A Survey of Close, Young Stars with the Simultaneous Differential Imager (SDI) at the VLT and MMT

We discuss the preliminary results of a survey of young ( 25000 (5 sigma Delta F1(1.575 um) > 10 mag, Delta H > 11.5 mag for a T6 spectral type) at a separation of 0.5" from the primary star. With this degree of attenuation, we should be able to image (5 sigma detection) a 2-4 Jupiter mass planet at 5 AU around a 30 Myr star at 10 pc. We are currently completing our survey of young, nearby stars. We have obtained complete datasets for 35 stars in the southern sky (VLT) and 7 stars in the northern sky (MMT). We believe that our SDI images are the highest contrast astronomical images ever made from ground or space for methane rich companions.