[Baps] BU Seminar 4/8/2010 - Paul Kalas

[Paul Withers]

http://www.bu.edu/dbin/csp/?q=CSP_sked

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Csp_seminar] CSP Seminar 4/8/2010 - Paul Kalas
Date: Mon, 05 Apr 2010 09:12:04 -0400
From: Despina Bokios <dbokios at bu.edu>
To: csp_seminar at bu-ast.bu.edu

Center for Space Physics Seminar

Speaker: Paul Kalas
Affiliation: University of California, Berkeley

Title: HST Imaging of Fomalhaut:  Direct detection of an exosolar planet
and Kuiper Belt around a nearby star

Date:  Thursday, April 8th, 2010
Time:  3:30 PM Refreshments in Room 500, 4:00 PM Talk
Place:  725 Commonwealth Ave. Room 502


Abstract:
Advances in high-contrast imaging have produced a new sample of
spatially resolved debris disks with morphologies attributed to the
dynamical effects of planets.  Chief among these is the case for a
planetary system around the nearby A star Fomalhaut.  Optical
coronagraphic observations using the Advanced Camera for Surveys aboard
HST shows a vast dusty debris belt offset from the star and cleanly
sculpted at its inside border.  Follow-up HST images have further
revealed a co-moving point source with apparent orbital motion 18 AU
interior to the dust belt.  I will discuss both the observational and
theoretical evidence that the point source is a planet with < 3 Jupiter
masses, making Fomalhaut b the lowest mass planet candidate detected via
direct imaging.  I will give alternate explanations and discuss future
plans for the detailed mapping of Fomalhaut's planetary system.


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Paul Withers                            Center for Space Physics
Office  +1 617 353 1531                 Boston University
Fax     +1 617 353 6463                 725 Commonwealth Avenue
Email   withers at bu.edu                  Boston MA 02215, USA
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