Context. Ground-based high-dispersion (R ~ 100 000) spectroscopy (HDS) is proving to be a powerful technique with which to characterize extrasolar planets. The planet signal is distilled from the ...bright starlight, combining ral and time-differential filtering techniques. In parallel, high-contrast imaging (HCI) is developing rapidly, aimed at spatially separating the planet from the star. While HDS is limited by the overwhelming noise from the host star, HCI is limited by residual quasi-static speckles. Both techniques currently reach planet-star contrast limits down to ~10-5, albeit for very different types of planetary systems. Aims. In this work, we discuss a way to combine HDS and HCI (HDS+HCI). For a planet located at a resolvable angular distance from its host star, the starlight can be reduced up to several orders of magnitude using adaptive optics and/or coronography. In addition, the remaining starlight can be filtered out using high-dispersion spectroscopy, utilizing the significantly different (or Doppler shifted) high-dispersion spectra of the planet and star. In this way, HDS+HCI can in principle reach contrast limits of ~10-5 × 10-5, although in practice this will be limited by photon noise and/or sky-background. In contrast to current direct imaging techniques, such as Angular Differential Imaging and Spectral Differential Imaging, it will work well at small working angles and is much less sensitive to speckle noise. For the discovery of previously unknown planets HDS+HCI requires a high-contrast adaptive optics system combined with a high-dispersion R ~ 100 000 integral field spectrograph (IFS). This combination currently does not exist, but is planned for the European Extremely Large Telescope. Methods. We present simulations of HDS+HCI observations with the E-ELT, both probing thermal emission from a planet at infrared wavelengths, and starlight reflected off a planet atmosphere at optical wavelengths. For the infrared simulations we use the baseline parameters of the E-ELT and METIS instrument, with the latter combining extreme adaptive optics with an R = 100 000 IFS. We include realistic models of the adaptive optics performance and atmospheric transmission and emission. For the optical simulation we also assume R = 100 000 IFS with adaptive optics capabilities at the E-ELT. Results. One night of HDS+HCI observations with the E-ELT at 4.8 μm (Δλ = 0.07 μm) can detect a planet orbiting α Cen A with a radius of R = 1.5 Rearth and a twin-Earth thermal spectrum of Teq = 300 K at a signal-to-noise (S/N) of 5. In the optical, with a Strehl ratio performance of 0.3, reflected light from an Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri can be detected at a S/N of 10 in the same time frame. Recently, first HDS+HCI observations have shown the potential of this technique by determining the spin-rotation of the young massive exoplanet β Pictoris b. Conclusions. The exploration of the planetary systems of our neighbor stars is of great scientific and philosophical value. The HDS+HCI technique has the potential to detect and characterize temperate rocky planets in their habitable zones. Exoplanet scientists should not shy away from claiming a significant fraction of the future ELTs to make such observations possible.
In this paper, we review the impact of small sample statistics on detection thresholds and corresponding confidence levels (CLs) in high-contrast imaging at small angles. When looking close to the ...star, the number of resolution elements decreases rapidly toward small angles. This reduction of the number of degrees of freedom dramatically affects CLs and false alarm probabilities. Naively using the same ideal hypothesis and methods as for larger separations, which are well understood and commonly assume Gaussian noise, can yield up to one order of magnitude error in contrast estimations at fixed CL. The statistical penalty exponentially increases toward very small inner working angles. Even at 5-10 resolution elements from the star, false alarm probabilities can be significantly higher than expected. Here we present a rigorous statistical analysis that ensures robustness of the CL, but also imposes a substantial limitation on corresponding achievable detection limits (thus contrast) at small angles. This unavoidable fundamental statistical effect has a significant impact on current coronagraphic and future high-contrast imagers. Finally, the paper concludes with practical recommendations to account for small number statistics when computing the sensitivity to companions at small angles and when exploiting the results of direct imaging planet surveys.
