Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 May 2003
Numerical simulations have been carried out to assess theopportunity to detect extrasolar planets with MIRI: the mid-IRinstrument of NGST. Several coronagraphs and telescope designshave been investigated. As a result, we found that very youngplanets (50 Myr) as well as old planets (5 Gyr) can be imaged in thethermal-IR (5 μm to 20 μm) down to a few Jupiter masses ifan appropriate high-contrast coronagraph is in used. Promisingresults of numerical simulations are presented.