DISCOVERY AND MASS MEASUREMENTS OF A COLD, 10 EARTH MASS PLANET AND ITS HOST STAR

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/741/1/22; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21587297

Muraki, Y ^[1]; Han, C ^[2]; Bennett, D P ^[3]; Suzuki, D; Sumi, T ^[4]; Monard, L A. G. ^[5]; Street, R ^[6]; Jorgensen, U G ^[7]; Kundurthy, P; Becker, A C ^[8]; Skowron, J; Gaudi, B S ^[9]; Albrow, M D ^[10]; Fouque, P ^[11]; Heyrovsky, D ^[12]; Barry, R K ^[13]; Beaulieu, J -P ^[14]; Wellnitz, D D ^[15]; Bond, I A ^[16]; Dong, S ^[17]

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1. Department of Physics, Konan University, Nishiokamoto 8-9-1, Kobe 658-8501 (Japan)
2. Department of Physics, Chungbuk National University, 410 Seongbong-Rho, Hungduk-Gu, Chongju 371-763 (Korea, Republic of)
3. Department of Physics, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States)
4. Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601 (Japan)
5. Bronberg Observatory, Centre for Backyard Astrophysics, Pretoria (South Africa)
6. Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Dr., Suite 102, Goleta, CA 93117 (United States)
7. Niels Bohr Institute and Centre for Stars and Planet Formation, Juliane Mariesvej 30, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)
8. Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)
9. Department of Astronomy, Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)
10. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8020 (New Zealand)
11. IRAP, CNRS, Universite de Toulouse, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France)
12. Institute of Theoretical Physics, Charles University, V Holesovickach 2, 18000 Prague (Czech Republic)
13. Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
14. Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, F-75014, Paris (France)
15. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)
16. Institute for Information and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102-904, Auckland 1330 (New Zealand)
17. Institute for Advanced Study, Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States)

We present the discovery and mass measurement of the cold, low-mass planet MOA-2009-BLG-266Lb, performed with the gravitational microlensing method. This planet has a mass of m{sub p} = 10.4 {+-} 1.7 M{sub +} and orbits a star of mass M{sub *} = 0.56 {+-} 0.09 M{sub sun} at a semimajor axis of a = 3.2{sub -0.5}{sup +1.9} AU and an orbital period of P = 7.6{sub -1.5}{sup +7+7} yrs. The planet and host star mass measurements are enabled by the measurement of the microlensing parallax effect, which is seen primarily in the light curve distortion due to the orbital motion of the Earth. But the analysis also demonstrates the capability to measure the microlensing parallax with the Deep Impact (or EPOXI) spacecraft in a heliocentric orbit. The planet mass and orbital distance are similar to predictions for the critical core mass needed to accrete a substantial gaseous envelope, and thus may indicate that this planet is a 'failed' gas giant. This and future microlensing detections will test planet formation theory predictions regarding the prevalence and masses of such planets.

• OSTI ID: 21587297
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 741, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/741/1/22; 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
GRAVITATIONAL LENSES
MASS
ORBITS
PLANETS
STARS
LENSES