event
Friday 13 Jun 2008: Looking for extrasolar planets at the Ice Line with a 5 micron coronagraph
Dr Matthew Kenworthy - Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
Physics, 124 14:00-15:00
We are carrying out a direct imaging survey for giant exoplanets in the thermal infrared, where the planet/star contrast is predicted to be more favourable and the planet's thermal emission persists for longer timescales. Using a new type of coronagraph with a deformable secondary mirror adaptive optics (AO) system, we can look into the 'ice line' location around two dozen nearby stars, where theory predicts enhanced giant planet formation. I will describe the AO system and present the latest results from our ongoing survey.
