Sarah E. Robinson

The N2K Consortium. II. A Transiting Hot Saturn around HD 149026 with a Large Dense Core

Doppler measurements from Subaru and Keck have revealed radial velocity variations in the V = 8.15, G0 IV star HD 149026 consistent with a Saturn-mass planet in a 2.8766 day orbit. Photometric observations at Fairborn Observatory have detected three complete transit events with depths of 0.003 mag at the predicted times of conjunction. HD 149026 is now the second-brightest star with a transiting extrasolar planet. The mass of the star, based on interpolation of stellar evolutionary models, is 1.3 ± 0.1 M_☉; together with the Doppler amplitude K_1 = 43.3 m s^(-1), we derive a planet mass M sin i = 0.36M_J and orbital radius 0.042 AU. HD 149026 is chromospherically inactive and metal-rich with spectroscopically derived [Fe/H] = +0.36, T_(eff) = 6147 K, log g = 4.26, and v sin i = 6.0 km s^(-1). Based on T_(eff) and the stellar luminosity of 2.72 L_☉, we derive a stellar radius of 1.45 R_☉. Modeling of the three photometric transits provides an orbital inclination of 85o.3 ± 1o.0 and (including the uncertainty in the stellar radius) a planet radius of (0.725 ± 0.05)R_J. Models for this planet mass and radius suggest the presence of a ~67 M_⊕ core composed of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. This substantial planet core would be difficult to construct by gravitational instability.

The N2K Consortium. IV. New Temperatures and Metallicities for More than 100,000 FGK Dwarfs

We have created specialized target lists for radial velocity surveys that are biased toward stars that (1) possess planets and (2) are easiest to observe with current detection techniques. We use a procedure that uniformly estimates fundamental stellar properties of Tycho 2 stars, with errors, using spline functions of broadband photometry and proper motion found in Hipparcos/Tycho 2 and 2MASS. We provide estimates of Teff and distance for 2.4 × 106 Tycho 2 stars that lack trigonometric distances. For stars that appear to be FGK dwarfs, we also derive [Fe/H] and identify unresolved binary systems with mass ratios 1.25 < M1/M2 < 3.0. For FGK dwarfs with photometric error σV < 0.05, or V < 9, our temperature model gives a 1 σ error of σT = +58.7/ - 65.9 K and our metallicity model gives a 1 σ error of σ[Fe/H] = +0.13/ - 0.14 dex. The binarity model can be used to remove 70% of doubles with 1.25 < M1/M2 < 3.0 from a magnitude-limited sample of dwarfs at a cost of cutting 20% of the sample. Our estimates of distance and spectral type enable us to isolate 354,822 Tycho 2 dwarfs, 321,996 absent from Hipparcos, with giant contamination of 2.6% and 7.2%, respectively. Roughly 100,000 of these stars, not in Hipparcos, have sufficiently low photometric errors to retain 0.13-0.3 dex [Fe/H] accuracy and 80-100 K temperature accuracy (1 σ). Our metallicity estimates have been used to identify targets for N2K, a large-scale radial velocity search for hot jupiters, which has verified the errors presented here. The catalogs that we publish can be used to further large-scale studies of Galactic structure and chemical evolution and to provide potential reference stars for narrow-angle astrometry programs such as the Space Interferometry Mission and large-aperture optical interferometry.

The N2K Consortium. IV. New temperatures and metallicities for 100,000+ FGK dwarfs

