A limit on the presence of Earth-mass planets around a Sun-like star

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.374:941-948,2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11213.x· OSTI ID:897597

Agol, Eric; Steffen, Jason H

We present a combined analysis of all publicly available, visible HST observations of transits of the planet HD 209458b. We derive the times of transit, planet radius, inclination, period, and ephemeris. The transit times are then used to constrain the existence of secondary planets in the system. We show that planets near an Earth mass can be ruled out in low-order mean-motion resonance, while planets less than an Earth mass are ruled out in interior, 2:1 resonance. We also present a combined analysis of the transit times and 68 high precision radial velocity measurements of the system. These results are compared to theoretical predictions for the constraints that can be placed on secondary planets.

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359
• OSTI ID: 897597
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-06-279-A-CD; arXiv eprint number astro-ph/0610159; TRN: US200705%%186
• Journal Information: Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.374:941-948,2007, Journal Name: Mon.Not.Roy.Astron.Soc.374:941-948,2007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCURACY
INCLINATION
PLANETS
RADIAL VELOCITY
RESONANCE
STARS
Astrophysics