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![]() Departmental Colloquia, 2007-8
I will overview current progress in the field of extrasolar planetary system science, with emphasis on results from direct imaging of circumstellar debris disks and sub-stellar secondaries at infrared to submillimeter wavelengths. On one hand, I will summarize how direct imaging of optically thin circumstellar debris disks - second-generation dusty disks formed around main-sequence stars through destructive collisions among orbiting asteroids - allows us to probe the physical properties, dynamical evolution, and architecture of other planetary systems. On the other hand, I will present the current status of high-contrast imaging efforts to detect extrasolar planets, underlining the relevance of direct imaging surveys for brown dwarf companions to stars. I will conclude with a preview of the technological developments and scientific breakthroughs expected from high-contrast imaging studies of extrasolar planetary systems over the next 3-10 years.
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