MMT/AO 5 micron Imaging Constraints on the Existence of Giant Planets Orbiting Fomalhaut at ~13-40 AU

Matthew A. Kenworthy; Eric E. Mamajek; Philip M. Hinz; Michael R. Meyer; Aren N. Heinze; Douglas L. Miller; Suresh Sivanandam; Melanie Freed

doi:10.1088/0004-637x/697/2/1928

arXiv · 0811.2443

MMT/AO 5 micron Imaging Constraints on the Existence of Giant Planets Orbiting Fomalhaut at ~13-40 AU

Matthew A. Kenworthy·Eric E. Mamajek·Philip M. Hinz·Michael R. Meyer·Aren N. Heinze·Douglas L. Miller·Suresh Sivanandam·Melanie Freed

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Abstract

A candidate < 3 Jupiter mass, extrasolar planet was recently imaged by Kalas et al. (2008) using HST/ACS at 12.7" (96 AU) separation from the nearby (d = 7.7 pc) young (~200 Myr) A2V star Fomalhaut. Here we report results from M-band (4.8 micron) imaging of Fomalhaut on 5 Dec 2006 using the Clio IR imager on the 6.5-m MMT with the adaptive secondary mirror. Our images are sensitive to giant planets at orbital radii comparable to the outer solar system (~5-40 AU). Comparing our 5-sigma M-band photometric limits to theoretical evolutionary tracks for substellar objects, our results rule out the existence of planets with masses greater than 2 Jupiter masses, from ~13-40 AU and objects greater than 13 Jupiter masses from ~8-40 AU.

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Matthew A. Kenworthy, Eric E. Mamajek, Philip M. Hinz, Michael R. Meyer, Aren N. Heinze, Douglas L. Miller, Suresh Sivanandam, Melanie Freed. 2008-11-17. MMT/AO 5 micron Imaging Constraints on the Existence of Giant Planets Orbiting Fomalhaut at ~13-40 AU. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x%2F697%2F2%2F1928

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