Published April 21, 2026
| Version v1
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JWST direct imaging searches for sub-Jupiter planets as a pathfinder towards ELT exoplanet imaging
Authors/Creators
- 1. University of Edinburgh
- 2. STScI
Description
The extreme IR sensitivity of JWST enables imaging of sub-Jupiter exoplanets for the first time, yielding sensitivity even to young analogues of Saturn. The first survey to systematically search for wide sub-Jupiter exoplanets around young moving group stars is now underway, with NIRCam coronagraphic imaging of >150 stars in JWST Cycle 2 and Cycle 3 (GO 4050, GO 5835, SURVEY 6005). All of these survey targets reach sensitivities sufficient to image sub-Jupiter exoplanets, with more than half of the sample reaching the sensitivity sufficient to image to 0.5 MJup planets and 1/3 of the sample yielding sensitivity down to young Saturn analogues. Thus this survey has the potential to discover the coldest and lowest mass exoplanet directly imaged to date (Teff ~ 250-400 K, similar to that of habitable zone exoplanets). This ongoing JWST survey for sub-Jupiter planets will help pave the way towards eventual ELT high-contrast observations of solar-system age giant planetsin reflected light, via 1) developing the techniques for reference star PSF subtraction necessary for high-contrast imaging, 2) improving our understanding of wide giant planet demographics, and 3) imaging and characterizing atmospheres with temperatures similar to solar system age giant planets in the habitable zones of their stars.
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BBiller_ExoELT.pdf
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