Extrasolar Planetary Systems Imaging Group (EPSIG) / High Contrast Research Group
We are staff astronomers and scientists, postdocs, and grad students at STScI and Johns Hopkins University, working together on high contrast imaging and spectroscopy of nearby planetary systems. We're interested in questions such as:
- How do planetary systems form and evolve?
- What are the atmospheres and compositions of extrasolar planets like?
- How common are Earth-like worlds?
- What technologies do we need to develop in able to detect new planets and search for biosignatures?
We are involved in a wide range of observational programs using Hubble and major space and ground based telescopes. Our group has played a major role in developing the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) instrument at Gemini South.
Group members have a wide variety of roles in the JWST, Roman and LUVOIR missions, preparing to operate these telescopes and their coronagraphs. We also operate a state-of-the-art optics lab where we are developing new wavefront control methods for ultra-high-contrast imaging with future large segmented space telescopes.
Website: STScI Extrasolar Planetary Systems Imaging Group
Leads: Tim Brandt, Aarynn Carter, Christine Chen, John Debes, Julien Girard, Dean Hines, Elena Manjavacas, Marshall Perrin, Laurent Pueyo, Anand Sivaramakrishnan, Emily Rickman, Remi Soummer
Research Topics:
- Exoplanets
- High Contrast Imaging
- Adaptive Optics
- Coronagraphs
- Exoplanet Characterization
- Brown Dwarfs
- Circumstellar Disks
- Multiple Stars
- Instrumentation
- Wavefront Sensing and Control
- Interferometry
Seminars/Journal Club: ESPF series
Conference & Symposia: STScI 2021 Spring (Exoplanets) Symposium, Chesapeake Bay Area Exoplanet Meeting (ChExo)
Related Missions & Instruments: HST, JWST, GPI, SPHERE, MUSE, GRAVITY, Roman-CGI, LUVOIR
Related Lab: Makidon Lab, HiCAT
Related Programs: HST ALICE, GPI GPIES, ExoGRAVITY, SPHERE SHINE, ExoCTK, NACO ISPY, JWST GTO/ERS, Roman Macintosh and Turnbull SITs
Community Engagement: Roman Exoplanet Imaging Data Challenge
Selected Publications: ADS library