Direct Imaging of Exoplanets

Announcements of the first images of planets orbiting other stars other than the Sun mark a new frontier in extrasolar planet research. This research project is designed to explore the first imaged multiple planet system and to determine the population of extrasolar planets in wide orbits with state-of-the-art observations. Images of the planets represent an exciting first step and now measurements of the spectra of the planets are needed to reveal the details of their atmospheres, maps of the circumstellar dust disk encompassing the planets are important to search for dynamical effects of the planets, and comprehensive surveys are required to understand the frequency and properties of planets in wide orbits similar to the giant planets in the Solar System. Over 300 exoplanets have been discovered and the study of their surprisingly diverse properties has revolutionized the understanding of planet formation. The results of indirect planet search programmes have revealed planetary systems very different from the Solar System -- some with giant Jupiters forever locked with one hemisphere facing the host star, others with multiple Jovian planets in delicately-balanced eccentric orbits, and still others with mere rubble orbiting the compact remnants of exploded stars. Thus far, this panoply of exoplanets has been detected largely with a variety of indirect techniques. With these indirect techniques, it is impossible or exceedingly difficult to detect photons directly from the planets. The next frontier in this exciting area of research is the direct detection of planets with both images and spectra. This research is designed to directly image extrasolar planets. Extrasolar planet research will be significantly advanced by the results of this programme that will provide the first statistics on planetary sysstems with giant planets in outer orbits, an architecture of planetary system more akin to that of our Solar System. Stars with outer giant planets will also be very attractive targets for future searches for Earth-like planets, considering the important shielding effects of planetesimal scattering and capture that an outer giant planets causes for inner Earth-like planets. Direct images offer unique information about the presence and properties of giant planets in wide orbits and search a large range of star-planet separations in one observation. To achieve the sensitivity and resolution needed to detect planetary mass companions around a large target sample, requires cutting edge instrumentation. The data for this project will be obtained with two of the largest telescopes in the world, the VLT and Gemini, using the best currently-available camera during the first phase of the project and an upcoming camera that employs an original optical design to detect faint companions near bright stars -- the Gemini Planet Imager -- during the second phase of the project.