With a diameter of almost 40 meters, it will be the biggest optical telescope ever built from the ground. The ELT will open a brand new window in a sensitivity / spatial angular resolution parameter space. To take the full benefit of the scientific potential of this giant, all the instruments will be equipped with Adaptive Optics (AO), providing the sharpest images. This paper provides a quick overview of the AO capabilities of the future instruments to be deployed at the ELT, highlight some of the expected performance and describe a couple of technical challenges that are still to tackle for an optimal scientific use. This paper has been presented at the "Societe Francaise d'Astronomie et Astrophysique" symposium in Bordeaux 2018, it is then naturally biased toward the French contribution for the ELT., Comment: SF2A proceeding

The latest generation of high contrast instruments dedicated to exoplanets and circumstellar disks imaging are equipped with extreme adaptive optics and coronagraphs to reach contrasts of up to 10^--4 at a few tenths of arc-seconds in the near infrared. The resulting image shows faint features, only revealed with this combination, such as the wind driven halo. The wind driven halo is due to the lag between the adaptive optics correction and the turbulence speed over the telescope pupil. However we observe an asymmetry of this wind driven halo that was not expected when the instrument was designed. In this letter, we describe and demonstrate the physical origin of this asymmetry and support our explanation by simulating the asymmetry with an end-to-end approach. From this work, we found out that the observed asymmetry is explained by the interference between the AO-lag error and scintillation effects, mainly originating from the fast jet stream layer located at about 12 km in altitude. Now identified and interpreted, this effect can be taken into account for further design of high contrast imaging simulators, next generation or upgrade of high contrast instruments, predictive control algorithms for adaptive optics or image post-processing techniques.

We describe the Zurich Imaging Polarimeter (ZIMPOL), the visual focal plane subsystem of the SPHERE "VLT planet finder", which pushes the limits of current AO systems to shorter wavelengths, higher spatial resolution, and much improved polarimetric performance. We provide new benchmarks for the performance of high contrast instruments, in particular for polarimetric differential imaging. We have analyzed SPHERE/ZIMPOL point spread functions and measure the peak surface brightness, the encircled energy, and the full width half maximum (FWHM) for different wavelengths, atmospheric conditions, star brightness, and instrument modes. Coronagraphic images are described and analized and the performance for different coronagraphs is compared with tests for the binary alpha Hyi with a separation of 92 mas and a contrast of 6 mag. For the polarimetric mode we made the instrument calibrations using zero polarization and high polarization standard stars and here we give a recipe for the absolute calibration of polarimetric data. The data show a small <1 mas but disturbing differential polarimetric beam shifts, which can be explained as Goos-H\"ahnchen shifts from the inclined mirrors, and we discuss how to correct this effect. The polarimetric sensitivity is investigated with non-coronagraphic and deep, coronagraphic observations of the dust scattering around the symbiotic Mira variable R Aqr. SPHERE/ZIMPOL achieves imaging performances in the visual range with unprecedented characteristics, in particular very high spatial resolution and very high polarimetric contrast. This instrument opens up many new research opportunities for the detailed investigation of circumstellar dust, in scattered and therefore polarized light, for the investigation of faint companions, and for the mapping of circumstellar Halpha emission., Comment: 38 pages with 33 figurs, accepted for publication in Astron. Astrophys

Young circumstellar disks are of prime interest to understand the physical and chemical conditions under which planet formation takes place. Only very few detections of planet candidates within these disks exist, and most of them are currently suspected to be disk features. In this context, the transition disk around the young star PDS 70 is of particular interest, due to its large gap identified in previous observations, indicative of ongoing planet formation. We aim to search for the presence of planets and search for disk structures indicative for disk-planet interactions and other evolutionary processes. We analyse new and archival near-infrared (NIR) images of the transition disk PDS 70 obtained with the VLT/SPHERE, VLT/NaCo and Gemini/NICI instruments in polarimetric differential imaging (PDI) and angular differential imaging (ADI) modes. We detect a point source within the gap of the disk at about 195 mas (about 22 au) projected separation. The detection is confirmed at five different epochs, in three filter bands and using different instruments. The astrometry results in an object of bound nature, with high significance. The comparison of the measured magnitudes and colours to evolutionary tracks suggests that the detection is a companion of planetary mass. We confirm the detection of a large gap of about 54 au in size within the disk in our scattered light images, and detect a signal from an inner disk component. We find that its spatial extent is very likely smaller than about 17 au in radius. The images of the outer disk show evidence of a complex azimuthal brightness distribution which may in part be explained by Rayleigh scattering from very small grains. Future observations of this system at different wavelengths and continuing astrometry will allow us to test theoretical predictions regarding planet-disk interactions, planetary atmospheres and evolutionary models., Comment: 23 pages, accepted by A&A

