DIRECT IMAGING CONFIRMATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A DUST-ENSHROUDED CANDIDATE EXOPLANET ORBITING FOMALHAUT
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON (Canada)
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (United States)
- Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Nishi-Harima Observatory, University of Hyogo, Kobe (Japan)
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka (Japan)
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Stellar and Exoplanets Laboratory, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland-College Park, College Park, MD (United States)
We present Subaru/IRCS J-band data for Fomalhaut and a (re)reduction of archival 2004-2006 HST/ACS data first presented by Kalas et al. We confirm the existence of a candidate exoplanet, Fomalhaut b, in both the 2004 and 2006 F606W data sets at a high signal-to-noise ratio. Additionally, we confirm the detection at F814W and present a new detection in F435W. Fomalhaut b's space motion may be consistent with it being in an apsidally aligned, non-debris ring-crossing orbit, although new astrometry is required for firmer conclusions. We cannot confirm that Fomalhaut b exhibits 0.7-0.8 mag variability cited as evidence for planet accretion or a semi-transient dust cloud. The new, combined optical spectral energy distribution and IR upper limits confirm that emission identifying Fomalhaut b originates from starlight scattered by small dust, but this dust is most likely associated with a massive body. The Subaru and IRAC/4.5 {mu}m upper limits imply M < 2 M{sub J} , still consistent with the range of Fomalhaut b masses needed to sculpt the disk. Fomalhaut b is very plausibly 'a planet identified from direct imaging' even if current images of it do not, strictly speaking, show thermal emission from a directly imaged planet.
- OSTI ID:
- 22078400
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 760, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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