We report in this paper phase-resolved spectropolarimetric observations of the rapidly rotating fully convective M4 dwarf V374 Peg, on which a strong, mainly axisymmetric, large-scale poloidal ...magnetic field was recently detected. In addition to the original data set secured in 2005 August, we present here new data collected in 2005 September and 2006 August. From the rotational modulation of unpolarized line profiles, we conclude that star-spots are present at the surface of the star, but their contrast and fractional coverage are much lower than those of non-fully convective active stars with similar rotation rate. Applying tomographic imaging on each set of circularly polarized profiles separately, we find that the large-scale magnetic topology is remarkably stable on a time-scale of 1 yr; repeating the analysis on the complete data set suggests that the magnetic configuration is sheared by very weak differential rotation (about 1/10th of the solar surface shear) and only slightly distorted by intrinsic variability. This result is at odds with various theoretical predictions, suggesting that dynamo fields of fully convective stars should be mostly non-axisymmetric unless they succeed at triggering significant differential rotation.
We report the detection of a Jupiter-mass planet discovered with the SOPHIE spectrograph mounted on the 1.93-m telescope at the Haute-Provence Observatory. The new planet orbits HD 109246, a G0V star ...slightly more metallic than the Sun. HD 109246b has a minimum mass of 0.77 MJup, an orbital period of 68 days, and an eccentricity of 0.12. It is placed in a sparsely populated region of the period distribution of extrasolar planets. We also present a correction method for the so-called seeing effect that affects the SOPHIE radial velocities. We complement this discovery announcement with a description of some calibrations that are implemented in the SOPHIE automatic reduction pipeline. These calibrations allow the derivation of the photon-noise radial velocity uncertainty and some useful stellar properties (v sin i, Fe/H, log R’HK) directly from the SOPHIE data. Based on observations made with the SOPHIE spectrograph on the 1.93-m telescope at Observatoire de Haute-Provence (CNRS/OAMP), France (program 07A.PNP.CONS).RV tables (Tables C.1 and C.2) are only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/523/A88
Context. Due to their low transit probability, the long-period planets are, as a population, only partially probed by transit surveys. Radial velocity surveys thus have a key role to play, in ...particular for giant planets. Cold Jupiters induce a typical radial velocity semi-amplitude of 10 m s−1, which is well within the reach of multiple instruments that have now been in operation for more than a decade. Aims. We take advantage of the ongoing radial velocity survey with the SOPHIE high-resolution spectrograph, which continues the search started by its predecessor ELODIE to further characterize the cold Jupiter population. Methods. Analyzing the radial velocity data from six bright solar-like stars taken over a period of up to 15 yr, we attempt the detection and confirmation of Keplerian signals. Results. We announce the discovery of six planets, one per system, with minimum masses in the range 4.8–8.3 Mjup and orbital periods between 200 days and 10 yr. The data do not provide enough evidence to support the presence of additional planets in any of these systems. The analysis of stellar activity indicators confirms the planetary nature of the detected signals. Conclusions. These six planets belong to the cold and massive Jupiter population, and four of them populate its eccentric tail. In this respect, HD 80869 b stands out as having one of the most eccentric orbits, with an eccentricity of 0.862−0.018+0.028. These planets can thus help to better constrain the migration and evolution processes at play in the gas giant population. Furthermore, recent works presenting the correlation between small planets and cold Jupiters indicate that these systems are good candidates to search for small inner planets.
A 10.24-day Neptune-mass planet was recently announced as orbiting the nearby M2 dwarf Gl 176, based on 28 radial velocities measured with the HRS spectrograph on the Hobby-Heberly Telescope. We ...obtained 57 radial velocities of Gl 176 with the ESO 3.6 m telescope and the HARPS spectrograph, which is known for its sub-m s-1 stability. The median photon-noise standard error of our measurements is 1.1 m s, significantly lower than the 4.7 m s-1 of the HET velocities, and the 4-year period over which they were obtained overlaps considerably with the epochs of the HET measurements. The HARPS measurements show no evidence of a signal at the period of the putative HET planet, suggesting that its detection was spurious. We do find, on the other hand, strong evidence of a lower mass 8.4 MEarth planet, in a quasi-circular orbit and at the different period of 8.78 days. The host star has moderate magnetic activity and rotates on a 39-day period, which we confirm through modulation of both contemporaneous photometry and chromospheric indices. We detect that period, as well, in the radial velocities, but it is well removed from the orbital period and offers no cause for confusion. This new detection of a super-Earth (2 MEarth < M sin (i) < 10 MEarth) around an M dwarf adds to the growing evidence that such planets are common around very low-mass stars.