Circumstellar environments are now routinely observed by dedicated high-contrast imagers on large, ground-based observatories. These facilities combine extreme adaptive optics and coronagraphy to achieve unprecedented sensitivities for exoplanet detection and spectral characterization. However, non-common path aberrations (NCPA) in these coronagraphic systems represent a critical limitation for the detection of giant planets with a contrast lower than a few $10^{-6}$ at very small separations ($<$0.3$^{\prime\prime}$) from their host star. In 2013 we proposed ZELDA, a Zernike wavefront sensor to measure these residual quasi-static phase aberrations and a prototype was installed in SPHERE, the exoplanet imager for the VLT. In 2016, we demonstrated the ability of our sensor to provide a nanometric calibration and compensation for these aberrations on an internal source in the instrument, resulting in a contrast gain of 10 at 0.2$^{\prime\prime}$ in coronagraphic images. However, initial on-sky tests in 2017 did not show a tangible gain in contrast when calibrating the NCPA internally and then applying the correction on sky. In this communication, we present recent on-sky measurements to demonstrate the potential of our sensor for the NCPA compensation during observations and quantify the contrast gain in coronagraphic data., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Proceeding of the SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation Conference, 10 - 15 June 2018

HARMONI is a visible and NIR integral field spectrograph, providing the E-ELT's core spectroscopic capability at first light. HARMONI will work at the diffraction limit of the E-ELT, thanks to a Classical and a Laser Tomographic AO system. In this paper, we present the system choices that have been made for these SCAO and LTAO modules. In particular, we describe the strategy developed for the different Wave-Front Sensors: pyramid for SCAO, the LGSWFS concept, the NGSWFS path, and the truth sensor capabilities. We present first potential implementations. And we asses the first system performance., Comment: SPIE proceeding, 2016

We present a proof of concept for a new algorithm which can be used to detect exoplanets in high contrast images. The algorithm properly combines mutliple observations acquired during different nights, taking into account the orbital motion of the planet. Methods. We simulate SPHERE/IRDIS time series of observations in which we blindly inject planets on random orbits, at random level of S/N, below the detection limit (down to S/N 1.5). We then use an optimization algorithm to guess the orbital parameters, and take into account the orbital motion to properly recombine the different images, and eventually detect the planets. We show that an optimization algorithm can indeed be used to find undetected planets in temporal sequences of images, even if they are spread over orbital time scales. As expected, the typical gain in S/N ratio is sqrt(n), n being the number of observations combined. We find that the K-Stacker algorithm is able de-orbit and combine the images to reach a level of performance similar to what could be expected if the planet was not moving. We find recovery rates of 50% at S/N=5. We also find that the algorithm is able to determine the position of the planet in individual frames at one pixel precision, even despite the fact that the planet itself is below the detection limit in each frame. Our simulations show that K-Stacker can be used to increase the contrast limit of current exoplanet imaging instruments and to discover fainter bodies. We also suggest that the ability of K-Stacker to determine the position of the planet in every image of the time serie could be used as part of a new observing strategy in which long exposures would be broken into shorter ones spread over months. This could make possible to determine the orbital parameters of a planet without requiring multiple high S/N > 5 detections., Comment: 10 pages, 9 Figures, 1 Figure in Annex