ABSTRACT
The Young Suns Exoplanet Survey consists of a homogeneous sample of 70 young, solar-mass stars located in the Lower Centaurus-Crux subgroup of the Scorpius-Centaurus association with an ...average age of 15 ± 3 Myr. We report the detection of a co-moving companion around the K3IV star TYC 8998-760-1 (2MASSJ13251211–6456207) that is located at a distance of 94.6 ± 0.3 pc using SPHERE/IRDIS on the VLT. Spectroscopic observations with VLT/X-SHOOTER constrain the mass of the star to $1.00\pm 0.02\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ and an age of $16.7\pm 1.4\,$ Myr. The companion TYC 8998-760-1 b is detected at a projected separation of 1.71″, which implies a projected physical separation of 162 au. Photometric measurements ranging from Y to M band provide a mass estimate of $14\pm 3\, M_\mathrm{jup}$ by comparison to BT-Settl and AMES-dusty isochrones, corresponding to a mass ratio of q = 0.013 ± 0.003 with respect to the primary. We rule out additional companions to TYC 8998-760-1 that are more massive than $12\, M_\mathrm{jup}$ and farther than 12 au away from the host. Future polarimetric and spectroscopic observations of this system with ground and space based observatories will facilitate testing of formation and evolution scenarios shaping the architecture of the circumstellar environment around this ‘young Sun’.
Aims. To understand planet formation it is necessary to study the birth environment of planetary systems. Resolved imaging of young planet forming disks allows us to study this environment in great ...detail and find signs of planet-disk interaction and disk evolution. In the present study we aim to investigate the circumstellar environment of the spectroscopic binary T Tauri star CS Cha. From unresolved mid-to far-infrared photometry it is predicted that CS Cha hosts a disk with a large cavity. In addition, spectral energy distribution modeling suggests significant dust settling, pointing toward an evolved disk that may show signs of ongoing or completed planet formation. Methods. We observed CS Cha with the high contrast imager SPHERE at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) in polarimetric differential imaging mode to resolve the circumbinary disk in near-infrared scattered light. These observations were followed up by VLT/NACO L-band observations and complemented by archival VLT/NACO K-band and Hubble Space Telescope WFPC2 I-band data. Results. We resolve the compact circumbinary disk around CS Cha for the first time in scattered light. We find a smooth, low inclination disk with an outer radius of ~55 au (at 165 pc). We do not detect the inner cavity but find an upper limit for the cavity size of ~15 au. Furthermore, we find a faint comoving companion with a projected separation of 210 au from the central binary outside of the circumbinary disk. The companion is detected in polarized light and shows an extreme degree of polarization (13.7 ± 0.4% in the J band). The J- and H-band magnitudes of the companion are compatible with masses of a few MJup. However, K-, L-, and I-band data draw this conclusion into question. We explore with radiative transfer modeling whether an unresolved circum-companion disk can be responsible for the high polarization and complex photometry. We find that the set of observations is best explained by a heavily extincted low-mass (~20 MJup) brown dwarf or high-mass planet with an unresolved disk and dust envelope.
The young (∼16 Myr) pre-main-sequence star in Sco–Cen 1SWASP J140747.93−394542.6, hereafter referred to as J1407, underwent a deep eclipse in 2007 April, bracketed by several shallower eclipses in ...the surrounding 54 d. This has been interpreted as the first detection of an eclipsing ring system circling a substellar object (dubbed J1407b). We report on a search for this companion with Sparse Aperture Mask imaging and direct imaging with both the UT4 VLT and Keck telescopes. Radial velocity measurements of J1407 provide additional constraints on J1407b and on short period companions to the central star. Follow-up photometric monitoring using the Panchromatic Robotic Optical Monitoring and Polarimetry Telescopes (PROMPT)-4 and ROAD observatories during 2012–2014 has not yielded any additional eclipses. Large regions of mass–period space are ruled out for the companion. For circular orbits the companion period is constrained to the range 3.5–13.8 yr (a ≃ 2.2–5.6 au), and stellar masses (>80M
Jup) are ruled out at 3σ significance over these periods. The complex ring system appears to occupy more than 0.15 of its Hill radius, much larger than its Roche radius and suggesting a ring structure in transition. Further, we demonstrate that the radial velocity of J1407 is consistent with membership in the Upper Cen–Lup subgroup of the Sco–Cen association, and constraints on the rotation period and projected rotational velocity of J1407 are consistent with a stellar inclination of i
⋆ ≃ 68° ± 10°.
