Liang Chang

MARVELS-1b: A Short-period, Brown Dwarf Desert Candidate from the SDSS-III Marvels Planet Search

We present a new short-period brown dwarf (BD) candidate around the star TYC 1240-00945-1. This candidate was discovered in the first year of the Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanets Large-area Survey (MARVELS), which is part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) III, and we designate the BD as MARVELS-1b. MARVELS uses the technique of dispersed fixed-delay interferometery to simultaneously obtain radial velocity (RV) measurements for 60 objects per field using a single, custom-built instrument that is fiber fed from the SDSS 2.5 m telescope. From our 20 RV measurements spread over a ~370 day time baseline, we derive a Keplerian orbital fit with semi-amplitude K = 2.533 ± 0.025 km s^(–1), period P = 5.8953 ± 0.0004 days, and eccentricity consistent with circular. Independent follow-up RV data confirm the orbit. Adopting a mass of 1.37 ± 0.11 M_☉ for the slightly evolved F9 host star, we infer that the companion has a minimum mass of 28.0 ± 1.5 M_(Jup), a semimajor axis 0.071 ± 0.002 AU assuming an edge-on orbit, and is probably tidally synchronized. We find no evidence for coherent intrinsic variability of the host star at the period of the companion at levels greater than a few millimagnitudes. The companion has an a priori transit probability of ~14%. Although we find no evidence for transits, we cannot definitively rule them out for companion radii ≲ R_(Jup).

VERY LOW-MASS STELLAR AND SUBSTELLAR COMPANIONS TO SOLAR-LIKE STARS FROM MARVELS I: A LOW MASS RATIO STELLAR COMPANION TO TYC 4110-01037-1 IN A 79-DAY ORBIT

TYC 4110-01037-1 has a low-mass stellar companion, whose small mass ratio and short orbital period are atypical among binary systems with solar-like (T eff 6000 K) primary stars. Our analysis of TYC 4110-01037-1 reveals it to be a moderately aged (5?Gyr) solar-like star having a mass of 1.07 ? 0.08 M ? and radius of 0.99 ? 0.18 R ?. We analyze 32 radial velocity (RV) measurements from the SDSS-III MARVELS survey as well as 6 supporting RV measurements from the SARG spectrograph on the 3.6 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo telescope obtained over a period of ~2?years. The best Keplerian orbital fit parameters were found to have a period of 78.994 ? 0.012 days, an eccentricity of 0.1095 ? 0.0023, and a semi-amplitude of 4199 ? 11?m?s?1. We determine the minimum companion mass (if sin i = 1) to be 97.7 ? 5.8 M Jup. The systems companion to host star mass ratio, ?0.087 ? 0.003, places it at the lowest end of observed values for short period stellar companions to solar-like (T eff 6000 K) stars. One possible way to create such a system would be if a triple-component stellar multiple broke up into a short period, low q binary during the cluster dispersal phase of its lifetime. A candidate tertiary body has been identified in the system via single-epoch, high contrast imagery. If this object is confirmed to be comoving, we estimate it would be a dM4 star. We present these results in the context of our larger-scale effort to constrain the statistics of low-mass stellar and brown dwarf companions to FGK-type stars via the MARVELS survey.

A new generation multi-object Doppler instrument for the SDSS-III Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey

We report performance of a new generation multi-object Doppler instrument for the on-going Multi-object APO Radial-velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) program. This instrument is based on dispersed fixed-delay interferomtry design. It consists of a multi-object fiber-feed, a thermally compensated monolithic fixed-delay interferometer, a high throughput spectrograph and a 4kx4k CCD camera. The spectrograph resolving power is R=11,000 and the wavelength coverage is 500-570 nm. The instrument is capable of measuring 60 stars in a single exposure for high to moderate precision radial velocity (3-20 m/s) measurements depending on the star magnitudes (V=7.6-12). The instrument was commissioned at the SDSS telescope in September 2008 and used to collect science data starting in October 2008. Observations of reference stars show that the measured photon noise limiting errors are consistent with the prediction for most of the measurements.