We report the discovery of a bright, brown dwarf companion to the star HIP 64892, imaged with VLT/SPHERE during the SHINE exoplanet survey. The host is a B9.5V member of the Lower-Centaurus-Crux subgroup of the Scorpius Centaurus OB association. The measured angular separation of the companion ($1.2705\pm0.0023$") corresponds to a projected distance of $159\pm12$ AU. We observed the target with the dual-band imaging and long-slit spectroscopy modes of the IRDIS imager to obtain its SED and astrometry. In addition, we reprocessed archival NACO L-band data, from which we also recover the companion. Its SED is consistent with a young (<30 Myr), low surface gravity object with a spectral type of M9$_{\gamma}\pm1$. From comparison with the BT-Settl atmospheric models we estimate an effective temperature of $T_{\textrm{eff}}=2600 \pm 100$ K, and comparison of the companion photometry to the COND evolutionary models yields a mass of $\sim29-37$ M$_{\text{J}}$ at the estimated age of $16^{+15}_{-7}$ Myr for the system. HIP 64892 is a rare example of an extreme-mass ratio system ($q\sim0.01$) and will be useful for testing models relating to the formation and evolution of such low-mass objects., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

HD$\,$169142 is an excellent target to investigate signs of planet-disk interaction due to the previous evidence of gap structures. We performed J-band (~1.2{\mu}m) polarized intensity imaging of HD169142 with VLT/SPHERE. We observe polarized scattered light down to 0.16" (~19 au) and find an inner gap with a significantly reduced scattered light flux. We confirm the previously detected double ring structure peaking at 0.18" (~21 au) and 0.56" (~66 au), and marginally detect a faint third gap at 0.70"-0.73" (~82-85 au). We explore dust evolution models in a disk perturbed by two giant planets, as well as models with a parameterized dust size distribution. The dust evolution model is able to reproduce the ring locations and gap widths in polarized intensity, but fails to reproduce their depths. It, however, gives a good match with the ALMA dust continuum image at 1.3 mm. Models with a parameterized dust size distribution better reproduce the gap depth in scattered light, suggesting that dust filtration at the outer edges of the gaps is less effective. The pile-up of millimeter grains in a dust trap and the continuous distribution of small grains throughout the gap likely require a more efficient dust fragmentation and dust diffusion in the dust trap. Alternatively, turbulence or charging effects might lead to a reservoir of small grains at the surface layer that is not affected by the dust growth and fragmentation cycle dominating the dense disk midplane. The exploration of models shows that extracting planet properties such as mass from observed gap profiles is highly degenerate., Comment: 21 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ

SPHERE is the high-contrast exoplanet imager and spectrograph installed at the Unit Telescope 3 of the Very Large Telescope. After more than two years of regular operations, we analyse statistically the performance of the adaptive optics system and its dependence on the atmospheric conditions above the Paranal observatory, as measured by the suite of dedicated instruments which are part of the Astronomical Site Monitor and as estimated by the SPHERE real-time calculator. We also explain how this information can be used to schedule the observations in order to yield the best data quality and to guide the astronomer when processing his/her data., Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, AO4ELT5 Proceeding

The SHINE program is a large high-contrast near-infrared survey of 600 young, nearby stars. It is aimed at searching for and characterizing new planetary systems using VLT/SPHERE's unprecedented high-contrast and high-angular resolution imaging capabilities. It also intends at placing statistical constraints on the occurrence and orbital properties of the giant planet population at large orbits as a function of the stellar host mass and age to test planet formation theories. We use the IRDIS dual-band imager and the IFS integral field spectrograph of SPHERE to acquire high-constrast coronagraphic differential near-infrared images and spectra of the young A2 star HIP65426. It is a member of the ~17 Myr old Lower Centaurus-Crux association. At a separation of 830 mas (92 au projected) from the star, we detect a faint red companion. Multi-epoch observations confirm that it shares common proper motion with HIP65426. Spectro-photometric measurements extracted with IFS and IRDIS between 0.95 and 2.2um indicate a warm, dusty atmosphere characteristic of young low surface-gravity L5-L7 dwarfs. Hot-start evolutionary models predict a luminosity consistent with a 6-12 MJup, Teff=1300-1600 K and R=1.5 RJup giant planet. Finally, the comparison with Exo-REM and PHOENIX BT-Settl synthetic atmosphere models gives consistent effective temperatures but with slightly higher surface gravity solutions of log(g)=4.0-5.0 with smaller radii (1.0-1.3 RJup). Given its physical and spectral properties, HIP65426b occupies a rather unique placement in terms of age, mass and spectral-type among the currently known imaged planets. It represents a particularly interesting case to study the presence of clouds as a function of particle size, composition, and location in the atmosphere, to search for signatures of non-equilibrium chemistry, and finally to test the theory of planet formation and evolution., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A&A, file updated

