Exoplanetology: Exoplanets & Exomoons

The SPHERE Infrared Survey For Exoplanets (SHINE)- I Sample Definition and Target Characterization

By Keith Cowing
astro-ph.SR
March 14, 2021
Filed under
The SPHERE Infrared Survey For Exoplanets (SHINE)- I Sample Definition and Target Characterization
Expected IFS detection limits (light blue curves), evaluated using the method described in Mesa et al. (2015), expressed in terms of contrast (left panel) or minimum companion mass (right panel, calculated assuming the best age for each target). The solid blue line shows the average over the full input sample. The light and dark gray curves in the right panel show the average mass limit obtained adopting the minimum and maximum values of the age, respectively.

Large surveys with new-generation high-contrast imaging instruments are needed to derive the frequency and properties of exoplanet populations with separations from ∼5 to 300 AU.

A careful assessment of the stellar properties is crucial for a proper understanding of when, where, and how frequently planets form, and how they evolve.

The sensitivity of detection limits to stellar age makes this a key parameter for direct imaging surveys. We describe the SpHere INfrared survey for Exoplanets (SHINE), the largest direct imaging planet-search campaign initiated at the VLT in 2015 in the context of the SPHERE Guaranteed Time Observations of the SPHERE consortium. In this first paper we present the selection and the properties of the complete sample of stars surveyed with SHINE, focusing on the targets observed during the first phase of the survey (from February 2015 to February 2017).

This early sample composed of 150 stars is used to perform a preliminary statistical analysis of the SHINE data, deferred to two companion papers presenting the survey performance, main discoveries, and the preliminary statistical constraints set by SHINE. Based on a large database collecting the stellar properties of all young nearby stars in the solar vicinity (including kinematics, membership to moving groups, isochrones, lithium abundance, rotation, and activity), we selected the original sample of 800 stars that were ranked in order of priority according to their sensitivity for planet detection in direct imaging with SPHERE. The properties of the stars that are part of the early statistical sample were revisited, including for instance measurements from the GAIA Data Release 2.

S. Desidera, G. Chauvin, M. Bonavita, S. Messina, H. LeCoroller, T. Schmidt, R. Gratton, C. Lazzoni, M. Meyer, J. Schlieder, A. Cheetham, J. Hagelberg, M. Bonnefoy, M. Feldt, A-M. Lagrange, M. Langlois, A. Vigan, T.G. Tan, F.-J. Hambsch, M. Millward, J. Alcala, S. Benatti, W. Brandner, J. Carson, E. Covino, P. Delorme, V. D’Orazi, M. Janson, E. Rigliaco, J.-L. Beuzit, B. Biller, A. Boccaletti, C. Dominik, F. Cantalloube, C. Fontaniv, R. Galicher, Th. Henning, E. Lagadec, R. Ligi, A-L. Maire, F. Menard, D. Mesa, A. Muller, M. Samland, H.M. Schmid, E. Sissa, M. Turatto, S. Udry, A. Zurlo R. Asensio-Torres, T. Kopytova, E. Rickman, L. Abe, J. Antichi, A. Baruffolo, P. Baudoz, J. Baudrand, P. Blanchard, A. Bazzon, T. Buey, M. Carbillet, M. Carle, J. Charton, E. Cascone, R. Claudi, A. Costille, A. Deboulbe, V. De Caprio, K. Dohlen, D. Fantinel, P. Feautrier, T. Fusco, P. Gigan, E. Giro, D. Gisler, L. Gluck, N. Hubin, E. Hugot, M. Jaquet, M. Kasper, F. Madec, Y. Magnard, P. Martinez, D. Maurel, D. Le Mignant, O. Moller-Nilsson, M. Llored, T. Moulin, A. Origne, A. Pavlov, D. Perret, C. Petit, J. Pragt, P. Puget, P. Rabou, J. Ramon, F. Rigal, S. Rochat, R. Roelfsema, G. Rousset, A. Roux et al. (8 additional authors not shown)

Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP); Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM); Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
Cite as: arXiv:2103.04366 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2103.04366v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
Submission history
From: Maud Langlois
[v1] Sun, 7 Mar 2021 14:32:43 UTC (9,478 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.04366
Astrobiology

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