Direct confirmation of the radial-velocity planetβPictoris c Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Context.Methods used to detect giant exoplanets can be broadly divided into two categories: indirect and direct. Indirect methods are more sensitive to planets with a small orbital period, whereas direct detection is more sensitive to planets orbiting at a large distance from their host star. This dichotomy makes it difficult to combine the two techniques on a single target at once.Aims.Simultaneous measurements made by direct and indirect techniques offer the possibility of determining the mass and luminosity of planets and a method of testing formation models. Here, we aim to show how long-baseline interferometric observations guided by radial-velocity can be used in such a way.Methods.We observed the recently-discovered giant planetβPictoris c with GRAVITY, mounted on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer.Results.This study constitutes the first direct confirmation of a planet discovered through radial velocity. We find that the planet has a temperature ofT = 1250 ± 50 K and a dynamical mass ofM = 8.2 ± 0.8 MJup. At 18.5 ± 2.5 Myr, this putsβPic c close to a ‘hot start’ track, which is usually associated with formation via disk instability. Conversely, the planet orbits at a distance of 2.7 au, which is too close for disk instability to occur. The low apparent magnitude (MK = 14.3 ± 0.1) favours a core accretion scenario.Conclusions.We suggest that this apparent contradiction is a sign of hot core accretion, for example, due to the mass of the planetary core or the existence of a high-temperature accretion shock during formation.

publication date

  • October 1, 2020

has restriction

  • hybrid

Date in CU Experts

  • January 7, 2021 10:02 AM

Full Author List

  • Nowak M; Lacour S; Lagrange A-M; Rubini P; Wang J; Stolker T; Abuter R; Amorim A; Asensio-Torres R; Bauböck M

author count

  • 94

Other Profiles

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0004-6361

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1432-0746

Additional Document Info

start page

  • L2

end page

  • L2

volume

  • 642