We have observed the protoplanetary disk of the well-known young Herbig star HD 142527 using ZIMPOL Polarimetric Differential Imaging with the VBB (Very Broad Band, ~600-900nm) filter. We obtained two datasets in May 2015 and March 2016. Our data allow us to explore dust scattering around the star down to a radius of ~0.025" (~4au). The well-known outer disk is clearly detected, at higher resolution than before, and shows previously unknown sub-structures, including spirals going inwards into the cavity. Close to the star, dust scattering is detected at high signal-to-noise ratio, but it is unclear whether the signal represents the inner disk, which has been linked to the two prominent local minima in the scattering of the outer disk, interpreted as shadows. An interpretation of an inclined inner disk combined with a dust halo is compatible with both our and previous observations, but other arrangements of the dust cannot be ruled out. Dust scattering is also present within the large gap between ~30 and ~140au. The comparison of the two datasets suggests rapid evolution of the inner regions of the disk, potentially driven by the interaction with the close-in M-dwarf companion, around which no polarimetric signal is detected., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in AJ

R Aqr is a symbiotic binary system consisting of a mira variable, a hot companion with a spectacular jet outflow, and an extended emission line nebula. We have used R Aqr as test target for the visual camera subsystem ZIMPOL, which is part of the new extreme adaptive optics (AO) instrument SPHERE at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). We compare our observations with data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and illustrate the complementarity of the two instruments. We determine from the Halpha emission the position, size, geometric structure, and line fluxes of the jet source and the clouds in the innermost region (<2") of R Aqr and determine Halpha emissivities mean density, mass, recombination time scale, and other cloud parameters. Our data resolve for the first time the R Aqr binary and we measure for the jet source a relative position 46+/-1 mas West of the mira. The central jet source is the strongest Halpha component. North east and south west from the central source there are many clouds with very diverse structures. We see in the SW a string of bright clouds arranged in a zig-zag pattern and, further out, more extended bubbles. In the N and NE we see a bright, very elongated filamentary structure and faint perpendicular "wisps" further out. Some jet clouds are also detected in the ZIMPOL [OI] and He I filters, as well as in the HST line filters for Halpha, [OIII], [NII], and [OI]. We determine jet cloud parameters and find a very well defined anti-correlation between cloud density and distance to the central binary. Future Halpha observations will provide the orientation of the orbital plane of the binary and allow detailed hydrodynamical investigations of this jet outflow and its interaction with the wind of the red giant companion., Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures (accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics)

Understanding the diversity of planets requires to study the morphology and the physical conditions in the protoplanetary disks in which they form. We observed and spatially resolved the disk around the ~10 Myr old protoplanetary disk HD 100453 in polarized scattered light with SPHERE/VLT at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, reaching an angular resolution of ~0.02", and an inner working angle of ~0.09". We detect polarized scattered light up to ~0.42" (~48 au) and detect a cavity, a rim with azimuthal brightness variations at an inclination of 38 degrees, two shadows and two symmetric spiral arms. The spiral arms originate near the location of the shadows, close to the semi major axis. We detect a faint spiral-like feature in the SW that can be interpreted as the scattering surface of the bottom side of the disk, if the disk is tidally truncated by the M-dwarf companion currently seen at a projected distance of ~119 au. We construct a radiative transfer model that accounts for the main characteristics of the features with an inner and outer disk misaligned by ~72 degrees. The azimuthal brightness variations along the rim are well reproduced with the scattering phase function of the model. While spirals can be triggered by the tidal interaction with the companion, the close proximity of the spirals to the shadows suggests that the shadows could also play a role. The change in stellar illumination along the rim, induces an azimuthal variation of the scale height that can contribute to the brightness variations. Dark regions in polarized images of transition disks are now detected in a handful of disks and often interpreted as shadows due to a misaligned inner disk. The origin of such a misalignment in HD 100453, and of the spirals, is unclear, and might be due to a yet-undetected massive companion inside the cavity, and on an inclined orbit., Comment: A&A, accepted

