NICMOS Imaging of Candidate Extra-Solar Planetary Systems

Abstract

The connection between the formation and growth of planetesimals into larger bodies and the circumstellar debris disks around young and nascent stars from which they arise has been the subject of continual speculation, discussion and inquiry, since the original scenario for such evolution was first expanded upon by Laplace (1796) following the general proposition by Kant (1755). NICMOS coronagraphy has enabled both the direct imaging of such circumstellar disks seen in scattered light about more mature stars (other than b Pictoris) exhibiting morphologically resolved spatial features, and the detection of substellar companions (brown dwarfs and extra-solar giant planets) with masses extending into the Jovian domain for recently formed objects (< a few x 107 years). Exploiting this capability, approximately 18% of the NICMOS IDTs observing time on HST was dedicated to addressing fundamental questions relating to the origins of extra-solar systems while exploring the Environments of Nearby Stars under the umbrella of our EONS project.