ES-03-0026

Probing the Outskirts of Young M-Dwarf Systems with a JWST Cycle 1 Direct-Imaging Survey

Ell Bogat, Joshua Schlieder, Charles Beichman, Jarron Leisenring, Michael Meyer, Marie Ygouf, Thomas Barclay, Geoffrey Bryden, Per Calissendorff, Matthew De Furio, Tyler Groff, Kellen Lawson, Michael McElwain, Jorge LLop-Sayson, Marcia Rieke

The population of giant planets on wide orbits around low-mass M dwarf stars is poorly understood. However, the discovery and characterization of these planets is key to understanding the architectures and evolution of M dwarf planetary systems, and it places their frequent and potentially habitable inner planets in context. While current ground-based imaging struggles to probe below a Jupiter mass at large separations, the unprecedented sensitivity of JWST NIRCam coronagraphic imaging provides direct access to planets significantly less massive than Jupiter beyond 10 AU around the closest, youngest M dwarfs. We present the survey design, observations, and preliminary results of JWST GTO Program 1184, a NIRCam coronagraphic imaging survey of very nearby and young low-mass stars.