The major source of noise in high-contrast imaging is the presence of slowly evolving speckles that do not average with time. The temporal stability of the point-spread-function (PSF) is therefore critical to reach a high contrast with extreme adaptive optics (xAO) instruments. Understanding on which timescales the PSF evolves and what are the critical parameters driving the speckle variability allow to design an optimal observing strategy and data reduction technique to calibrate instrumental aberrations and reveal faint astrophysical sources. We have obtained a series of 52 min, AO-corrected, coronagraphically occulted, high-cadence (1.6Hz), H-band images of the star HR 3484 with the SPHERE (Spectro-Polarimeter High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch instrument on the VLT. This is a unique data set from an xAO instrument to study its stability on timescales as short as one second and as long as several tens of minutes. We find different temporal regimes of decorrelation. We show that residuals from the atmospheric turbulence induce a fast, partial decorrelation of the PSF over a few seconds, before a transition to a regime with a linear decorrelation with time, at a rate of several tens parts per million per second (ppm/s). We analyze the spatial dependence of this decorrelation, within the well-corrected radius of the adaptive optics system and show that the linear decorrelation is faster at short separations. Last, we investigate the influence of the distance to the meridian on the decorrelation., Comment: 18 pages, 20 figures

Warm or massive gas giant planets, brown dwarfs, and debris disks around nearby stars are now routinely observed by dedicated high-contrast imaging instruments on large, ground-based observatories. These facilities include extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) and state-of-the-art coronagraphy to achieve unprecedented sensitivities for exoplanet detection and spectral characterization. However, differential aberrations between the ExAO sensing path and the science path represent a critical limitation for the detection of giant planets with a contrast lower than a few $10^{-6}$ at very small separations (<0.3\as) from their host star. In our previous work, we proposed a wavefront sensor based on Zernike phase contrast methods to circumvent this issue and measure these quasi-static aberrations at a nanometric level. We present the design, manufacturing and testing of ZELDA, a prototype that was installed on VLT/SPHERE during its reintegration in Chile. Using the internal light source of the instrument, we performed measurements in the presence of Zernike or Fourier modes introduced with the deformable mirror. Our experimental and simulation results are consistent, confirming the ability of our sensor to measure small aberrations (<50 nm rms) with nanometric accuracy. We then corrected the long-lived non-common path aberrations in SPHERE based on ZELDA measurements. We estimated a contrast gain of 10 in the coronagraphic image at 0.2\as, reaching the raw contrast limit set by the coronagraph in the instrument. The simplicity of the design and its phase reconstruction algorithm makes ZELDA an excellent candidate for the on-line measurements of quasi-static aberrations during the observations. The implementation of a ZELDA-based sensing path on the current and future facilities (ELTs, future space missions) could ease the observation of the cold gaseous or massive rocky planets around nearby stars., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, A&A accepted on June 3rd, 2016. v2 after language editing

We present new near-infrared photometric measurements of the core of the young massive cluster NGC 3603 obtained with extreme adaptive optics. The data were obtained with the SPHERE instrument mounted on ESO Very Large Telescope, and cover three fields in the core of this cluster. We applied a correction for the effect of extinction to our data obtained in the J and K broadband filters and estimated the mass of detected sources inside the field of view of SPHERE/IRDIS, which is 13.5"x13.5". We derived the mass function (MF) slope for each spectral band and field. The MF slope in the core is unusual compared to previous results based on Hubble space telescope (HST) and very large telescope (VLT) observations. The average slope in the core is estimated as -1.06^{+0.26}_{-0.26} for the main sequence stars with 3.5 Msun < M < 120 Msun.Thanks to the SPHERE extreme adaptive optics, 814 low-mass stars were detected to estimate the MF slope for the pre-main sequence stars with 0.6 Msun< M < 3.5 Msun , Gamma = -0.54^{+0.11}_{-0.11} in the K-band images in two fields in the core of the cluster. For the first time, we derive the mass function of the very core of the NGC 3603 young cluster for masses in the range 0.6 - 120 Msun. Previous studies were either limited by crowding, lack of dynamic range, or a combination of both.

