Imaging low-mass planets within the habitable zone of {\alpha} Centauri
Abstract
Giant exoplanets on wide orbits have been directly imaged around young stars. If the thermal background in the mid-infrared can be mitigated, then exoplanets with lower masses can also be imaged. Here we present a ground-based mid-infrared observing approach that enables imaging low-mass temperate exoplanets around nearby stars, and in particular within the closest stellar system, Alpha Centauri. Based on 75-80% of the best quality images from 100 hours of cumulative observations, we demonstrate sensitivity to warm sub-Neptune-sized planets throughout much of the habitable zone of Alpha Centauri A. This is an order of magnitude more sensitive than state-of-the-art exoplanet imaging mass detection limits. We also discuss a possible exoplanet or exozodiacal disk detection around Alpha Centauri A. However, an instrumental artifact of unknown origin cannot be ruled out. These results demonstrate the feasibility of imaging rocky habitable-zone exoplanets with current and upcoming telescopes.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2102.05159,
title = {Imaging low-mass planets within the habitable zone of {\alpha} Centauri},
author = {K. Wagner and A. Boehle and P. Pathak and M. Kasper and R. Arsenault and G. Jakob and U. Kaufl and S. Leveratto and A. -L. Maire and E. Pantin and R. Siebenmorgen and G. Zins and O. Absil and N. Ageorges and D. Apai and A. Carlotti and É. Choquet and C. Delacroix and K. Dohlen and P. Duhoux and P. Forsberg and E. Fuenteseca and S. Gutruf and O. Guyon and E. Huby and D. Kampf and M. Karlsson and P. Kervella and J. -P. Kirchbauer and P. Klupar and J. Kolb and D. Mawet and M. N'Diaye and G. Orban de Xivry and S. P. Quanz and A. Reutlinger and G. Ruane and M. Riquelme and C. Soenke and M. Sterzik and A. Vigan and T. de Zeeuw},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2102.05159},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
29 pages, 11 figures, published in Nature Communications