We have created specialized target lists for radial velocity surveys that are biased toward stars that (1) possess planets and (2) are easiest to observe with current detection techniques. We use a procedure that uniformly estimates fundamental stellar properties of Tycho 2 stars, with errors, using spline functions of broadband photometry and proper motion found in Hipparcos/Tycho 2 and 2MASS. We provide estimates of Teff and distance for 2.4 × 106 Tycho 2 stars that lack trigonometric distances. For stars that appear to be FGK dwarfs, we also derive [Fe/H] and identify unresolved binary systems with mass ratios 1.25 < M1/M2 < 3.0. For FGK dwarfs with photometric error σV < 0.05, or V < 9, our temperature model gives a 1 σ error of σT = +58.7/ - 65.9 K and our metallicity model gives a 1 σ error of σ[Fe/H] = +0.13/ - 0.14 dex. The binarity model can be used to remove 70% of doubles with 1.25 < M1/M2 < 3.0 from a magnitude-limited sample of dwarfs at a cost of cutting 20% of the sample. Our estimates of distance and spectral type enable us to isolate 354,822 Tycho 2 dwarfs, 321,996 absent from Hipparcos, with giant contamination of 2.6% and 7.2%, respectively. Roughly 100,000 of these stars, not in Hipparcos, have sufficiently low photometric errors to retain 0.13-0.3 dex [Fe/H] accuracy and 80-100 K temperature accuracy (1 σ). Our metallicity estimates have been used to identify targets for N2K, a large-scale radial velocity search for hot jupiters, which has verified the errors presented here. The catalogs that we publish can be used to further large-scale studies of Galactic structure and chemical evolution and to provide potential reference stars for narrow-angle astrometry programs such as the Space Interferometry Mission and large-aperture optical interferometry.

Five intermediate-period planets from the N2K sample

We report the detection of five Jovian-mass planets orbiting high-metallicity stars. Four of these stars were first observed as part of the N2K program, and exhibited low rms velocity scatter after three consecutive observations. However, follow-up observations over the last 3 years now reveal the presence of longer period planets with orbital periods ranging from 21 days to a few years. HD 11506 is a G0 V star with a planet of M sin i = 4.74 M_(Jup) in a 3.85 yr orbit. HD 17156 is a G0 V star with a 3.12 M_(Jup) planet in a 21.2 day orbit. The eccentricity of this orbit is 0.67, one of the highest known for a planet with a relatively short period. The orbital period for this planet places it in a region of parameter space where relatively few planets have been detected. HD 125612 is a G3 V star with a planet of M sin i = 3.5 M_(Jup) in a 1.4 yr orbit. HD 170469 is a G5 IV star with a planet of M sin i = 0.67 M_(Jup) in a 3.13 year orbit. HD 231701 is an F8 V star with planet of 1.08 M_(Jup) in a 142 day orbit. All of these stars have supersolar metallicity. Three of the five stars were observed photometrically, but showed no evidence of brightness variability. A transit search conducted for HD 17156 was negative, but covered only 25% of the search space, and so is not conclusive.

Silicon and Nickel Enrichment in Planet Host Stars: Observations and Implications for the Core Accretion Theory of Planet Formation

We present evidence that stars with planets exhibit statistically significant silicon and nickel enrichment over the general metal-rich population. We also present simulations that predict silicon enhancement of planet hosts within the context of the core accretion hypothesis for giant planet formation. Because silicon and oxygen are both α-elements, [Si/Fe] traces [O/Fe], so the silicon enhancement in planet hosts predicts that these stars are oxygen-rich as well. We present new numerical simulations of planet formation by core accretion that establish the timescale on which a Jovian planet reaches rapid gas accretion, trga, as a function of solid surface density σsolid: (trga/1 Myr) = (σsolid/25.0 g cm-2)-1.44. This relation enables us to construct Monte Carlo simulations that predict the fraction of star-disk systems that form planets as a function of [Fe/H], [Si/Fe], disk mass, outer disk radius, and disk lifetime. Our simulations reproduce both the known planet-metallicity correlation and the planet-silicon correlation reported in this paper. The simulations predict that 15% of solar-type stars form Jupiter-mass planets, in agreement with 12% predicted from extrapolation of the observed planet frequency-semimajor axis distribution. Although a simple interpretation of core accretion predicts that the planet-silicon correlation should be much stronger than the planet-nickel correlation, we observe the same degree of silicon and nickel enhancement in planet hosts. If this result persists once more planets have been discovered, it might indicate a complexity in the chemistry of planet formation beyond the simple accumulation of solids in the core accretion theory.