Context.
The Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA (MASCARA) and bRing are both photometric ground-based instruments with multiple stations that rely on interline charge-coupled devices with wide-field lenses to ...monitor bright stars in the local sky for variability. MASCARA has already discovered several planets in the northern sky, which are among the brightest known transiting hot Jupiter systems.
Aims.
In this paper, we aim to characterize a transiting planetary candidate in the southern skies found in the combined MASCARA and bRing data sets of HD 85628, an A7V star of
V
= 8.2 mag at a distance 172 pc, to establish its planetary nature.
Methods.
The candidate was originally detected in data obtained jointly with the MASCARA and bRing instruments using a Box Least-Square search for transit events. Further photometry was taken by the 0.7 m Chilean-Hungarian Automated Telescope (CHAT), and radial velocity measurements with the Fiber Dual Echelle Optical Spectrograph on the European Southern Observatory 1.0 m Telescope. High-resolution spectra during a transit were taken with the CTIO high-resolution spectrometer (CHIRON) on the Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System 1.5 m telescope to target the Doppler shadow of the candidate.
Results.
We confirm the existence of a hot Jupiter transiting the bright A7V star HD 85628, which we co-designate as MASCARA-4b and bRing-1b. It is in an orbit of 2.824 days, with an estimated planet radius of 1.53
−0.04
+0.07
R
Jup
and an estimated planet mass of 3.1 ± 0.9
M
Jup
, putting it well within the planetary regime. The CHAT observations show a partial transit, reducing the probability that the transit was around a faint background star. The CHIRON observations show a clear Doppler shadow, implying that the transiting object is in a retrograde orbit with |
λ
| =244.9
−3.6
+2.7
°. The planet orbits at a distance of 0.047 ± 0.004 AU from the star and has a zero-albedo equilibrium temperature of 2100 ± 100 K. In addition, we find that HD 85628 has a previously unreported stellar companion star in the
Gaia
DR2 data demonstrating common proper motion and parallax at 4.3′′ separation (projected separation ~740 AU), and with absolute magnitude consistent with being a K/M dwarf.
Conclusions.
MASCARA-4 b/bRing-1 b is the brightest transiting hot Jupiter known to date in a retrograde orbit. It further confirms that planets in near-polar and retrograde orbits are more common around early-type stars. Due to its high apparent brightness and short orbital period, the system is particularly well suited for further atmospheric characterization.
Bedload transport in gravel-bed rivers impacts channel stability, the lifespan of hydraulic structures, physical components of aquatic habitat, and long-term channel evolution. Field measurements of ...bedload transport are notoriously difficult, which precludes understanding many of the processes and mechanics associated with grain motion. Such uncertainties are exacerbated when using bedload transport equations, most of which were derived using data from a single river or set of laboratory flume experiments. Recently, laboratory experiments have focused on better quantifying the processes that impact bedload fluxes, which can then be used to improve sediment transport predictions. We highlight recent advances in laboratory instrumentation that can be used in bedload transport studies. In particular, more accurate ways to measure bedload fluxes, near-bed turbulence, bed grain sizes, and topography hold great promise. Laboratory experiments have also fundamentally improved our understanding of the influence of sediment supply and armoring processes on bedload fluxes and channel conditions. The importance of flow hydrographs in controlling total bedload transport rates and bedload hysteresis has also been demonstrated using flume experiments. Finally, many details about the mechanics of grain motion including flow turbulence, bed arrangement, and particle transport statistics are only possible through laboratory investigations, and we feature key knowledge gaps that can be improved with further study.
•Understanding of bedload transport processes has been improved by laboratory studies.•Sediment supply and armoring impact bedload fluxes and channel conditions.•Linkages between flow hydrographs, armor and bedload transport need further study.•Bedload transport mechanics is controlled by flow turbulence and grain arrangement.
