We provide evidence that the obliquities of stars with close-in giant planets were initially nearly random, and that the low obliquities that are often observed are a consequence of star-planet tidal ...interactions. The evidence is based on 14 new measurements of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect (for the systems HAT-P-6, HAT-P-7, HAT-P-16, HAT-P-24, HAT-P-32, HAT-P-34, WASP-12, WASP-16, WASP-18, WASP-19, WASP-26, WASP-31, G1 436, and Kepler-8), as well as a critical review of previous observations. The low-obliquity (well-aligned) systems are those for which the expected tidal timescale is short, and likewise the high-obliquity (misaligned and retrograde) systems are those for which the expected timescale is long. At face value, this finding indicates that the origin of hot Jupiters involves dynamical interactions like planet-planet interactions or the Kozai effect that tilt their orbits rather than inspiraling due to interaction with a protoplanetary disk. We discuss the status of this hypothesis and the observations that are needed for a more definitive conclusion.
Doppler spectroscopy has uncovered or confirmed all the known planets orbiting nearby stars. Two main techniques are used to obtain precision Doppler measurements at optical wavelengths. The first ...approach is the gas cell method, which consists of least-squares matching of the spectrum of iodine imprinted on the spectrum of the star. The second method relies on the construction of a stabilized spectrograph externally calibrated in wavelength. The most precise stabilized spectrometer in operation is the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS), operated by the European Southern Observatory in La Silla Observatory, Chile. The Doppler measurements obtained with HARPS are typically obtained using the cross-correlation function (CCF) technique. This technique consists of multiplying the stellar spectrum by a weighted binary mask and finding the minimum of the product as a function of the Doppler shift. It is known that CCF is suboptimal in exploiting the Doppler information in the stellar spectrum. Here we describe an algorithm to obtain precision radial velocity measurements using least-squares matching of each observed spectrum to a high signal-to-noise ratio template derived from the same observations. This algorithm is implemented in our software HARPS-TERRA (Template-Enhanced Radial velocity Re-analysis Application). New radial velocity measurements on a representative sample of stars observed by HARPS are used to illustrate the benefits of the proposed method. We show that, compared with CCF, template matching provides a significant improvement in accuracy, especially when applied to M dwarfs.
Abstract Multiplanet systems exhibit a diversity of architectures that diverge from the solar system and contribute to the topic of exoplanet demographics. Radial velocity (RV) surveys form a crucial ...component of exoplanet surveys, as their long observational baselines allow for searches for more distant planetary orbits. This work provides a significantly revised architecture for the multiplanet system HD 134606 using both HARPS and UCLES RVs. We confirm the presence of previously reported planets b, c, and d with periods of 12.0897 − 0.0018 + 0.0019 , 58.947 − 0.054 + 0.056 , and 958.7 − 5.9 + 6.3 days and masses of 9.14 − 0.63 + 0.65 , 11.0 ± 1, and 44.5 ± 2.9 Earth masses, respectively, with the planet d orbit significantly revised to over double that originally reported. We report two newly detected super-Earths, e and f, with periods of 4.31943 − 0.00068 + 0.00075 and 26.9 − 0.017 + 0.019 days and masses of 2.31 − 0.35 + 0.36 and 5.52 − 0.73 + 0.74 Earth masses, respectively. In addition, we identify a linear trend in the RV time series, and the cause of this acceleration is deemed to be a newly detected massive companion with a very long orbital period. HD 134606 now displays four low-mass planets in a compact region near the star, one gas giant further out in the habitable zone, an additional companion in the outer regime, and a low-mass M dwarf stellar companion at large separation, making it an intriguing target for system formation/evolution studies. The location of planet d in the habitable zone proves to be an exciting candidate for future space-based direct imaging missions, whereas continued RV observations of this system are recommended for understanding the nature of the massive, long-period companion.
