Protostars and Planets VI, Heidelberg, July 15-20, 2013

Poster 2K006

A 100-Night Exoplanet Imaging Survey at the LBT

Zimmerman, Neil (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie)
Skemer, Andrew (U. Arizona)
Apai, Daniel (U. Arizona)
Bailey, Vanessa (U. Arizona)
Biller, Beth (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie)
Bonnefoy, Mickael (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie)
Brandner, Wolfgang (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie)
Buenzli, Esther (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie)
Close, Laird (U. Arizona)
Crepp, Justin (U. Notre Dame)
Defrere, Denis (U. Arizona)
Desidera, Silvano (INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova)
Eisner, Josh (U. Arizona)
Esposito, Simone (INAF – Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri)
Fortney, Jonathan (UC Santa Cruz)
Henning, Thomas (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie)
Hinz, Phil (U. Arizona)
Hofmann, Karl-Heinz (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie)
Leisenring, Jarron (ETH Zurich)
Males, Jared (U. Arizona)
Millan-Gabet, Rafael (Caltech)
Morzinski, Katie (U. Arizona)
Pascucci, Ilaria (U. Arizona)
Patience, Jenny (U. Exeter)
Rieke, George (U. Arizona)
Schertl, Dieter (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie)
Schlieder, Joshua (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie)
Skrutskie, Michael (U. Virginia)
Su, Kate (U. Arizona)
Woodward, Chick (U. Minnesota)

Abstract:
In February 2013, the LEECH (LBTI Exozodi Exoplanet Common Hunt) survey began its 100-night campaign from the Large Binocular Telescope atop Mount Graham in Arizona. LEECH neatly complements other high-contrast planet imaging efforts by observing stars in L’ band (3.8 microns) as opposed to the shorter wavelength near-infrared bands (1–2.3 microns). This part of the spectrum offers deeper mass sensitivity for intermediate age (several hundred Myr-old) systems, since their Jovian-mass planets radiate predominantly in the mid-infrared. We present the science goals for LEECH and a preliminary contrast curve from some early data.

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