Search for: All records

We present total intensity images of the debris disk around HR 4796A from observations spanning 2023 to 2025 with the Magellan extreme adaptive optics instrument (MagAO-X). We detected the disk at high signal-to-noise ratios at g′(527 nm), r′(615 nm), i′(762 nm), and z′(909 nm). Additionally, we present images collected using the “star-hopping” technique that show the entirety of the disk, including the dramatic forward-scattering at the minor axis. We subjected our images to a battery of modeling techniques to constrain the geometry and photometry of the disk. Leveraging our clear detections of the disk’s minor axis, we modeled the scattering phase function (SPF) using a basis of the Legendre polynomials. To mitigate self-subtraction artifacts in our angular differential imaging, we implemented a forward-modeling pipeline that generates a pixel-based freeform disk forward model leading to a deconvolved image of the disk. Our best-fit disk models reveal (1) highly forward-scattering SPFs with a minimum at the ∼65∘ scattering angle, (2) a faint halo of dust just exterior to the spine of the disk that is not well-described by a broken power-law density profile, (3) a red spectral slope for the dust, and finally (4) a compact, clump-like feature in the freeform disk models. Our empirically measured SPFs suggest that the scattering is dominated by large, highly absorptive grains. However, we emphasize the need for testing advanced irregular grain models using our SPFs to learn more about the physical and chemical properties of this complex system. 

Abstract MagAO-X is a recently commissioned extreme adaptive optics instrument for the Magellan Clay 6.5 m telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. MagAO-X had first light in 2019 and subsequent commissioning observations in 2022 and 2023. An essential step for the commissioning of any new instrument is the calibration of the conversion of detector coordinates to angular sky coordinates, which we accomplish with observations of HD 165054. The background stars adjacent to HD 165054 in Baade’s Window are in a fortuitous configuration for the astrometric calibration of natural-guide-star high-contrast imaging instruments. We extend past work to connect these stars’ positions to absolute astrometry for HD 165054 itself using Gaia Data Release 3 data, and bootstrap the creation of an astrometric solution for our new high-contrast imaging instrument. Through Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis of the historical data and position measurements from MagAO-X, we obtain updated astrometric parameters for the seven background stars and an astrometric calibration of the MagAO-X science cameras. 

We present 3 yr of high-contrast imaging of the PDS 70 b and c accreting protoplanets with the new extreme AO system MagAO-X as part of the MaxProtoPlanetS survey of Hα protoplanets. In 2023 and 2024, our sharp (25–27 mas FWHM), well-AO-corrected (20%–26% Strehl), deep (2–3.6 hr) images detected compact (r ∼ 30 mas; r ∼ 3 au) circumplanetary disks (CPDs) surrounding both protoplanets. Starlight scattering off the front edge of these dusty CPDs is the likely source of the bright compact continuum light detected within ∼30 mas of both planets in our simultaneously obtained continuum 668 nm filter images. After subtraction of contaminating continuum and point-spread function residuals with pyKLIP angular differential imaging and spectral differential imaging, we obtained high-contrast ASDI Hα images of both planets in 2022, 2023, and 2024. We find the Hα line flux of planet b fell by (8.1 ± 1.6) × 10−16 erg s−1 cm−2, a factor of 4.6 drop in flux from 2022 to 2023. In 2024 March, planet b continued to be faint with just a slight 1.6× rise to an Hα line flux of (3.64 ± 0.87) × 10−16 erg s−1 cm−2. For c, we measure a significant increase of (2.74 ± 0.51) × 10−16 erg s−1 cm−2 from 2023 to 2024, which is a factor of 2.3 increase. So both protoplanets have recently experienced significant Hα variability with ∼1 yr sampling. In 2024, planet c is brighter than b: as c is brightening and b generally fading. We also tentatively detect one new point source “CC3” inside the inner disk (∼49 mas; at PA ∼ 295°; 2024) with orbital motion roughly consistent with a ∼5.6 au orbit. 

