Lifting the Veil on Cold Planets in the Inner Galaxy

该项目旨在探索系外行星探测的一个独特方面：在内银河系最密集的恒星场中搜索质量及地球质量更大的寒冷行星。红外相机将被用来探测这个极端银河系环境中的小行星。拟议的项目将开启地面红外微透镜观测的新时代，并提供关键数据，为下一代空间微透镜观测做准备。这项工作直接链接到南希·格雷斯·罗曼望远镜(2026年发射)银河系外行星调查。预期的结果是极大地提高对行星形成的理解，一直到类地质量的行星，以及改进利用引力微透镜探测寒冷行星的技术。

The project aims to explore a unique aspect of exoplanet detection: searches for cold planets of Earth mass and larger in the densest stellar fields of the inner Milky Way. Infrared cameras will be used to detect small planets in this extreme galactic environment. The proposed project will open a new era of infrared microlensing observations from the ground and supply critical data in preparation for the next generation of microlensing from space. This work directly links to the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope (2026 launch) Galactic Exoplanet Survey. Expected outcomes are a greatly improved understanding of planet formation down to terrestrial-mass planets, and improved techniques for cold planet detection with gravitational microlensing.