Imaging Giant Protoplanets with the ELTs. (arXiv:1903.05319v1 [astro-ph.EP])

Imaging Giant Protoplanets with the ELTs. (arXiv:1903.05319v1 [astro-ph.EP])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Sallum_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Steph Sallum</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Bailey_V/0/1/0/all/0/1">Vanessa P. Bailey</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Bernstein_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">Rebecca A. Bernstein</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Boss_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Alan P. Boss</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Bowler_B/0/1/0/all/0/1">Brendan P. Bowler</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Close_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">Laird Close</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Currie_T/0/1/0/all/0/1">Thayne Currie</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Dong_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">Ruobing Dong</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Espaillat_C/0/1/0/all/0/1">Catherine Espaillat</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Fitzgerald_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Michael P. Fitzgerald</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Follette_K/0/1/0/all/0/1">Katherine B. Follette</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Fortney_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jonathan Fortney</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Hasegawa_Y/0/1/0/all/0/1">Yasuhiro Hasegawa</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Jang_Condell_H/0/1/0/all/0/1">Hannah Jang-Condell</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Jovanovic_N/0/1/0/all/0/1">Nemanja Jovanovic</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Kane_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">Stephen R. Kane</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Konopacky_Q/0/1/0/all/0/1">Quinn Konopacky</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Liu_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Michael Liu</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Lozi_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Julien Lozi</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Males_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jared Males</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Mawet_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">Dimitri Mawet</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Mazin_B/0/1/0/all/0/1">Benjamin Mazin</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Millar_Blanchaer_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Max Millar-Blanchaer</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Murray_Clay_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">Ruth Murray-Clay</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Ruane_G/0/1/0/all/0/1">Garreth Ruane</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Skemer_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Andrew Skemer</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Tamura_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">Motohide Tamura</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Vasisht_G/0/1/0/all/0/1">Gautam Vasisht</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Wang_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Jason Wang</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Wang_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Ji Wang</a>

We have now accumulated a wealth of observations of the planet-formation
environment and of mature planetary systems. These data allow us to test and
refine theories of gas-giant planet formation by placing constraints on the
conditions and timescale of this process. Yet a number of fundamental questions
remain unanswered about how protoplanets accumulate material, their
photospheric properties and compositions, and how they interact with
protoplanetary disks. While we have begun to detect protoplanet candidates
during the last several years, we are presently only sensitive to the widest
separation, highest mass / accretion rate cases. Current observing facilities
lack the angular resolution and inner working angle to probe the few-AU orbital
separations where giant planet formation is thought to be most efficient. They
also lack the contrast to detect accretion rates that would form lower mass gas
giants and ice giants. Instruments and telescopes coming online over the next
decade will provide high contrast in the inner giant-planet-forming regions
around young stars, allowing us to build a protoplanet census and to
characterize planet formation in detail for the first time.

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