SIM's Search for Planets Orbiting White Dwarfs - Final Report

Details SIM's Search for Planets Orbiting White Dwarfs - Final Report SIM's Search for Planets Orbiting White Dwarfs - Final Report

Jan 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21530006s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #300.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.296

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

I propose to use Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) Lite to observe a sample ( 25-50) of nearby white dwarfs in hopes of detecting planetary companions with masses in the 1-10 Earth mass range on average. Because of the nature of white dwarfs' spectral signatures (a few broad, if any, absorption lines), current radial velocity planet hunting techniques are not viable. Astrometry is currently the only technique capable of detecting low mass planets around white dwarfs and SIM would be the best suited astrometric instrument to do so once launched. As part of a SIM Science Study, I present a detailed evaluation of the star fields in the vicinities of nearby white dwarfs within 20 pc and with V < 15. Employing these criteria, there are a total of 54 white dwarfs with accuate trigonometric parallaxes and photometry. Simulations indicate that planetary mass detections in the range of 1-10 Earth masses are possible for the majority of the 54 white dwarfs evaluated, provided the planets exist. This effort will aid in the selection of white dwarfs to be targeted for planet searches using SIM by maximizing planetary sensitivity while minimizing total mission time spent on these observations.

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