Abstract 2MASS J16120668–3010270 (hereafter 2MJ1612) is a young M0 star that hosts a protoplanetary disk in the Upper Scorpius star-forming region. Recent Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of 2MJ1612 show a mildly inclined disk (i = 37°) with a large dust-depleted gap (R_cav ≈ 0 $\stackrel{\text{″}}{.}$ 4 or 53 au). We present high-contrast Hαobservations from MagAO-X on the 6.5 m Magellan telescope and new high-resolution submillimeter dust continuum observations with ALMA of 2MJ1612. On both 2025 April 13 and 16, we recovered a point source with Hαexcess with a signal-to-noise ratio ≳5 within the disk gap in our MagAO-X angular and spectral differential images at a separation of 141.96 ± 2.10 mas (23.45 ± 0.29 au deprojected) from the star and a position angle ​​​​​of 159 $\stackrel{\text{°}}{.}$ 00 ± 0 $\stackrel{\text{°}}{.}$ 55. Furthermore, this Hαsource is within close proximity to aK-band point source in the SPHERE/IRDIS observation taken on 2023 July 21. The astrometric offset between theKband and Hαsource can be explained by orbital motion of a bound companion. Thus, our observations can be best explained by the discovery of an accreting protoplanet, 2MJ1612 b, with an estimated mass of 4M_Jupand a Hαline flux ranging from (29.7 ± 7.5) × 10⁻¹⁶erg s cm²to (8.2 ± 3.4) × 10⁻¹⁶erg s cm². 2MJ1612 b is likely the third example of an accreting Hαprotoplanet responsible for carving the gap in its host disk, joining PDS 70 b and c. Further study is necessary to confirm and characterize this protoplanet candidate and to identify any additional protoplanets that may also play a role in shaping the gap. 

Abstract High-contrast imaging has afforded astronomers the opportunity to study light directly emitted by adolescent (tens of megayears) and “proto” (<10 Myr) planets still undergoing formation. Direct detection of these planets is enabled by empirical point-spread function (PSF) modeling and removal algorithms. The computational intensity of such algorithms, as well as their multiplicity of tunable input parameters, has led to the prevalence of ad hoc optimization approaches to high-contrast imaging results. In this work, we present a new, systematic approach to optimization vetted using data of the high-contrast stellar companion HD 142527 B from the Magellan Adaptive Optics Giant Accreting Protoplanet Survey (GAPlanetS). More specifically, we present a grid search technique designed to explore three influential parameters of the PSF subtraction algorithm pyKLIP : annuli, movement, and KL modes. We consider multiple metrics for postprocessed image quality in order to optimally recover at H α (656 nm) synthetic planets injected into contemporaneous continuum (643 nm) images. These metrics include peak (single-pixel) signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), average (multipixel average) S/N, 5 σ contrast, and false-positive fraction. We apply continuum-optimized KLIP reduction parameters to six H α direct detections of the low-mass stellar companion HD 142527 B and recover the companion at a range of separations. Relative to a single-informed, nonoptimized set of KLIP parameters applied to all data sets uniformly, our multimetric grid search optimization led to improvements in companion S/N of up to 1.2 σ , with an average improvement of 0.6 σ . Since many direct imaging detections lie close to the canonical 5 σ threshold, even such modest improvements may result in higher yields in future imaging surveys. 

Abstract We report an Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 0.88 mm (Band 7) continuum detection of the accretion disk around SR 12 c, an ∼11 M Jup planetary-mass companion (PMC) orbiting its host binary at 980 au. This is the first submillimeter detection of a circumplanetary disk around a wide PMC. The disk has a flux density of 127 ± 14 μ Jy and is not resolved by the ∼0.″1 beam, so the dust disk radius is likely less than 5 au and can be much smaller if the dust continuum is optically thick. If, however, the dust emission is optically thin, then the SR 12 c disk has a comparable dust mass to the circumplanetary disk around PDS 70 c but is about five times lower than that of the ∼12 M Jup free-floating OTS 44. This suggests that disks around bound and unbound planetary-mass objects can span a wide range of masses. The gas mass estimated with an accretion rate of 10 −11 M ☉ yr −1 implies a gas-to-dust ratio higher than 100. If cloud absorption is not significant, a nondetection of 12 CO(3–2) implies a compact gas disk around SR 12 c. Future sensitive observations may detect more PMC disks at 0.88 mm flux densities of ≲100 μ Jy. 