Very-low-mass Stellar and Substellar Companions to Solar-like Stars from Marvels. III. A Short-period Brown Dwarf Candidate around an Active G0IV Subgiant

We present an eccentric, short-period brown dwarf candidate orbiting the active, slightly evolved subgiant star TYC 2087-00255-1, which has effective temperature T_(eff) = 5903 ± 42 K, surface gravity log (g) = 4.07 ± 0.16 (cgs), and metallicity [Fe/H] = -0.23 ± 0.07. This candidate was discovered using data from the first two years of the Multi-object APO Radial Velocity Exoplanets Large-area Survey, which is part of the third phase of Sloan Digital Sky Survey. From our 38 radial velocity measurements spread over a two-year time baseline, we derive a Keplerian orbital fit with semi-amplitude K = 3.571 ± 0.041 km s^(–1), period P = 9.0090 ± 0.0004 days, and eccentricity e = 0.226 ± 0.011. Adopting a mass of 1.16 ± 0.11 M_☉ for the subgiant host star, we infer that the companion has a minimum mass of 40.0 ± 2.5 M_(Jup). Assuming an edge-on orbit, the semimajor axis is 0.090 ± 0.003 AU. The host star is photometrically variable at the ~1% level with a period of ~13.16 ± 0.01 days, indicating that the host star spin and companion orbit are not synchronized. Through adaptive optics imaging we also found a point source 643 ± 10 mas away from TYC 2087-00255-1, which would have a mass of 0.13 M_☉ if it is physically associated with TYC 2087-00255-1 and has the same age. Future proper motion observation should be able to resolve if this tertiary object is physically associated with TYC 2087-00255-1 and make TYC 2087-00255-1 a triple body system. Core Ca II H and K line emission indicate that the host is chromospherically active, at a level that is consistent with the inferred spin period and measured v_(rot) sin i, but unusual for a subgiant of this T_(eff). This activity could be explained by ongoing tidal spin-up of the host star by the companion.

VERY LOW MASS STELLAR AND SUBSTELLAR COMPANIONS TO SOLAR-LIKE STARS FROM MARVELS. IV. A CANDIDATE BROWN DWARF OR LOW-MASS STELLAR COMPANION TO HIP 67526

We report the discovery of a candidate brown dwarf (BD) or a very low mass stellar companion (MARVELS-5b) to the star HIP 67526 from the Multi-object Apache point observatory Radial Velocity Exoplanet Large-area Survey (MARVELS). The radial velocity curve for this object contains 31 epochs spread over 2.5 yr. Our Keplerian fit, using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach, reveals that the companion has an orbital period of 90.2695^(+0.0188)_(-0.0187) days, an eccentricity of 0.4375 ± 0.0040, and a semi-amplitude of 2948.14^(+16.65)_(-16.55)m s^(–1). Using additional high-resolution spectroscopy, we find the host star has an effective temperature T_(eff) = 6004 ± 34 K, a surface gravity log g (cgs) =4.55 ± 0.17, and a metallicity [Fe/H] =+0.04 ± 0.06. The stellar mass and radius determined through the empirical relationship of Torres et al. yields 1.10 ± 0.09 M_☉ and 0.92 ± 0.19 R_☉. The minimum mass of MARVELS-5b is 65.0 ± 2.9M_(Jup), indicating that it is likely to be either a BD or a very low mass star, thus occupying a relatively sparsely populated region of the mass function of companions to solar-type stars. The distance to this system is 101 ± 10 pc from the astrometric measurements of Hipparcos. No stellar tertiary is detected in the high-contrast images taken by either FastCam lucky imaging or Keck adaptive optics imaging, ruling out any star with mass greater than 0.2 M_☉ at a separation larger than 40 AU.

Design, performance, and early results from extremely high Doppler precision instruments in a global network

We report design, performance and early results from two of the Extremely High Precision Extrasolar Planet Tracker Instruments (EXPERT) as part of a global network for hunting for low mass planets in the next decade. EXPERT is a combination of a thermally compensated monolithic Michelson interferometer and a cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph for extremely high precision Doppler measurements for nearby bright stars (e.g., 1m/s for a V=8 solar type star in 15 min exposure). It has R=18,000 with a 72 micron slit and a simultaneous coverage of 390-694 nm. The commissioning results show that the instrument has already produced a Doppler precision of about 1 m/s for a solar type star with S/N~100 per pixel. The instrument has reached ~4 mK (P-V) temperature stability, ~1 mpsi pressure stability over a week and a total instrument throughput of ~30% at 550 nm from the fiber input to the detector. EXPERT also has a direct cross-dispersed echelle spectroscopy mode fed with 50 micron fibers. It has spectral resolution of R=27,000 and a simultaneous wavelength coverage of 390-1000 nm.

