NICMOS Search for Circumstellar Dust and Substellar Companions around Six Nearby Main Sequence Stars
Abstract
We report preliminary results from an HST/NICMOS search for planetary debris and companions around six nearby stars. Each target system has a far-IR excess indicating thermal emission from optically thin dust. Observations were obtained in two modes, direct imaging and with the NICMOS Camera 2 coronagraphic mode. Data reduction and analysis were performed using both IRAF and the IDL/IDP3 software routines developed by the NICMOS IDT. Our tenative results place limits on the detectability of disks via near-IR scattered light as well as on the brightness and location of point-source companions.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #196
- Pub Date:
- May 2000
- Bibcode:
- 2000AAS...196.0205V