Imaging low-mass planets within the habitable zone of alpha Centauri

Wagner, K.; Boehle, A.; Pathak, P.; Kasper, M.; Arsenault, R.; Jakob, G.; Käufl, U.; Leveratto, S.; Maire, A.-L.; Pantin, E.; Siebenmorgen, R.; Zins, G.; Absil, O.; Ageorges, N.; Apai, D.; Carlotti, A.; Choquet, É.; Delacroix, C.; Dohlen, K.; Duhoux, P.; Forsberg, P.; Fuenteseca, E.; Gutruf, S.; Guyon, O.; Huby, E.; Kampf, D.; Karlsson, M.; Kervella, P.; Kirchbauer, J.-P.; Klupar, P.; Kolb, J.; Mawet, D.; N’Diaye, M.; de Xivry, G. Orban; Quanz, S. P.; Reutlinger, A.; Ruane, G.; Riquelme, M.; Soenke, C.; Sterzik, M.; Vigan , A.; Zeeuw, T. de

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21176-6

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Imaging low-mass planets within the habitable zone of alpha Centauri

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Zeeuw, T. de
Infrared and Submillimeter Astronomy, MPI for Extraterrestrial Physics, Max Planck Society;

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Citation

Wagner, K., Boehle, A., Pathak, P., Kasper, M., Arsenault, R., Jakob, G., et al. (2020). Imaging low-mass planets within the habitable zone of alpha Centauri. Nature Communications, 12(1): 922. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21176-6.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-0008-5493-3

Abstract

Giant exoplanets on wide orbits have been directly imaged around young stars. If the thermal background in the mid-infrared can be mitigated, then exoplanets with lower masses can also be imaged. Here we present a ground-based mid-infrared observing approach that enables imaging low-mass temperate exoplanets around nearby stars, and in particular within the closest stellar system, α Centauri. Based on 75–80% of the best quality images from 100 h of cumulative observations, we demonstrate sensitivity to warm sub-Neptune-sized planets throughout much of the habitable zone of α Centauri A. This is an order of magnitude more sensitive than state-of-the-art exoplanet imaging mass detection limits. We also discuss a possible exoplanet or exozodiacal disk detection around α Centauri A. However, an instrumental artifact of unknown origin cannot be ruled out. These results demonstrate the feasibility of imaging rocky habitable-zone exoplanets with current and upcoming telescopes.