Exoplanet detection and characterization with direct imaging

In this short talk I will review some of the recent results from the Gemini Planet Imager Exoplanet survey, a campaign to search for self-luminous massive exoplanets in wide orbits around nearby, young stars via direct imaging. This technique is complementary to indirect detection methods such as radial velocity and transit that are sensitive to gas giants in the inner solar system. Planets detected via direct imaging are amenable to spectroscopic characterization, a distinct population from the highly-irradiated hot Jupiters characterized with transmission spectroscopy. I will briefly review the statistical results from the survey relating to planet occurrence rates and distributions, and present preliminary work on our spectral library - a uniform grid of near-infrared spectra of imaged substellar companions spanning a range of masses and temperatures. If there is time, I will conclude with a brief discussion on the potential impact of Gaia astrometry on the field of direct imaging.

Speaker: Rob De Rosa, Stanford