Related papers: Polarization statistics of extra-solar systems
The number of known planets around intermediate-mass stars (1.5 M$_{\odot}$ < M$_{\star}$ < 3.5 M$_{\odot}$) is rather low. We aim to test whether the correlation between the metallicity of the star and the presence of gas-giant planets…
In this article we present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of more than 50 extra-solar planet host stars. Stellar atmospheric parameters and metallicities are derived using high resolution and high S/N spectra. The spectroscopy results,…
This paper studies the effects of dynamical interactions among the planets in observed extrasolar planetary systems, including hypothetical additional bodies, with a focus on secular perturbations. These interactions cause the…
Stars with planets at intermediate metallicities ([-0.7,-0.2] dex) exhibit properties that differ from the general field stars. Thirteen stars with planets reported in this metallicity range belong to the thick disc, while only one planet…
Stellar metallicity strongly correlates with the presence of planets and their properties. To check for new correlations between stars and the existence of an orbiting planet, we determine precise stellar parameters for a sample of…
Recent advances have enabled the discovery of a population of potentially Earth-like planets, yet their orbital eccentricity, which governs their climate and provides clues about their origin and dynamical history, is still largely…
Planets with non-zero obliquity and/or orbital eccentricity experience seasonal variations of stellar irradiation at local latitudes. The extent of the atmospheric response can be crudely estimated by the ratio between the orbital timescale…
Calculations are performed for the linear polarization of starlight due to extinction by aligned dust grains when the starlight traverses a medium with irregular magnetic fields. This medium is intended to represent the optically thick…
A previous study (Paper I) investigated the polarization properties of a variety of simple convex grain shapes, some of which were found to be consistent with the observed polarization properties of interstellar dust from far-ultraviolet to…
The known extrasolar planets exhibit many interesting and surprising features--extremely short-period orbits, high-eccentricity orbits, mean-motion and secular resonances, etc.--and have dramatically expanded our appreciation of the…
For centuries, our knowledge of planetary systems and ideas about planet formation were based on a single example, our solar system. During the last thirteen years, the discovery of ~170 planetary systems has ushered in a new era for…
Debris discs are typically revealed through excess emission at infrared wavelengths. Most discs exhibit excess at mid- and far-infrared wavelengths, analogous to the solar system's Asteroid and Edgeworth-Kuiper belts. Recently, stars with…
We study the influence of stellar metallicity on the fraction of stars with planets (i.e., the occurrence rate of planetary systems) and the average number of planets per star (i.e., the occurrence rate of planets). The former directly…
Optical linear polarization measurements are presented for about 30 Vega-like stars. These are then compared with the polarization observed for normal field stars. A significant fraction of the Vega-like stars are found to show polarization…
The polarization of light is a critically under-utilized, rich source of information in astronomy. For stars in particular, surface magnetism polarization that can be detected and measured with spectro-polarimetry. Many questions about…
In the JWST, Extremely Large Telescopes, and LUVOIR era, we expect to characterize a number of potentially habitable Earth-like exoplanets. However, the characterization of these worlds depends crucially on the accuracy of theoretical…
Recent observations show a clear correlation between the probability of hosting a planet and the metallicity of the parent star. Since radial velocity surveys are biased, however, towards detecting planets with short orbital periods, the…
We report observations of the linear polarization of a sample of 49 nearby bright stars measured to sensitivities of between ~1 and 4 x 10^-6. The majority of stars in the sample show measurable polarization, but most polarizations are…
The metallicity of young low mass Post-T Tauri stars in coeval associations is practically unknown. This work is the beginning of a systematic measurement of these metallicities based on high resolution spectra of low rotating members of…
Orbital variation in reflected starlight from exoplanets could eventually be used to detect surface oceans. Exoplanets with rough surfaces, or dominated by atmospheric Rayleigh scattering, should reach peak brightness in full phase, orbital…