Spectral characterization of young, giant exoplanets detected by direct imaging is one of the tasks of the new generation of high-contrast imagers. For this purpose, the VLT/SPHERE instrument includes a unique long-slit spectroscopy (LSS) mode coupled with Lyot coronagraphy in its infrared dual-band imager and spectrograph (IRDIS). The performance of this mode is intrinsically limited by the use of a non-optimal coronagraph, but in a previous work we demonstrated that it could be significantly improved at small inner-working angles using the stop-less Lyot coronagraph (SLLC). We now present the development, testing, and validation of the first SLLC prototype for VLT/SPHERE. Based on the transmission profile previously proposed, the prototype was manufactured using microdots technology and was installed inside the instrument in 2014. The transmission measurements agree well with the specifications, except in the very low transmissions (<5% in amplitude). The performance of the SLLC is tested in both imaging and spectroscopy using data acquired on the internal source. In imaging, we obtain a raw contrast gain of a factor 10 at 0.3" and 5 at 0.5" with the SLLC. Using data acquired with a focal-plane mask, we also demonstrate that no Lyot stop is required to reach the full performance, which validates the SLLC concept. Comparison with a realistic simulation model shows that we are currently limited by the internal phase aberrations of SPHERE. In spectroscopy, we obtain a gain of ~1 mag in a limited range of angular separations. Simulations show that although the main limitation comes from phase errors, the performance in the non-SLLC case is very close to the ultimate limit of the LSS mode. Finally, we obtain the very first on-sky data with the SLLC, which appear extremely promising for the future scientific exploitation of an apodized LSS mode in SPHERE., Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

GJ758 B is a brown dwarf companion to a nearby (15.76 pc) solar-type, metal-rich (M/H = +0.2 dex) main-sequence star (G9V) that was discovered with Subaru/HiCIAO in 2009. From previous studies, it has drawn attention as being the coldest (~600K) companion ever directly imaged around a neighboring star. We present new high-contrast data obtained during the commissioning of the SPHERE instrument at the VLT. The data was obtained in Y-, J-, H-, and Ks-bands with the dual-band imaging (DBI) mode of IRDIS, providing a broad coverage of the full near-infrared (near-IR) range at higher contrast and better spectral sampling than previously reported. In this new set of high-quality data, we report the re-detection of the companion, as well as the first detection of a new candidate closer-in to the star. We use the new 8 photometric points for an extended comparison of GJ758 B with empirical objects and 4 families of atmospheric models. From comparison to empirical object, we estimate a T8 spectral type, but none of the comparison object can accurately represent the observed near-IR fluxes of GJ758 B. From comparison to atmospheric models, we attribute a Teff = 600K $\pm$ 100K, but we find that no atmospheric model can adequately fit all the fluxes of GJ758 B. The photometry of the new candidate companion is broadly consistent with L-type objects, but a second epoch with improved photometry is necessary to clarify its status. The new astrometry of GJ758 B shows a significant proper motion since the last epoch. We use this result to improve the determination of the orbital characteristics using two fitting approaches, Least-Square Monte Carlo and Markov Chain Monte Carlo. Finally, we analyze the sensitivity of our data to additional closer-in companions and reject the possibility of other massive brown dwarf companions down to 4-5 AU. [abridged], Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

