Target Selection for the LBTI Exozodi Key Science Program

TL;DR

The HOSTS survey on the LBTI aims to detect faint exozodiacal dust around nearby stars to inform future space missions and understand planetary system evolution, using a carefully selected target list of about 50 stars.

Contribution

This paper presents the target selection strategy for the HOSTS survey, optimizing the ability to constrain the exozodiacal dust luminosity function with a 50-star sample.

Findings

HOSTS can characterize the distribution of warm dust around different star types.

The survey's effectiveness is robust against weather-induced sensitivity variations.

Target selection enhances the survey's potential to inform future exoplanet imaging missions.

Abstract

The Hunt for Observable Signatures of Terrestrial planetary Systems (HOSTS) on the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer will survey nearby stars for faint emission arising from ~300 K dust (exozodiacal dust), and aims to determine the exozodiacal dust luminosity function. HOSTS results will enable planning for future space telescopes aimed at direct spectroscopy of habitable zone terrestrial planets, as well as greater understanding of the evolution of exozodiacal disks and planetary systems. We lay out here the considerations that lead to the final HOSTS target list. Our target selection strategy maximizes the ability of the survey to constrain the exozodi luminosity function by selecting a combination of stars selected for suitability as targets of future missions and as sensitive exozodi probes. With a survey of approximately 50 stars, we show that HOSTS can enable an understanding of the statistical distribution of warm dust around various types of stars and is robust to the effects of varying levels of survey sensitivity induced by weather conditions.