Aims. We present the first results of the ongoing Canada-France Brown Dwarfs Survey-InfraRed, hereafter CFBDSIR, a near infrared extension to the optical wide-field survey CFBDS. Our final objectives ...are to constrain ultracool atmosphere physics by finding a statistically significant sample of objects cooler than 650 K and to explore the ultracool brown dwarf mass function building on a well-defined sample of such objects. Methods. We identify candidates in CFHT/WIRCam J and CFHT/MegaCam z' images using optimised psf-fitting, and follow them up with pointed, near-infrared imaging with SOFI at the NTT. We finally obtain low-resolution spectroscopy of the coolest candidates to characterise their atmospheric physics. Results. We have so far analysed and followed up all candidates on the first 66 square degrees of the 335 square degree survey. We identified 55 T-dwarfs candidates with $z'-J>3.5$ and have confirmed six of them as T-dwarfs, including 3 that are strong later-than-T8 candidates, based on their far-red and NIR colours. We also present here the NIR spectra of one of these ultracool dwarfs, CFBDSIR1458+1013, which confirms it as one of the coolest brown dwarf known, possibly in the 550–600 K temperature range. Conclusions. From the completed survey we expect to discover 10 to 15 dwarfs later than T8, more than doubling the known number of such objects. This will enable detailed studies of their extreme atmospheric properties and provide a stronger statistical basis for studies of their luminosity function.
Aims. We search for new ultracool dwarfs and report here our observations of 78 ultracool dwarf candidates that have been photometrically selected using the DENIS survey point source catalogue. We ...analyze low-resolution optical spectroscopic observations to estimate spectral types of all candidates. Methods. We derive spectral types for each object using measurements of the PC3 spectral index as defined in Martín et al. They range from M6 to L3. The Hα emission and NaI subordinate doublet (818.3 nm and 819.9 nm) equivalent widths are measured in the spectra to identify young stellar objects. Spectroscopic indices of TiO, VO, CrH, and FeH molecular features are also reported. Results. A rule-of-thumb criterion for selecting young very low-mass objects using the NaI doublet equivalent width is given. It is used to confirm seven new members of the Upper Sco OB association and two new members of the R Cr-A star-forming region. Four of our field objects are also classified as very young, but are not members of any known nearby young association. The frequency of lower-gravity young objects in our field ultracool sample is 8.5%. Our results provide the first spectroscopic classification for 42 ultracool dwarfs in the solar vicinity with spectrophotometric distances in the range 17 pc to 65 pc (3 of them being new L dwarfs within 20 pc).
Aims. We report the discovery of CFBDS J005910.90-011401.3 (hereafter CFBDS0059), the coolest brown dwarf identified to date. Methods. We found CFBDS0059 using i' and z' images from the ...Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), and present optical and near-infrared photometry, Keck laser-guide-star adaptive optics imaging, and a complete near-infrared spectrum, from 1.0 to 2.2 μm. Results. A side-to-side comparison of the near-infrared spectra of CFBDS0059 and ULAS J003402.77-005206.7 (hereafter ULAS0034), previously the coolest known brown dwarf, indicates that CFBDS0059 is ~50 ± 15 K cooler. We estimate a temperature of $T_\mathrm{eff} \sim$ 620 K and gravity of log g ~ 4.75. Evolutionary models translate these parameters into an age of 1–5 Gyr and a mass of 15-30 MJup. We estimate a photometric distance of ~13 pc, which puts CFBDS0059 within easy reach of accurate parallax measurements. Its large proper motion suggests membership in the older population of the thin disk. The spectra of both CFBDS0059 and ULAS J0034 show probable absorption by a wide ammonia band on the blue side of the H-band flux peak. If, as we expect, that feature deepens further for still lower effective temperatures, its appearance will become a natural breakpoint for the transition between the T spectral class and the new Y spectral type. Together, CFBDS0059 and ULAS J0034 would then be the first Y0 dwarfs.
Aims. We conducted a multi-wavelength, multi-instrument observational characterisation of the candidate free-floating planet CFBDSIR J214947.2−040308.9, a late T-dwarf with possible low-gravity ...features, in order to constrain its physical properties. Methods. We analysed nine hours of X-shooter spectroscopy with signal detectable from 0.8 to 2.3 μm, as well as additional photometry in the mid-infrared using the Spitzer Space Telescope. Combined with a VLT/HAWK-I astrometric parallax, this enabled a full characterisation of the absolute flux from the visible to 5 μm, encompassing more than 90% of the expected energy emitted by such a cool late T-type object. Our analysis of the spectrum also provided the radial velocity and therefore the determination of its full 3D kinematics. Results. While our new spectrum confirms the low gravity and/or high metallicity of CFBDSIR 2149, the parallax and kinematics safely rule out membership to any known young moving group, including AB Doradus. We use the equivalent width of the K i doublet at 1.25 μm as a promising tool to discriminate the effects of low-gravity from the effects of high-metallicity on the emission spectra of cool atmospheres. In the case of CFBDSIR 2149, the observed K i doublet clearly favours the low-gravity solution. Conclusions. CFBDSIR 2149 is therefore a peculiar late-T dwarf that is probably a young, planetary-mass object (2–13 MJup, <500 Myr) possibly similar to the exoplanet 51 Eri b, or perhaps a 2–40 MJup brown dwarf with super-solar metallicity.
