Direct detection of sub-stellar companions around young stars and integral-field infrared spectroscopy

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ralph Neuhäuser
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2008 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 86607135

The planet formation mechanism and its time-scale are still unknown: Planets may form by direct gravitational collapse (fast) or by coagulation from dust in circumstellar disks (slow). Constrains on the time-scale can be obtained, if very young stars with planets are found. One project part is Adaptive Optics imaging of several samples of young stars (1st epoch data are partly already available, ESO observing time is granted) with ages from 1 to 600 Myrs, i.e. the full range of planet formation timescales under discussion. In another part, we will perform integral-field spectroscopy of young sub-stellar companions (brown dwarfs and/or planets) with VLT/Sinfoni - to be compared to model atmospheres to determine temperature and gravities of all those objects (also radii from luminosity and temperature), hence their masses. We plan to assess the nature of sub-stellar companions as being planets or brown dwarfs and to constrain model atmospheres. We can then study the frequency of brown dwarfs and planets as companions to stars of different age bins and its temporal evolution.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants