Detecting free-floating planets using water-depend colour terms in the next generation of infrared space-based surveys

TL;DR

This paper proposes using water-dependent infrared colour terms from upcoming space surveys to identify free-floating planets, leveraging differences in filter responses to water absorption in spectra.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to detect free-floating planets by exploiting water absorption features in space-based infrared survey data.

Findings

Water-dependent colour terms can distinguish ultracool dwarfs from background stars.

The technique is effective for identifying free-floating planets in star-forming regions.

This method supports the case for a Galactic Plane survey extension.

Abstract

The next decade will see two large-scale space-based near-infrared surveys, Euclid and WFIRST. This paper shows that the subtle differences between the filters proposed for these surveys and those from ground-based photometric systems will produce a ground-space colour term that is dependent on water absorption in the spectra of astronomical objects. This colour term can be used to identify free-floating planets in star forming regions, mimicking a successful ground-based technique that uses a filter sensitive to water absorption. This paper shows that this colour term is an effective discriminant between reddened background stars and ultracool dwarfs. This represents just one science justification for a Galactic Plane survey in the event of an extension to the Euclid mission beyond its original timeframe.