The Hunt For Other Worlds Using The Harlan J. Smith 2.7 m Telescope

Our Solar System:

The Structure Of Our Planetary System:

Do Other Stars Have Planets too?

How frequent are “extrasolar” planets? What are their characteristics (e.g. orbit, mass)? Is our Solar System typical? How do planetary systems form?

How can we detect planets around other stars?

Stars are a billion times brighter… SCRIPT: Stars are a billion times brighter… ----------------------- WHAT’S ON THE SLIDE: Artist’s rendering of a lighthouse with beacon shining.

…than the planet …hidden in the glare. SCRIPT: …than the planet [Click space bar] …hidden in the glare. ----------------------- WHAT’S ON THE SLIDE: Artist’s rendering of a lighthouse with beacon off. A small firefly is perched atop the lighthouse lamp.

The “Radial Velocity” Technique:

The Search For Extrasolar Planets At The Harlan J. Smith 2 The Search For Extrasolar Planets At The Harlan J. Smith 2.7m Telescope Bill Cochran & Artie Hatzes

A Spectrum Of A Star:

Measuring the velocity of a enormous ball of glowing H/He light-years away with a precision of a few meters per second. Iodine gas only Star only Star + Iodine

51 Pegasi b: the 1st “extrasolar” planet: P = 4.3 days!!! a = 0.05 AU !!! M ~ 0.45 M Jupiter Michel Mayor & Didier Queloz 1995

The first 2.7 m Survey Planet: P = 2.2 yrs a = 1.67 AU M ~ 1.7 M Jupiter

The Planet Around Epsilon Eridani P = 7 yrs a = 3.4 AU M ~ 0.9 M Jupiter © Lynette Cook

γ Cephei Ab: a planet in a “short periodic” binary system: The γ Cep system: M1 = 1.6 MSUN (K1IV) age ~ 3 Gyrs P ~ 57 yrs +- 4.3 yrs e = 0.36 +- 0.02 M2 sin i = 0.4 MSUN A1 = 4.2 AU A2 = 17.2 AU

γ Cephei Ab: a planet in a “short periodic” binary system: The planet: m sin i = 1.6 MJUP P = 906 d +- 3.1 d a = 2.03 AU e = 0.12 +/- 0.05 K = 27.5 m/s rms = 8.0 m/s (cs23)

γ Cephei Ab: a planet in a “short periodic” binary system: Distance between primary and secondary: 31  12 AU planet orbits close to outer limit for dynamical stability interesting planet formation scenario.

HD 137510: An Oasis In The “Brown Dwarf Desert”

Beta Gem (K0 III) Confirmation of the planet suspected by Artie Hatzes & Bill Cochran in 1993! m = 2.3 MJup P = 590 days a = 1.6 AU

P ~ 11.8 yrs ; a ~ 5.4 AU P ~ 8 yrs ; a ~ 4 AU P ~ 12 yrs ; a ~ 5.5 AU 14 Her c: P ~ 19 yrs ; e = 0.02 ; K = 25 m/s m sin i = 2.2 MJUP ; a = 6.9 AU, 4:1 resonance?

10 nights (NASA) at the 10m Keck Telescope on Mauna Kea to search for low-mass planets around 50 nearby stars