"Searching for Young Exoplanets with High-Contrast Imaging in the Near Infrared - Thesis Proposal"

Direct imaging of exoplanets is limited by the optics of the telescope which need to be removed by deconvolution or subtraction of point spread functions (PSFs). In this project, existing methods of image analysis are tested with a large sample of stars imaged by Keck to search for companions. I hope to improve on these analysis methods to help establish new sensitivity limits for planet detection and, in the event of any clear detections, improve our understanding of planet formation.