Coronagraphic observations of Fomalhaut at solar system scales

Abstract

We report on a search for low mass companions within 10 AU of the star Fomalhaut, using narrow band observations at 4.05 microns obtained with the Apodizing Phase Plate (APP) coronagraph on the VLT/NaCo. Our observations place a model dependent upper mass limit of 12-20 Jupiter masses from 4 to 10 AU, covering the semi-major axis search space between interferometric imaging measurements and other direct imaging non-detections. These observations rule out models where the large semi-major axis for the putative candidate companion Fomalhaut b is explained by dynamical scattering from a more massive companion in the inner stellar system, where such giant planets are thought to form.

18 pages, 4 figures, to be published in ApJ

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Cited by in corpus (27)

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• Constraining the initial entropy of directly-detected exoplanets
• STIS Coronagraphic Imaging of Fomalhaut: Main Belt Structure and the Orbit of Fomalhaut b
• Dynamical evolution of an eccentric planet and a less massive debris disc
• The SEEDS Direct Imaging Survey for Planets and Scattered Dust Emission in Debris Disk Systems
• L'-band AGPM vector vortex coronagraph's first light on VLT/NACO: Discovery of a late-type companion at two beamwidths from an F0V star
• An independent determination of Fomalhaut b's orbit and the dynamical effects on the outer dust belt
• Laboratory demonstration of a mid-infrared AGPM vector vortex coronagraph
• On-sky performance analysis of the vector Apodizing Phase Plate coronagraph on MagAO/Clio2
• High-contrast Imaging with Spitzer: Deep Observations of Vega, Fomalhaut, and epsilon Eridani
• Spatially resolved imaging of the inner Fomalhaut disk using JWST/MIRI
• Spectroscopic Signatures of Extra-Tidal Stars Around the Globular Clusters NGC 6656 (M22), NGC 3201 and NGC 1851 from RAVE
• Optimized Principal Component Analysis on Coronagraphic Images of the Fomalhaut System
• Discovery of the Fomalhaut C debris disc
• Searching for Planets in Holey Debris Disks with the Apodizing Phase Plate
• Search for cool giant exoplanets around young and nearby stars - VLT/NaCo near-infrared phase-coronagraphic and differential imaging
• Fomalhaut b could be massive and sculpting the narrow, eccentric debris disc, if in mean-motion resonance with it
• Discovery of a Low-Mass Companion to the F7V star HD 984
• Searching for gas giant planets on Solar System scales - A NACO/APP L'-band survey of A- and F-type Main Sequence stars
• The companion candidate near Fomalhaut - a background neutron star?
• A Deep Keck/NIRC2 Search for Thermal Emission from Planetary Companions Orbiting Fomalhaut
• Imaged sub-stellar companions: not as eccentric as they appear? The effect of an unseen inner mass on derived orbits
• ALMA imaging of the M-dwarf Fomalhaut C's debris disc
• Sparse aperture masking at the VLT II. Detection limits for the eight debris disks stars $\beta$ Pic, AU Mic, 49 Cet, $\eta$ Tel, Fomalhaut, g Lup, HD181327 and HR8799