The Lick-Carnegie exoplanet survey: Gliese 687 b—A Neptune-mass planet orbiting a nearby red dwarf

Journal Article · Thu Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/789/2/114· OSTI ID:22365692

Burt, Jennifer; Vogt, Steven S.; Hanson, Russell; Rivera, Eugenio J.; Laughlin, Gregory ^[1]; Butler, R. Paul ^[2]; Meschiari, Stefano ^[3]; Henry, Gregory W. ^[4]

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1. UCO/Lick Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)
2. Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institute of Washington, Washington, DC 20015 (United States)
3. McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78752 (United States)
4. Center of Excellence in Information Systems, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN 37209 (United States)

Precision radial velocities from the Automated Planet Finder (APF) and Keck/HIRES reveal an Msin (i) = 18 ± 2 M{sub ⊕} planet orbiting the nearby M3V star GJ 687. This planet has an orbital period P = 38.14 days and a low orbital eccentricity. Our Strömgren b and y photometry of the host star suggests a stellar rotation signature with a period of P = 60 days. The star is somewhat chromospherically active, with a spot filling factor estimated to be several percent. The rotationally induced 60 day signal, however, is well separated from the period of the radial velocity variations, instilling confidence in the interpretation of a Keplerian origin for the observed velocity variations. Although GJ 687 b produces relatively little specific interest in connection with its individual properties, a compelling case can be argued that it is worthy of remark as an eminently typical, yet at a distance of 4.52 pc, a very nearby representative of the galactic planetary census. The detection of GJ 687 b indicates that the APF telescope is well suited to the discovery of low-mass planets orbiting low-mass stars in the as yet relatively un-surveyed region of the sky near the north celestial pole.

• OSTI ID: 22365692
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 789, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ACCURACY
DETECTION
DISTANCE
MASS
PHOTOMETRY
RADIAL VELOCITY
RED DWARF STARS
ROTATION
SATELLITES
STARS
TELESCOPES