Probing for Exoplanets Hiding in Dusty Debris Disks: Inner Disk Imaging, Characterization, and Exploration with HST/STIS Multi-Roll Coronagraphy

Details Probing for Exoplanets Hiding in Dusty Debris Disks: Inner Disk Imaging, Characterization, and Exploration with HST/STIS Multi-Roll Coronagraphy Probing for Exoplanets Hiding in Dusty Debris Disks: Inner Disk Imaging, Characterization, and Exploration with HST/STIS Multi-Roll Coronagraphy

Jan 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21944602s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #446.02

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We present new observational results from a well-selected sample of 11 circumstellar (CS) debris disks, all with HST pedigree, using STIS visible-light PSF-subtracted multi-roll coronagraphic imaging. These new observations probe the interior CS regions of these debris systems, with inner working distances of < appx 8 AU for half the stars in this sample, corresponding to the giant planet and Kuiper belt regions within our own solar system. These new images enable direct inter-comparison of the architectures of these exoplanetary debris systems in the context of our own Solar System. These observations also permit us, for the first time, to characterize material in these regions at high spatial resolution and identify disk sub-structures that are signposts of planet formation and evolution; in particular, asymmetries and non-uniform debris structures that signal the presence of co-orbiting perturbing planets. Here we focus on preliminary results from observatons of HD 181327, AU Mic and HD 107146. All of our objects were observed previously at longer wavelengths (but much lower spatial resolution and imaging efficacy) with NICMOS, but with an r=0.3 arcsec IWA comparable to STIS multi-roll coronagraphy. The combination of new optical and existing near-IR imaging can strongly constrain the dust properties, thus enabling an assessment of grain processing and planetesimal populations. These results will directly inform upon the posited planet formation mechanisms that occur after the 10 My epoch of gas depletion, at a time in our solar system when giant planets were migrating and the terrestrial planets were forming, and directly test theoretical models of these processes. These observations uniquely probe into the interior regions of these systems for the first time with spatial resolution comparable to ACS and with augmenting NICMOS near-IR disk photometry in hand. We acknowledge support from STScI for this program (GO 12228) and its observations.

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