Post conjunction detection of $\beta$ Pictoris b with VLT/SPHERE
Abstract
With an orbital distance comparable to that of Saturn in the solar system, \bpic b is the closest (semi-major axis \,9\,au) exoplanet that has been imaged to orbit a star. Thus it offers unique opportunities for detailed studies of its orbital, physical, and atmospheric properties, and of disk-planet interactions. With the exception of the discovery observations in 2003 with NaCo at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), all following astrometric measurements relative to \bpic have been obtained in the southwestern part of the orbit, which severely limits the determination of the planet's orbital parameters. We aimed at further constraining \bpic b orbital properties using more data, and, in particular, data taken in the northeastern part of the orbit. We used SPHERE at the VLT to precisely monitor the orbital motion of beta \bpic b since first light of the instrument in 2014. We were able to monitor the planet until November 2016, when its angular separation became too small (125 mas, i.e., 1.6\,au) and prevented further detection. We redetected \bpic b on the northeast side of the disk at a separation of 139\,mas and a PA of 30 in September 2018. The planetary orbit is now well constrained. With a semi-major axis (sma) of au (1 ), it definitely excludes previously reported possible long orbital periods, and excludes \bpic b as the origin of photometric variations that took place in 1981. We also refine the eccentricity and inclination of the planet. From an instrumental point of view, these data demonstrate that it is possible to detect, if they exist, young massive Jupiters that orbit at less than 2 au from a star that is 20 pc away.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1809.08354,
title = {Post conjunction detection of $\beta$ Pictoris b with VLT/SPHERE},
author = {A. -M. Lagrange and A. Boccaletti and M. Langlois and G. Chauvin and R. Gratton and H. Beust and S. Desidera and J. Milli and M. Bonnefoy and A. Cheetham and M. Feldt and M. Meyer and A. Vigan and B. Biller and M. Bonavita and J. -L. Baudino and F. Cantalloube and M. Cudel and S. Daemgen and P. Delorme and V. D'Orazi and J. Girard and C. Fontanive and J. Hagelberg and M. Janson and M. Keppler and T. Koypitova and R. Galicher and J. Lannier and H. Le Coroller and R. Ligi and A. -L. Maire and D. Mesa and S. Messina and A. Mueller and S. Peretti and C. Perrot and D. Rouan and G. Salter and M. Samland and T. Schmidt and E. Sissa and A. Zurlo and J. -L. Beuzit and D. Mouillet and C. Dominik and T. Henning and E. Lagadec and F. Menard and H. -M. Schmid and M. Turatto and S. Udry and A. J. Bohn and B. Charnay and C. A. Gomez Gonzales and C. Gry and M. Kenworthy and Q. Kral and C. Mordasini and C. Moutou and G. van der Plas and J. E. Schlieder and L. Abe and J. Antichi and A. Baruffolo and P. Baudoz and J. Baudrand and P. Blanchard and A. Bazzon and T. Buey and M. Carbillet and M. Carle and J. Charton and E. Cascone and R. Claudi and A. Costille and A. Deboulbe and V. de Caprio and K. Dohlen and D. Fantinel and P. Feautrier and T. Fusco and P. Gigan and E. Giro and D. Gisler and L. Gluck and N. Hubin and E. Hugot and M. Jaquet and M. Kasper and F. Madec and Y. Magnard and P. Martinez and D. Maurel and D. Le Mignant and O. Moller-Nilsson and M. Llored and T. Moulin and A. Origne and A. Pavlov and D. Perret and C. Petit and J. Pragt and J. Szulagyi and F. Wildi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1809.08354},
year = {2019}
}
Comments
accepted by A&A