We present new observations of a transit of the 111.4-day-period exoplanet HD 80606b. Due to this long orbital period and to the orientation of the eccentric orbit (e = 0.9), HD 80606b's transits ...last for about 12 hours. This makes the observation of a full transit practically impossible from a given ground-based observatory. With the Spitzer Space Telescope and its IRAC camera on the post-cryogenic mission, we performed a 19-h photometric observation of HD 80606 that covers the full 2010 January 13-14 transit as well as off-transit references immediately before and after the event. We complement these photometric data by new spectroscopic observations that we simultaneously performed with SOPHIE at the Haute-Provence Observatory. This provides radial velocity measurements of the first half of the transit that was previously uncovered with spectroscopy. This new dataset allows the parameters of this singular planetary system to be significantly refined. We obtained a planet-to-star radius ratio Rp/R* = 0.1001 ± 0.0006 that is more accurate but slightly lower than the one measured from previous ground observations in the optical. We found no astrophysical interpretations able to explain this difference between optical and infrared radii; we rather favor underestimated systematic uncertainties, maybe in the ground-based composite light curve. We detected a feature in the Spitzer light curve that could be due to a stellar spot. We also found a transit timing about 20 minutes earlier than the ephemeris prediction; this could be caused by actual transit-timing variations due to an additional body in the system, or again by underestimated systematic uncertainties. The actual angle between the spin-axis of HD 80606 and the normal to the planetary orbital plane is found to be near 40° thanks to the fit of the Rossiter-McLaughlin anomaly, with a sky-projected value λ = 42° ± 8°. This allows scenarios with aligned spin-orbit to be definitively rejected. Over the twenty planetary systems with measured spin-orbit angles, a few are misaligned; this is probably the signature of two different evolution scenarios for misaligned and aligned systems, depending whether or not they experienced gravitational interaction with a third body. As in the case of HD 80606, most of the planetary systems including a massive planet are tilted; this could be the signature of a separate evolution scenario for massive planets compared with Jupiter-mass planets. Based on observations collected with the SOPHIE spectrograph on the 1.93-m telescope at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence (CNRS), France, and with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Radial velocity and photometry tables are available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/516/A95
We present radial-velocity measurements obtained in one of a number of programs underway to search for extrasolar planets with the spectrograph SOPHIE at the 1.93-m telescope of the Haute-Provence ...Observatory. Targets were selected from catalogs observed with ELODIE, which had been mounted previously at the telescope, in order to detect long-period planets with an extended database close to 15 years. Two new Jupiter-analog candidates are reported to orbit the bright stars HD 150706 and HD 222155 in 16.1 yr and 10.9 yr at 6.7(-1.4)(+4.0) AU and 5.1(-0.7)(+0.6) AU, and to have minimum masses of 2.71(-0.66)(+1.14) M-Jup and 1.90(-0.53)(+0.67) M-Jup, respectively. Using the measurements from ELODIE and SOPHIE, we refine the parameters of the long-period planets HD 154345b and HD 89307b, and publish the first reliable orbit for HD 24040b. This last companion has a minimum mass of 4.01 +/- 0.49 M-Jup orbiting its star in 10.0 yr at 4.92 +/- 0.38 AU. Moreover, the data provide evidence of a third bound object in the HD 24040 system. With a surrounding dust debris disk, HD 150706 is an active G0 dwarf for which we partially corrected the effect of the stellar spot on the SOPHIE radial-velocities. In contrast, HD 222155 is an inactive G2V star. In the SOPHIE measurements, an instrumental effect could be characterized and partly corrected. On the basis of the previous findings of Lovis and collaborators and since no significant correlation between the radial-velocity variations and the activity index are found in the SOPHIE data, these variations are not expected to be only due to stellar magnetic cycles. Finally, we discuss the main properties of this new population of long-period Jupiter-mass planets, which for the moment consists of fewer than 20 candidates. These stars are preferential targets either for direct-imaging or astrometry follow-up surveys to constrain the system parameters and for higher-precision radial-velocity searches for lower mass planets, aiming to find a solar system twin. In the Appendix, we determine the relation that defines the radial-velocity offset between the ELODIE and SOPHIE spectrographs.
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