Imaging planets around nearby white dwarfs |
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| Authors: | M. R.Burleigh F. J.Clarke S. T.Hodgkin |
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| Affiliation: | 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH; 2Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA |
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| Abstract: | We suggest that Jovian planets will survive the late stages of stellar evolution, and that white dwarfs will retain planetary systems in wide orbits (≳5 au). Utilizing evolutionary models for Jovian planets, we show that infrared imaging with 8-m class telescopes of suitable nearby white dwarfs should allow us to resolve and detect companions ≳3 M JUP. Detection of massive planetary companions to nearby white dwarfs would prove that such objects can survive the final stages of stellar evolution, place constraints on the frequency of main-sequence stars with planetary systems dynamically similar to our own and allow direct spectroscopic investigation of their composition and structure. |
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| Keywords: | planetary systems white dwarfs |
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