Pushing the limits of kernel phase interferometry for protoplanet discovery

Kernel phase interferometry is a data analysis technique that allows for the detection of moderate contrast asymmetries below λ/d in high-Strehl images. The technique is of particular interest within the area of planet formation, where the asymmetries around a young star can be from disk features or protoplanet candidates. Here we examine the performance achieved by a kernel phase interferometry program using the SCExAO/CHARIS integral field spectrograph on the Subaru telescope. We investigate the quality of the kernel phases as a function of the Strehl ratio of the observations. We also find that all but the highest quality observations are limited by random, as opposed to systematic errors. Finally we conduct a preliminary analysis of observations of V1247 Orionis, where we tentatively detect the presence of a previously identified companion candidate.