The sensitivities of radial velocity (RV) surveys for exoplanet detection are extending to increasingly longer orbital periods, where companions with periods of several years are now being regularly ...discovered. Companions with orbital periods that exceed the duration of the survey manifest in the data as an incomplete orbit or linear trend, a feature that can either present as the sole detectable companion to the host star, or as an additional signal overlain on the signatures of previously discovered companion(s). A diagnostic that can confirm or constrain scenarios in which the trend is caused by an unseen stellar rather than planetary companion is the use of high-contrast imaging observations. Here, we present RV data from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search (AAPS) for 20 stars that show evidence of orbiting companions. Of these, six companions have resolved orbits, with three that lie in the planetary regime. Two of these (HD 92987b and HD 221420b) are new discoveries. Follow-up observations using the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI) on the Gemini South telescope revealed that 5 of the 20 monitored companions are likely stellar in nature. We use the sensitivity of the AAPS and DSSI data to place constraints on the mass of the companions for the remaining systems. Our analysis shows that a planetary-mass companion provides the most likely self-consistent explanation of the data for many of the remaining systems.
Context. Since low-mass stars have low luminosities, orbits at which liquid water can exist on Earth-sized planets are relatively close-in, which produces Doppler signals that are detectable using ...state-of-the-art Doppler spectroscopy. Aims. GJ 667C is already known to be orbited by two super-Earth candidates. We have recently applied developed data analysis methods to investigate whether the data supports the presence of additional companions. Methods. We obtain new Doppler measurements from HARPS extracted spectra and combined them with those obtained from the PFS and HIRES spectrographs. We used Bayesian and periodogram-based methods to re-assess the number of candidates and evaluated the confidence of each detection. Among other tests, we validated the planet candidates by analyzing correlations of each Doppler signal with measurements of several activity indices and investigated the possible quasi-periodic nature of signals. Results. Doppler measurements of GJ 667C are described better by six (even seven) Keplerian-like signals: the two known candidates (b and c); three additional few-Earth mass candidates with periods of 92, 62, and 39 days (d, e and f); a cold super-Earth in a 260-day orbit (g) and tantalizing evidence of a ~1 M⊕ object in a close-in orbit of 17 days (h). We explore whether long-term stable orbits are compatible with the data by integrating 8 × 104 solutions derived from the Bayesian samplings. We assess their stability using secular frequency analysis. Conclusions. The system consisting of six planets is compatible with dynamically stable configurations. As for the solar system, the most stable solutions do not contain mean-motion resonances and are described well by analytic Laplace-Lagrange solutions. Preliminary analysis also indicates that masses of the planets cannot be higher than twice the minimum masses obtained from Doppler measurements. The presence of a seventh planet (h) is supported by the fact that it appears squarely centered on the only island of stability left in the six-planet solution. Habitability assessments accounting for the stellar flux, as well as tidal dissipation effects, indicate that three (maybe four) planets are potentially habitable. Doppler and space-based transit surveys indicate that 1) dynamically packed systems of super-Earths are relatively abundant and 2) M-dwarfs have more small planets than earlier-type stars. These two trends together suggest that GJ 667C is one of the first members of an emerging population of M-stars with multiple low-mass planets in their habitable zones.
We describe a 20 year survey carried out by the Lick-Carnegie Exoplanet Survey Team (LCES), using precision radial velocities from HIRES on the Keck I telescope to find and characterize extrasolar ...planetary systems orbiting nearby F, G, K, and M dwarf stars. We provide here 60,949 precision radial velocities for 1624 stars contained in that survey. We tabulate a list of 357 significant periodic signals that are of constant period and phase, and not coincident in period and/or phase with stellar activity indices. These signals are thus strongly suggestive of barycentric reflex motion of the star induced by one or more candidate exoplanets in Keplerian motion about the host star. Of these signals, 225 have already been published as planet claims, 60 are classified as significant unpublished planet candidates that await photometric follow-up to rule out activity-related causes, and 54 are also unpublished, but are classified as "significant" signals that require confirmation by additional data before rising to classification as planet candidates. Of particular interest is our detection of a candidate planet with , and P = 9.9 days orbiting Lalande 21185, the fourth-closest main-sequence star to the Sun. For each of our exoplanetary candidate signals, we provide the period and semi-amplitude of the Keplerian orbital fit, and a likelihood ratio estimate of its statistical significance. We also tabulate 18 Keplerian-like signals that we classify as likely arising from stellar activity.