The system of four planets around HR8799 offers a unique opportunity to probe the physics and chemistry at play in the atmospheres of self-luminous young (~30 Myr) planets. We recently obtained new photometry of the four planets and low-resolution (R~30) spectra of HR8799 d and e with the SPHERE instrument (paper III). In this paper (paper IV), we compare the available spectra and photometry of the planets to known objects and atmospheric models (BT-SETTL14, Cloud-AE60, Exo-REM) to characterize the atmospheric properties of the planets. We find that HR8799d and e properties are well reproduced by those of L6-L8 dusty dwarfs discovered in the field, among which some are candidate members of young nearby associations. No known object reproduces well the properties of planets b and c. Nevertheless, we find that the spectra and WISE photometry of peculiar and/or young early-T dwarfs reddened by submicron grains made of corundum, iron, enstatite, or forsterite successfully reproduce the SED of these two planets. Our analysis confirms that only the Exo-REM models with thick clouds fit (within 2{\sigma}) the whole set of spectrophotometric datapoints available for HR8799 d and e for Teff = 1200 K, log g in the range 3.0-4.5, and M/H=+0.5. The models still fail to reproduce the SED of HR8799c and b. The determination of the metallicity, log g, and cloud thickness are degenerate. We conclude that an enhanced content in dust and decreased CIA of H2 is certainly responsible for the deviation of the properties of the planet with respect to field dwarfs. The analysis suggests in addition that HR8799c and b have later spectral types than the two other planets, and therefore could both have lower masses., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 7 tables, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The planetary system discovered around the young A-type HR8799 provides a unique laboratory to: a) test planet formation theories, b) probe the diversity of system architectures at these separations, and c) perform comparative (exo)planetology. We present and exploit new near-infrared images and integral-field spectra of the four gas giants surrounding HR8799 obtained with SPHERE, the new planet finder instrument at the Very Large Telescope, during the commissioning and science verification phase of the instrument (July-December 2014). With these new data, we contribute to completing the spectral energy distribution of these bodies in the 1.0-2.5 $\mu$m range. We also provide new astrometric data, in particular for planet e, to further constrain the orbits. We used the infrared dual-band imager and spectrograph (IRDIS) subsystem to obtain pupil-stabilized, dual-band $H2H3$ (1.593 $\mu$m, 1.667 $\mu$m), $K1K2$ (2.110 $\mu$m, 2.251 $\mu$m), and broadband $J$ (1.245 $\mu$m) images of the four planets. IRDIS was operated in parallel with the integral field spectrograph (IFS) of SPHERE to collect low-resolution ($R\sim30$), near-infrared (0.94-1.64 $\mu$m) spectra of the two innermost planets HR8799d and e. The data were reduced with dedicated algorithms, such as the Karhunen-Lo\`eve image projection (KLIP), to reveal the planets. We used the so-called negative planets injection technique to extract their photometry, spectra, and measure their positions. We illustrate the astrometric performance of SPHERE through sample orbital fits compatible with SPHERE and literature data., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures. Published in A&A

[Abridged] Context. The young systems PZ Tel and HD 1160, hosting known low-mass companions, were observed during the commissioning of the new planet finder SPHERE with several imaging and spectroscopic modes. Aims. We aim to refine the physical properties and architecture of both systems. Methods. We use SPHERE commissioning data and REM observations, as well as literature and unpublished data from VLT/SINFONI, VLT/NaCo, Gemini/NICI, and Keck/NIRC2. Results. We derive new photometry and confirm the nearly daily photometric variability of PZ Tel A. Using literature data spanning 38 yr, we show that the star also exhibits a long-term variability trend. The 0.63-3.8 mic SED of PZ Tel B allows us to revise its properties: spectral type M7+/-1, Teff=2700+/-100 K, log(g)<4.5 dex, log(L/L_Sun)=-2.51+/-0.10 dex, and mass 38-72 MJ. The 1-3.8 mic SED of HD 1160 B suggests a massive brown dwarf or a low-mass star with spectral type M5.5-7.0, Teff=3000+/-100 K, [M/H]=-0.5-0.0 dex, log(L/L_Sun)=-2.81+/-0.10 dex, and mass 39-168 MJ. We confirm the deceleration and high eccentricity (e>0.66) of PZ Tel B. For e<0.9, the inclination, longitude of the ascending node, and time of periastron passage are well constrained. The system is seen close to an edge-on geometry. We reject other brown dwarf candidates outside 0.25" for both systems, and massive giant planets (>4 MJ) outside 0.5" for the PZ Tel system. We also show that K1-K2 color can be used with YJH low-resolution spectra to identify young L-type companions, provided high photometric accuracy (<0.05 mag) is achieved. Conclusions. SPHERE opens new horizons in the study of young brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets thanks to high-contrast imaging capabilities at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, as well as high signal-to-noise spectroscopy in the near-infrared from low (R~30-50) to medium resolutions (R~350)., Comment: 25 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in A&A on Oct. 13th, 2015; version including language editing. Typo on co-author name on astroph page corrected, manuscript unchanged