Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 308
This version created on 05 October 2006

Optical Imaging of Disks:  From HST to TPF-C


Karl Stapelfeldt, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Optical disk imaging from space offers the advantages of high spatial
resolution and sensitivity to small amounts of dust.  I will review
HST studies of protoplanetary and debris disks which have provided the
most detailed views to date of young planetary systems, and yielded
key insights into their structure and evolution.  These studies are
currently limited by the image contrasts that can be achieved with
current instrumentation.  Future planet-finding optical telescopes
will provide 3-4 orders of magnitude improvement in image contrast.
This capability would enable major advances in studies of disk
structure, disk dissipation, dust grain properties, and planet/disk
dynamical interactions.  

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