2006/06/06 by Philip M. Hinz, A. Heinze, A. N. Heinze +6 · 34 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Adaptive optics #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrobiology #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Exoplanet #Infrared #Physics #Planet #Planetary system #RADIUS #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Strehl ratio #Vega #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/506581
published in The Astrophysical Journal 653(2), 1486-1492 (IOP Publishing) · accepted to ApJ June 6, 2006
arxiv created 2006/06/06 · openalex publication_date 2006/12/13 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Vega may have a massive companion in a wide orbit, as evidenced by structure in its cold dust debris. We have tested this hypothesis by direct imaging with adaptive optics in the M band. The observations were made with a newly commissioned thermal infrared camera, Clio, on the 6.5 MMT AO system with low-background deformable secondary mirror. The observations constrain a planet to be less than 7 M J at the approximate position angle expected from the dust structure and at a radius >20 AU (2 5). This result is more stringent than similar previous near-infrared observations of Vega, which achieved limits of 20 and 10 M J at separations of 7''. The higher sensitivity is due to both the more favorable contrast of gas giant planets at the M band and the higher Strehl ratio and more stable point spread function at longer wavelengths. Future L ' or M band observations could provide a powerful approach for wide-separation planet detection, especially for cooler and thus older or less massive planets. The natural best targets are nearby stars, where planets in the range of 5-15 M J and as old as several Gyr are expected to be detectable with this technique.