exozodiacal dust Archives

A sample of scattered light images of exozodiacal dust disks including worst-case-scenario resonant structure used in this work. Each row represents a disk with 1, 10, or 100 zodis and includes a colorbar representing the contrast of 0, 30, 60, and 90 degree inclined disks. The blue dot represents an Earth-like planet at 1 AU away from the star, and the star is located in the center of the image. The structure appears less pronounced for the > 1 zodi cases because it accounts for a smaller percentage of the total surface brightness due to enhanced collisional destruction of grains in denser disks. The disks in this figure are shown after the dithering and Mie theory artifact mitigation steps. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Mitigating Worst-Case Exozodiacal Dust Structure In High-Contrast Images Of Earth-like Exoplanets

by Keith CowingSeptember 25, 2023September 25, 2023

Detecting Earth-like exoplanets in direct images of nearby Sun-like systems brings a unique set of challenges that must be addressed in the early phases of designing a space-based direct imaging […]

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release

Simulating Reflected Light Coronagraphy Of Earth-like Exoplanets With Large IR/O/UV Space Telescope: Impact And Calibration Of Smooth Exozodiacal Dust

by Keith CowingOctober 7, 2022October 7, 2022

Observing Earth-like exoplanets orbiting within the habitable zone of Sun-like stars and studying their atmospheres in reflected starlight requires contrasts of ∼1e−10 in the visible.