We report the discovery of a low-mass companion to the nearby (d = 47 pc) F7V star HD 984. The companion is detected 0.19 arcsec away from its host star in the L′ band with the Apodized Phase Plate ...on NaCo/Very Large Telescope and was recovered by L′-band non-coronagraphic imaging data taken a few days later. We confirm the companion is comoving with the star with SINFONI integral field spectrograph H + K data. We present the first published data obtained with SINFONI in pupil-tracking mode. HD 984 has been argued to be a kinematic member of the 30 Myr-old Columba group, and its HR diagram position is not altogether inconsistent with being a zero-age main sequence star of this age. By consolidating different age indicators, including isochronal age, coronal X-ray emission, and stellar rotation, we independently estimate a main-sequence age of 115 ± 85 Myr (95 per cent CL) which does not rely on this kinematic association. The mass of directly imaged companions are usually inferred from theoretical evolutionary tracks, which are highly dependent on the age of the star. Based on the age extrema, we demonstrate that with our photometric data alone, the companion's mass is highly uncertain: between 33 and 96 M
Jup (0.03–0.09 M⊙) using the COND evolutionary models. We compare the companion's SINFONI spectrum with field dwarf spectra to break this degeneracy. Based on the slope and shape of the spectrum in the H band, we conclude that the companion is an M6.0 ± 0.5 dwarf. The age of the system is not further constrained by the companion, as M dwarfs are poorly fit on low-mass evolutionary tracks. This discovery emphasizes the importance of obtaining a spectrum to spectral type companions around F-stars.
Searching for proto-planets with MUSE Xie, C.; Haffert, S. Y.; de Boer, J. ...
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin),
12/2020, Letnik:
644
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Context.
Protoplanetary disks contain structures such as gaps, rings, and spirals, which are thought to be produced by the interaction between the disk and embedded protoplanets. However, only a few ...planet candidates are found orbiting within protoplanetary disks, and most of them are being challenged as having been confused with disk features.
Aims.
The VLT/MUSE discovery of PDS 70 c demonstrated a powerful way of searching for still-forming protoplanets by targeting accretion signatures with medium-resolution integral field spectroscopy. We aim to discover more proto-planetary candidates with MUSE, with a secondary aim of improving the high-resolution spectral differential imaging (HRSDI) technique by analyzing the instrumental residuals of MUSE.
Methods.
We analyzed MUSE observations of five young stars with various apparent brightnesses and spectral types. We applied the HRSDI technique to perform high-contrast imaging. The detection limits were estimated using fake planet injections.
Results.
With a 30 min integration time, MUSE can reach 5
σ
detection limits in apparent H
α
line flux down to 10
−14
and 10
−15
erg s
−1
cm
−2
at 0.075′′ and 0.25′′, respectively. In addition to PDS 70 b and c, we did not detect any clear accretion signatures in PDS 70, J1850-3147, and V1094 Sco down to 0.1′′. MUSE avoids the small sample statistics problem by measuring the noise characteristics in the spatial direction at multiple wavelengths. We detected two asymmetric atomic jets in HD 163296 with a very high spatial resolution (down to 8 au) and medium spectral resolution (
R
~ 2500).
Conclusions.
The HRSDI technique when applied to MUSE data allows us to reach the photon noise limit at small separations (i.e., <0.5′′). With the combination of high-contrast imaging and medium spectral resolution, MUSE can achieve fainter detection limits in apparent line flux than SPHERE/ZIMPOL by a factor of ~5. MUSE has some instrumental issues that limit the contrast that appear in cases with strong point sources, which can be either a spatial point source due to high Strehl observations or a spectral point source due to a high line-to-continuum ratio. We modified the HRSDI technique to better handle the instrumental artifacts and improve the detection limits. To avoid the instrumental effects altogether, we suggest faint young stars with relatively low H
α
line-to-continuum ratio to be the most suitable targets for MUSE to search for potential protoplanets.
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