Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets: Can We Detect Them Already?
Abstract
With the example of Proxima Centauri we discuss the feasibility of detecting terrestrial planets (1 to a few M_Earth) using the high precision radial velocity (RV) technique. If a very high RV precision for M stars is achieved even planets with these extremely low masses become detectable. For Proxima Cen (M5V), one of the prime targets of our M-stars planet search program using the UVES spectrograph & iodine cell at the ESO VLT UT2, we obtain a long term RV precision of 2.5 m/s. Based on numerical simulations we determine that this level of precision would have already allowed us to detect planets with m sin i = 4 to 6 M_Earth inside the habitable zone of Proxima Cen.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0208462,
title = {Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets: Can We Detect Them Already?},
author = {Michael Endl and Martin Kuerster and Frederic Rouesnel and Sebastian Els and Artie P. Hatzes and William D. Cochran},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0208462},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Conference Proceedings "Scientific Frontiers in Research on Extrasolar Planets", Drake Deming (ed)