Astrometry is a powerful technique to study the populations of extrasolar planets around nearby stars. It gives access to a unique parameter space and is therefore required for obtaining a comprehensive picture of the properties, abundances, and architectures of exoplanetary systems. In this review, we discuss the scientific potential, present the available techniques and instruments, and highlight a few results of astrometric planet searches, with an emphasis on observations from the ground. In particular, we discuss astrometric observations with the Very Large Telescope (VLT) Interferometer and a programme employing optical imaging with a VLT camera, both aimed at the astrometric detection of exoplanets. Finally, we set these e orts into the context of Gaia, ESA’s astrometry mission scheduled for launch in 2013, and present an outlook on the future of astrometric exoplanet detection from the ground.

Date Published: 26 September 2013
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 8864, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VI, 88641B (26 September 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2023929

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8864:
Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VI
Stuart Shaklan, Editor(s)