Program: GN-2005B-Q-4

We propose to continue our deep direct imaging survey of young exoplanets around nearby stars using ALTAIR+NIRI and angular differential imaging (ADI). Modelling of debris disks structures, studies of planetary dynamics and RV data suggest a significant population of planets at separations of a few tens to hundreds of AU. However, RV surveys are limited to smaller separations and previous direct imaging surveys have been limited to relatively high mass planets in this region. Gemini data obtained in 2004b for this program demonstrate that ADI is a very powerful high-contrast imaging technique. Our observations should typically reach 2 Mjup at separations of a few tens of AU. This will be the first survey to systematically reach this limit. We request time to complete the first epoch observations of our sample and initiate second epoch observations on 8 stars for which companion candidates have been identified.