Design and Performance of a New Generation, Compact, Low Cost, Very High Doppler Precision and Resolution Optical Spectrograph

This paper is to report the design and performance of a very high Doppler precision cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph, EXtremely high Precision ExtrasolaR planet Tracker III (EXPERT-III), as part of a global Exoplanet Tracker (ET) network. The ET network is designed to hunt low mass planets, especially habitable rocky planets, around GKM dwarfs. It has an extremely high spectral resolution (EHR) mode of R=110,000 and a high resolution (HR) mode of R=56,000 and can simultaneously cover 0.38-0.9 μm with a 4kx4k back-illuminated Fairchild CCD detector with a single exposure. EXPERT-III is optimized for high throughput by using two-prisms cross-disperser and a large core diameter fiber (2 arcsec on sky, or 80 μm at f/4) to collect photons from the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) 2.1m telescope. The average overall detection efficiency is ~6% from above the atmosphere to the detector for the EHR Mode and about 11% for the HR mode. The extremely high spectral resolution in a compact design (the spectrograph dimension, 1.34x0.8x0.48 m) is realized by coupling the single input 80 μm telescope fiber into four 40 μm fibers and re-arranging the four small core diameter fibers into a linear fiber slit array (a one-to-four fiber image slicer). EXPERT-III is operated in a vacuum chamber with temperature controlled to ~2 milli-Kelvin rms for an extended period of time. The radial velocity (RV) drift is controlled to within 10 meters/second (m/s) over a month. EXPERT-III can reach a photon noise limited RV measurement precision of ~0.3 m/s for a V=8 mag GKM type dwarf with small rotation (vsini =2 km/s) in a 15 min exposure. EXPERT-III’s RV measurement uncertainties for bright stars are primarily limited by the Thorium-Argon (ThAr) calibration source (~0.5 m/s). EXPERT-III will serve as an excellent public accessible high resolution optical spectroscope facility at the KPNO 2.1m telescope.

Silicon immersion gratings and their spectroscopic applications

Silicon immersion gratings (SIGs) offer several advantages over the commercial echelle gratings for high resolution infrared (IR) spectroscopy: 3.4 times the gain in dispersion or ~10 times the reduction in the instrument volume, a multiplex gain for a large continuous wavelength coverage and low cost. We present results from lab characterization of a large format SIG of astronomical observation quality. This SIG, with a 54.74 degree blaze angle (R1.4), 16.1 l/mm groove density, and 50x86 mm2 grating area, was developed for high resolution IR spectroscopy (R~70,000) in the near IR (1.1-2.5 μm). Its entrance surface was coated with a single layer of silicon nitride antireflection (AR) coating and its grating surface was coated with a thin layer of gold to increase its throughput at 1.1-2.5 m. The lab measurements have shown that the SIG delivered a spectral resolution of R=114,000 at 1.55 m with a lab testing spectrograph with a 20 mm diameter pupil. The measured peak grating efficiency is 72% at 1.55 m, which is consistent with the measurements in the optical wavelengths from the grating surface at the air side. This SIG is being implemented in a new generation cryogenic IR spectrograph, called the Florida IR Silicon immersion grating spectrometer (FIRST), to offer broad-band high resolution IR spectroscopy with R=72,000 at 1.4-1.8 um under a typical seeing condition in a single exposure with a 2kx2k H2RG IR array at the robotically controlled Tennessee State University 2-meter Automatic Spectroscopic Telescope (AST) at Fairborn Observatory in Arizona. FIRST is designed to provide high precision Doppler measurements (~4 m/s) for the identification and characterization of extrasolar planets, especially rocky planets in habitable zones, orbiting low mass M dwarf stars. It will also be used for other high resolution IR spectroscopic observations of such as young stars, brown dwarfs, magnetic fields, star formation and interstellar mediums. An optimally designed SIG of the similar size can be used in the Silicon Immersion Grating Spectrometer (SIGS) to fill the need for high resolution spectroscopy at mid IR to far IR (~25-300 μm) for the NASA SOFIA airborne mission in the future.

Optical design of a double pass cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph for extremely high precision extrasolar planet trackers

We describe the optical design and performance of a cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph designed to deliver high precision radial velocities. The spectrograph design enables two working modes, a Radial Velocity Mode (RVM) and a Direct Echelle Mode (DEM). The spectra resolving power of the RVM is R=18000 over 390nm-690nm when used with 1 arcsec slit, and delivering a R=27000 over 390nm-1000nm while using 0.6 arcsec slit for DEM. The focal ratio of this spectrograph is f/4 and the collimated beam diameter is 85mm. An R2 Echelle with 87 l/mm groove density and a 63 degree normal blaze angle will be used as the main disperse grating. A 45 degree PBM2Y prism operated in a double pass serves as a cross-disperser to separate the dispersion orders. Two objects spectra will be recorded on the top and bottom half of the one 4k by 4k CCD (15-micron pixel size) respectively in RVM, while one object spectra will be recorded on the same entire CCD. The total throughput of this spectrograph, in which consists of all spherical surface lenses is around 60%.