Differential Simultaneous Imaging and Faint Companions: TRIDENT First Results from CFHT

We present the first results obtained at CFHT with the TRIDENT infrared camera, dedicated to the detection of faint companions close to bright nearby stars. Its main feature is the acquisition of three simultaneous images in three wavelengths (simultaneous differential imaging) across the methane absorption bandhead at 1.6μm, that enables a precise subtraction of the primary star PSF while keeping the companion signal. Thirty-five stars have been observed in two observing missions, with no detection so far. It is shown that a faint companion with a ∆H of 10 magnitudes would be detected at 0.5 from the primary.