Exoplanet search with astrometry

Abstract

Searching for extrasolar planets by direct detection is extremely challenging for current instrumentation. Indirect methods, that measure the effect of a planet on its host star, are much more promising and have indeed led to the discovery of nearly all extrasolar systems known today. While the most successful method thus far is the radial velocity technique, new interferometric instruments like PRIMA at the VLTI will enable us to carry out astrometric measurements accurate enough to detect extrasolar planets and to determine all orbital parameters, including their orbit inclination and true mass. In this article I describe the narrow-angle astrometry technique, how it will be realized with PRIMA, what kind of planets we can find, and what kind of preparatory observations are required.