VARIABILITY OF SURFACE FLOWS ON THE SUN AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR EXOPLANET DETECTION

Journal Article · Thu May 20 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/715/1/500· OSTI ID:21448736

Makarov, Valeri V., E-mail: [e-mail] ^[1]

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1. NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Caltech, 770 S. Wilson Ave., MS 100-22, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

The published Mount Wilson Doppler-shift measurements of the solar velocity field taken in 1967-1982 are revisited with a more accurate model, which includes two terms representing the meridional flow and three terms corresponding to the convective limb shift. Integration of the recomputed data over the visible hemisphere reveals significant variability of the net radial velocity at characteristic time scales of 0.1-10 years, with a standard deviation of 1.4 m s{sup -1}. This result is supported by independent published observations. The implications for exoplanet detection include reduced sensitivity of the Doppler method to Earth-like planets in the habitable zone, and an elevated probability of false detections at periods of a few to several years.

• OSTI ID: 21448736
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 715, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/715/1/500; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
DOPPLER EFFECT
PLANETS
RADIAL VELOCITY
SATELLITES
SUN
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
STARS
VELOCITY