The N2K consortium. III. Short-period planets orbiting HD 149143 and HD 109749

We report the detection of two short-period planets discovered at Keck Observatory. HD 149143 is a metal-rich G0 IV star with a planet of M sin i = 1.33M_J and an orbital radius of 0.053 AU. The best-fit Keplerian model has an orbital period, P = 4.072 days, semivelocity amplitude, K = 149.6 m s^(-1), and eccentricity, e = 0.016 ± 0.01. The host star is chromospherically inactive and metal-rich, with [Fe/H] = 0.26. Based on the T_(eff) and stellar luminosity, we derive a stellar radius of 1.49 R_☉. Photometric observations of HD 149143 were carried out using the automated photometric telescopes at Fairborn Observatory. HD 149143 is photometrically constant over the radial velocity period to 0.0003 ± 0.0002 mag, supporting the existence of the planetary companion. No transits were detected down to a photometric limit of approximately 0.02%, eliminating transiting planets with a variety of compositions and constraining the orbital inclination to less than 83°. A short-period planet was also detected around HD 109749, a G3 IV star. HD 109749 is chromospherically inactive, with [Fe/H] = 0.25 and a stellar radius of 1.24. The radial velocities for HD 109749 are modeled by a Keplerian with P = 5.24 days and K = 28.7 m s^(-1). The inferred planet mass is M sin i = 0.28M_J and the semimajor axis of this orbit is 0.0635 AU. Photometry of HD 109749 was obtained with the SMARTS consortium telescope, the PROMPT telescope, and by transitsearch.org observers in Adelaide and Pretoria. These observations did not detect a decrement in the brightness of the host star at the predicted ephemeris time, and they constrain the orbital inclination to less than 85° for gas giant planets with radii down to 0.7R_J.

The N2K consortium. VII. Atmospheric parameters of 1907 metal-rich stars: Finding planet-search targets

We report high-precision atmospheric parameters for 1907 stars in the N2K low-resolution spectroscopic survey, designed to identify metal-rich FGK dwarfs likely to harbor detectable planets. Of these stars, 284 are in the ideal temperature range for planet searches, Teff ≤ 6000 K, and have a 10% or greater probability of hosting planets based on their metallicities. The stars in the low-resolution spectroscopic survey should eventually yield >60 new planets, including 8-9 hot Jupiters. Short-period planets have already been discovered orbiting the survey targets HIP 14810 and HD 149143.

Two Jovian-Mass Planets in Earthlike Orbits*

We report the discovery of two new planets: a 1.94 M_(Jup) planet in a 1.8 yr orbit of HD 5319, and a 2.51 M_(Jup) planet in a 1.1 yr orbit of HD 75898. The measured eccentricities are 0.12 for HD 5319b and 0.10 for HD 75898b, and Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations based on the derived orbital parameters indicate that the radial velocities of both stars are consistent with circular planet orbits. With low eccentricity and 1 AU < α < 2 AU, our new planets have orbits similar to terrestrial planets in the solar system. The radial velocity residuals of both stars have significant trends, likely arising from substellar or low-mass stellar companions.

The N2K Consortium. V. Identifying Very Metal-rich Stars with Low-Resolution Spectra: Finding Planet-Search Targets

We present empirical calibrations that estimate stellar metallicity, effective temperature and surface gravity as a function of Lick/IDS indices. These calibrations have been derived from a training set of 261 stars for which (1) high-precision measurements of [Fe/H], T_eff and log g have been made using spectral-synthesis analysis of HIRES spectra, and (2) Lick indices have also been measured. Our [Fe/H] calibration, which has precision 0.07 dex, has identified a number of bright (V < 9) metal-rich stars which are now being screened for hot Jupiter-type planets. Using the Yonsei-Yale stellar models, we show that the calibrations provide distance estimates accurate to 20% for nearby stars. This paper outlines the second tier of the screening of planet-search targets by the N2K Consortium, a project designed to identify the stars most likely to harbor extrasolar planets. Discoveries by the N2K Consortium include the transiting hot Saturn HD 149026 b (Sato et al. 2005, astro-ph/0507009) and HD 88133 b (Fischer et al. 2005). See Ammons et al. (2005, In Press) for a description of the first tier of N2K metallicity screening, calibrations using broadband photometry.