Abstract Companions embedded in the cavities of transitional circumstellar disks have been observed to exhibit excess luminosity at H α , an indication that they are actively accreting. We report 5 yr (2013–2018) of monitoring of the position and H α excess luminosity of the embedded, accreting low-mass stellar companion HD 142527 B from the MagAO/VisAO instrument. We use pyklip , a Python implementation of the Karhunen–Loeve Image Processing algorithm, to detect the companion. Using pyklip forward modeling, we constrain the relative astrometry to 1–2 mas precision and achieve sufficient photometric precision (±0.2 mag, 3% error) to detect changes in the H α contrast of the companion over time. In order to accurately determine the relative astrometry of the companion, we conduct an astrometric calibration of the MagAO/VisAO camera against 20 yr of Keck/NIRC2 images of the Trapezium cluster. We demonstrate agreement of our VisAO astrometry with other published positions for HD 142527 B, and use orbitize! to generate a posterior distribution of orbits fit to the relative astrometry of HD 142527 B. Our data suggest that the companion is close to periastron passage, on an orbit significantly misaligned with respect to both the wide circumbinary disk and the recently observed inner disk encircling HD 142527 A. We translate observed H α contrasts for HD 142527 B into mass accretion rate estimates on the order of 4–9 × 10 −10 M ⊙ yr −1 . Photometric variation in the H α excess of the companion suggests that the accretion rate onto the companion is variable. This work represents a significant step toward observing accretion-driven variability onto protoplanets, such as PDS 70 b&c. 

Abstract Accreting protoplanets are windows into planet formation processes, and high-contrast differential imaging is an effective way to identify them. We report results from the Giant Accreting Protoplanet Survey (GAPlanetS), which collected H α differential imagery of 14 transitional disk host stars with the Magellan Adaptive Optics System. To address the twin challenges of morphological complexity and point-spread function instability, GAPlanetS required novel approaches for frame selection and optimization of the Karhounen–Loéve Image Processing algorithm pyKLIP . We detect one new candidate, CS Cha “c,” at a separation of 68 mas and a modest Δmag of 2.3. We recover the HD 142527 B and HD 100453 B accreting stellar companions in several epochs, and the protoplanet PDS 70 c in 2017 imagery, extending its astrometric record by nine months. Though we cannot rule out scattered light structure, we also recover LkCa 15 “b,” at H α ; its presence inside the disk cavity, absence in Continuum imagery, and consistency with a forward-modeled point source suggest that it remains a viable protoplanet candidate. Through targeted optimization, we tentatively recover PDS 70 c at two additional epochs and PDS 70 b in one epoch. Despite numerous previously reported companion candidates around GAplanetS targets, we recover no additional point sources. Our moderate H α contrasts do not preclude most protoplanets, and we report limiting H α contrasts at unrecovered candidate locations. We find an overall detection rate of ∼36 − 22 + 26 % , considerably higher than most direct imaging surveys, speaking to both GAPlanetS’s highly targeted nature and the promise of H α differential imaging for protoplanet identification. 

The MCAO pathfinder Clear on the 1.6-meter Goode Solar Telescope has been enabling us to advance solar MCAO from early conceptual demonstrations to science grade wide-field image correction. We report on recent improvements to the control loop and we comment on issues such as the co-aligning of wavefront sensors and deformable mirrors and the sensitivity of wavefront sensor gains. Further, we comment on the challenges to wavefront sensing and the control system architecture faced when scaling up to a 4-meter aperture. Finally, we present an early concept of the future MCAO upgrade for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. 

The success of ground-based, high contrast imaging for the detection of exoplanets in part depends on the ability to differentiate between quasi-static speckles caused by aberrations not corrected by adaptive optics (AO) systems, known as non-common path aberrations (NCPAs), and the planet intensity signal. Frazin (ApJ, 2013) introduced a post-processing algorithm demonstrating that simultaneous millisecond exposures in the science camera and wavefront sensor (WFS) can be used with a statistical inference procedure to determine both the series expanded NCPA coefficients and the planetary signal. We demonstrate, via simulation, that using this algorithm in a closed-loop AO system, real-time estimation and correction of the quasi-static NCPA is possible without separate deformable mirror (DM) probes. Thus the use of this technique allows for the removal of the quasi-static speckles that can be mistaken for planetary signals without the need for new optical hardware, improving the efficiency of ground-based exoplanet detection. In our simulations, we explore the behavior of the Frazin Algorithm (FA) and the dependence of its convergence to an accurate estimate on factors such as Strehl ratio, NCPA strength, and number of algorithm search basis functions. We then apply this knowledge to simulate running the algorithm in real-time in a nearly ideal setting. We then discuss adaptations that can be made to the algorithm to improve its real-time performance, and show their efficacy in simulation. A final simulation tests the technique’s resilience against imperfect knowledge of the AO residual phase, motivating an analysis of the feasibility of using this technique in a real closed-loop Extreme AO system such as SCExAO or MagAO-X, in terms of computational complexity and the accuracy of the estimated quasi-static NCPA correction.