An Extreme-AO Search for Giant Planets around a White Dwarf --VLT/SPHERE performance on a faint target GD 50

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the capabilities of the VLT/SPHERE instrument in high-contrast imaging of faint white dwarf targets, setting new limits on the presence of giant planets around GD 50 and showcasing its potential for future searches.

Contribution

First successful use of VLT/SPHERE for high-contrast imaging of a faint white dwarf, establishing new detection limits for giant planets around such stars.

Findings

No planets detected around GD 50.

Excluded giant planets >4 M_J at 6.2 AU, >2.9 M_J at 12.4 AU, and >2.8 M_J at 18.6 AU.

SPHERE outperforms previous instruments in close-in substellar object searches.

Abstract

CONTEXT. Little is known about the planetary systems around single white dwarfs although there is strong evidence that they do exist. AIMS. We performed a pilot study with the extreme-AO system on the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) on the Very Large Telescopes (VLT) to look for giant planets around a young white dwarf, GD 50. METHODS. We were awarded science verification time on the new ESO instrument SPHERE. Observations were made with the InfraRed Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph in classical imaging mode in H band. RESULTS. Despite the faintness of the target (14.2 mag in R band), the AO loop was closed and a strehl of 37\% was reached in H band. No objects were detected around GD 50. We achieved a 5-sigma contrast of 6.2, 8.0 and 8.25 mags at 0{\farcs}2, 0{\farcs}4 and 0{\farcs}6 and beyond, respectively. We exclude any substellar objects more massive than 4.0 M$_\textrm{J}$ at 6.2 AU, 2.9 M$_\textrm{J}$ at 12.4 AU and 2.8 M$_\textrm{J}$ at 18.6 AU and beyond. This rivals the previous upper limit set by Spitzer. We further show that SPHERE is the most promising instrument available to search for close-in substellar objects around nearby white dwarfs.