NONDETECTION OF THE NEPTUNE-MASS PLANET REPORTED AROUND GJ 176

作者：Butler R Paul^*; Howard Andrew W; Vogt Steven S; Wright Jason T

来源：Astrophysical Journal, 2009, 691(2): 1738-1743.

DOI：10.1088/0004-637X/691/2/1738

• planetary systems
• stars: individual (GJ 176)
• techniques: radial velocities

Endl et al. reported a Neptune-mass planet in a 10.24 day orbit around GJ 176. This planet has raised interest because of its low mass (M sin i = 24 M(Earth)), correspondingly small velocity amplitude (K = 11.7 m s(-1)), and because GJ 176 is an M star. We report 41 precise Doppler measurements of GJ 176 obtained with the Keck-HIRES spectrometer over a 10 year time span. These measurements show no evidence of the 10.24 day companion, at a threshold of 4 m s(-1), a factor of 3 less than the amplitude reported by Endl et al. The Keck velocities are consistent with instrumental noise and stellar jitter. The existence of the planet is thus called into question.

• 出版日期2009-2-1