We present a general method to efficiently design optimal control sequences for non-Markovian open quantum systems, and illustrate it by optimizing the shape of a laser pulse to prepare a quantum dot ...in a specific state. The optimization of control procedures for quantum systems with strong coupling to structured environments-where time-local descriptions fail-is a computationally challenging task. We modify the numerically exact time evolving matrix product operator (TEMPO) method, such that it allows the repeated computation of the time evolution of the reduced system density matrix for various sets of control parameters at very low computational cost. This method is potentially useful for studying numerous optimal control problems, in particular in solid state quantum devices where the coupling to vibrational modes is typically strong.
Revised orbits of the two nearest Jupiters Feng, Fabo; Butler, R Paul; Vogt, Steven S ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
08/2023, Volume:
525, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
ABSTRACT
With its near-to-mid-infrared high-contrast imaging capabilities, JWST is ushering us into a golden age of directly imaging Jupiter-like planets. As the two closest cold Jupiters, ε Ind A b ...and ε Eridani b have sufficiently wide orbits and adequate infrared emissions to be detected by JWST. To detect more Jupiter-like planets for direct imaging, we develop a gost-based method to analyse radial velocity data and multiple Gaia data releases simultaneously. Without approximating instantaneous astrometry by catalogue astrometry, this approach enables the use of multiple Gaia data releases for detection of both short-period and long-period planets. We determine a mass of $2.96_{-0.38}^{+0.41}$ MJup and a period of $42.92_{-4.09}^{+6.38}$ yr for ε Ind A b. We also find a mass of $0.76_{-0.11}^{+0.14}$ MJup , a period of $7.36_{-0.05}^{+0.04}$ yr, and an eccentricity of 0.26$_{-0.04}^{+0.04}$ MJup, for ε Eridani b. The eccentricity differs from that given by some previous solutions, probably due to the sensitivity of orbital eccentricity to noise modelling. Our work refines the constraints on orbits and masses of the two nearest Jupiters and demonstrate the feasibility of using multiple Gaia data releases to constrain Jupiter-like planets.
Abstract Among Neptunian mass exoplanets (20−50 M ⊕ ), puffy hot Neptunes are extremely rare, and their unique combination of low mass and extended radii implies very low density ( ρ < 0.3 g cm −3 ). ...Over the last decade, only a few puffy planets have been detected and precisely characterized with both transit and radial velocity observations, most notably including WASP-107 b , TOI-1420 b , and WASP-193 b . In this paper, we report the discovery of TOI-1173 A b , a low-density ( ρ = 0.195 − 0.017 + 0.018 g cm −3 ) super-Neptune with P = 7.06 days in a nearly circular orbit around the primary G-dwarf star in the wide binary system TOI-1173 A/B. Using radial velocity observations with the MAROON-X and HIRES spectrographs and transit photometry from TESS, we determine a planet mass of M p = 27.4 ± 1.7 M ⊕ and radius of R p = 9.19 ± 0.18 R ⊕ . TOI-1173 A b is the first puffy super-Neptune planet detected in a wide binary system (projected separation ∼11,400 au). We explore several mechanisms to understand the puffy nature of TOI-1173 A b and show that tidal heating is the most promising explanation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that TOI-1173 A b likely has maintained its orbital stability over time and may have undergone von-Zeipel–Lidov–Kozai migration followed by tidal circularization, given its present-day architecture, with important implications for planet migration theory and induced engulfment into the host star. Further investigation of the atmosphere of TOI-1173 A b will shed light on the origin of close-in low-density Neptunian planets in field and binary systems, while spin–orbit analyses may elucidate the dynamical evolution of the system.
Abstract
The radial velocity (RV) method plays a major role in the discovery of nearby exoplanets. To efficiently find planet candidates from the data obtained in high-precision RV surveys, we apply ...a signal diagnostic framework to detect RV signals that are statistically significant, consistent in time, robust in the choice of noise models, and do not correlated with stellar activity. Based on the application of this approach to the survey data of the Planet Finder Spectrograph, we report 15 planet candidates located in 14 stellar systems. We find that the orbits of the planet candidates around HD 210193, 103949, 8326, and 71135 are consistent with temperate zones around these stars (where liquid water could exist on the surface). With periods of 7.76 and 15.14 days, respectively, the planet candidates around star HIP 54373 form a 1:2 resonance system. These discoveries demonstrate the feasibility of automated detection of exoplanets from large RV surveys, which may provide a complete sample of nearby Earth analogs.
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