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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

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Astrophysics and Astronomy

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2004

Planetary systems

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

A Neptune-Mass Planet Orbiting The Nearby M Dwarf Gj 436, R. Paul Butler, Steve S. Vogt, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Debra A. Fischer, Jason T. Wright, Gregory W. Henry, Gregory Laughlin, Jack J. Lissauer Dec 2004

A Neptune-Mass Planet Orbiting The Nearby M Dwarf Gj 436, R. Paul Butler, Steve S. Vogt, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Debra A. Fischer, Jason T. Wright, Gregory W. Henry, Gregory Laughlin, Jack J. Lissauer

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

We report precise Doppler measurements of GJ 436 (M2.5 V) obtained at Keck Observatory. The velocities reveal a planetary companion with orbital period of 2.644 days, eccentricity of 0.12 (consistent with zero), and velocity semiamplitude of K = 18.1 m s-1. The minimum mass (M sin i) for the planet is 0.067MJup = 1.2MNep = 21MEarth, making it the lowest mass exoplanet yet found around a main-sequence star and the first candidate in the Neptune-mass domain. GJ 436 (mass = 0.41 M☉) is only the second M dwarf found to harbor a planet, joining the two-planet system around GJ 876. …


Searching For Planets In The Hyades. Iii. The Quest For Short-Period Planets, Diane B. Paulson, Steven H. Saar, William D. Cochran, Gregory W. Henry Mar 2004

Searching For Planets In The Hyades. Iii. The Quest For Short-Period Planets, Diane B. Paulson, Steven H. Saar, William D. Cochran, Gregory W. Henry

Information Systems and Engineering Management Research Publications

We have been using the Keck I High Resolution Spectrograph to search for planetary companions in the Hyades cluster. We selected four stars from this sample that showed significant radial velocity variability on short timescales to search for short-period planetary companions. The radial velocities of these four stars were monitored regularly with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope for approximately 2 months, while sparse data were also taken over ∼4 months: we also obtained near-simultaneous photometric observations with one of the automatic photoelectric telescopes at Fairborn Observatory. For three of the stars, we detect photometric variability with the same period present in the …