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Probing the Population of Giant Planets Around White Dwarfs with JWST
Sydney Jenkins  1@  , Andrew Vanderburg  1  , Mary Anne Limbach  2  
1 : Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2 : University of Michigan

Though giant planets are relatively common around main-sequence stars, little is known about how stellar evolution sculpts the giant planet population. JWST's direct imaging capabilities provide a unique opportunity to probe the demographics of evolved systems by searching for giant planets around white dwarf stars. We will present findings from the MIRI Exoplanets Orbiting White dwarfs (MEOW) Survey, and first results from the Planet Authentication in White-dwarf Systems (PAWS) Survey. The MEOW Survey mapped 16 nearby white dwarf systems by searching for thermal excesses and directly imaged companions. MEOW successfully detected an infrared excess around WD 0310-688 consistent with a ≈3 MJup planet. While this program also identified many directly imaged planet candidates, additional data is needed to differentiate between true planets and background sources. The follow-up PAWS Survey will measure the proper motions of these candidates relative to their host star, providing confirmation of any true giant planets. Any confirmed planets will be among the coldest worlds known, and will be ideal targets for additional follow-up with MIRI LRS and MRS.


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