S22A0011
S22A0011
[Note: this proposal was accepted and top-ranked in S21B but not executed due to a power outage at Subaru on allocated nights.] We propose SCExAO/CHARIS follow-up of a faint, likely directly-imaged exoplanet identified in 2020, ∼18 au from a nearby dusty star. Analysis of its spectrum – while noisy – favors an atmosphere resembling those of the first imaged exoplanets, HR 8799 bcde. It is responsible for a 3σ acceleration induced on its host star as seen by Gaia: unlike nearly all other imaged exoplanets so far, it is possible to derive the companion’s dynamical mass instead of inferring a mass from uncertain evolutionary models. New data will yield a high SNR detection across the JHK passbands that better constrain’s the companion’s atmosphere and dynamical mass. This companion could provide SCExAO with its first direct imaging exoplanet discovery and the Subaru Telescope’s first in 9 years. Furthermore, this companion is a proof-of-concept for a fundamentally different type of exoplanet direct imaging search, using ultra-precise Gaia astrometry to identify stars with imageable planets. These are the highest-priority observations for the CHARIS/post-SEEDS consortium in S22A.
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