Exoplanets and Stellar Physics

Abstract:

Presently, dedicated instrument developments at large telescopes (SPHERE for the VLT, GPI for Gemini) are about to discover and explore self-luminous giant planets by direct imaging and spectroscopy. The next generation of 30m-40m ground-based telescopes, the Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs), have the potential to dramatically enlarge the discovery space towards older giant planets seen in reflected light and ultimately even a small number of rocky planets. EPICS is a proposed instrument for the European ELT, dedicated to the detection and characterization of expolanets by direct imaging and spectroscopy. ESO recently launched a phase-A study for EPICS with a large European consortium which - by simulations and demonstration experiments - will investigate state-of-the-art diffraction and speckle suppression techniques to deliver highest contrasts. The final result of the study in 2010 will be a conceptual design and a development plan for the instrument. Here we present first results from the phase-A study and discuss the main challenges and science capabilities of EPICS.

Abstract:

Current simulation and experimental investigatory work is going on into the performance of slicer and lenslet IFS designs. The aim of this work is to determine which technology holds the best promise for achieving the highest contrasts with EPICS on the E-ELT. Results from Spectral Deconvolution methods for high contrast detections are presented, both on sky images from AB Dor C observations using SINFONI on the VLT and improvements to the algorithms made through use of EPICS simulation data. Using these simulations, only containing photon and speckle noise, we have been able to detect simulated planets down to a contrast of 10¹⁰ located less than 1" from the parent star. The effects of spectral resolution and wavelength range on high contrast observations are discussed. Shortening the wavelength range increases the inner working angle. It is seen that an outer working angle is also reached that decreases with spectral resolution. The limit on the inner working angle can be overcome partly by increasing the wavelength range of the instrument although another inner working angle limit will be reached if a coronagraph is used. The limit of the outer working angle can also be overcome by increasing the spectral resolution of the instrument or possibly by making an IFS that produces an output with a constant spectral resolution, R,instead of constant Δλ.This is still a work in progress.