TY - JOUR
T1 - The exozodiacal dust problem for direct observations of exo-earths
AU - Roberge, Aki
AU - Chen, Christine H.
AU - Millan-Gabet, Rafael
AU - Weinberger, Alycia J.
AU - Hinz, Philip M.
AU - Stapelfeldt, Karl R.
AU - Absil, Olivier
AU - Kuchner, Marc J.
AU - Bryden, Geoffrey
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2012/8
Y1 - 2012/8
N2 - Debris dust in the habitable zones of stars-otherwise known as exozodiacal dust-comes from extrasolar asteroids and comets and is thus an expected part of a planetary system. Background flux from the solar system's zodiacal dust and the exozodiacal dust in the target system is likely to be the largest source of astrophysical noise in direct observations of terrestrial planets in the habitable zones of nearby stars. Furthermore, dust structures like clumps, thought to be produced by dynamical interactions with exoplanets, are a possible source of confusion. In this article, we qualitatively assess the primary impact of exozodiacal dust on high-contrast direct imaging at optical wavelengths, such as would be performed with a coronagraph. Then we present the sensitivity of previous, current, and near-term facilities to thermal emission from debris dust at all distances from nearby solar-type stars, as well as our current knowledge of dust levels from recent surveys. Finally, we address the other method of detecting debris dust, through high-contrast imaging in scattered light. This method is currently far less sensitive than thermal emission observations, but provides high spatial resolution for studying dust structures. This article represents the first report of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG).
AB - Debris dust in the habitable zones of stars-otherwise known as exozodiacal dust-comes from extrasolar asteroids and comets and is thus an expected part of a planetary system. Background flux from the solar system's zodiacal dust and the exozodiacal dust in the target system is likely to be the largest source of astrophysical noise in direct observations of terrestrial planets in the habitable zones of nearby stars. Furthermore, dust structures like clumps, thought to be produced by dynamical interactions with exoplanets, are a possible source of confusion. In this article, we qualitatively assess the primary impact of exozodiacal dust on high-contrast direct imaging at optical wavelengths, such as would be performed with a coronagraph. Then we present the sensitivity of previous, current, and near-term facilities to thermal emission from debris dust at all distances from nearby solar-type stars, as well as our current knowledge of dust levels from recent surveys. Finally, we address the other method of detecting debris dust, through high-contrast imaging in scattered light. This method is currently far less sensitive than thermal emission observations, but provides high spatial resolution for studying dust structures. This article represents the first report of NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Analysis Group (ExoPAG).
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U2 - 10.1086/667218
DO - 10.1086/667218
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84866322425
VL - 124
SP - 799
EP - 808
JO - Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
JF - Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
SN - 0004-6280
IS - 918
ER -