S18B0020

We propose follow-up observations of candidate planet/brown dwarf companions and a candidate debris disk recently identified from SCExAO data obtained with either the HiCIAO infrared camera or the CHARIS integral field spectrograph. A bright emission source around AB Aur now identified in three SCExAO data sets is consistent with a protoplanet predicted from ALMA data. New, higher signal-to-noise and better calibrated data can clarify whether this is a piece of the disk or more likely a protoplanet. SCExAO data can also confirm a point source candidate around a nearby dusty A star and clarify via spectroscopy whether two companions are superjovian planets or brown dwarfs/low-mass stars. SCExAO data for HD 15745 appear to identify a "double debris ring" structure seen only in one other system thus far. These targets expand our knowledge of jovian planet formation and evolution, providing key insights into the formation of jovian planets. They also extends our knowledge about the population of most of the known imaged (proto)planets to lower masses, providing key insights into the mass distribution of the youngest planets at separations inaccessible by RV or transits.


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