Abstract
Abstract
We present the direct-imaging discovery of a giant planet orbiting the young star AF Lep, a 1.2 M
⊙ member of the 24 ± 3 Myr β Pic moving group. AF Lep was observed as part of our ongoing high-contrast imaging program targeting stars with astrometric accelerations between Hipparcos and Gaia that indicate the presence of substellar companions. Keck/NIRC2 observations in
L
′
with the vector vortex coronagraph reveal a point source, AF Lep b, at ≈340 mas, which exhibits orbital motion at the 6σ level over the course of 13 months. A joint orbit fit yields precise constraints on the planet’s dynamical mass of
3.2
−
0.6
+
0.7
M
Jup, semimajor axis of
8.4
−
1.3
+
1.1
au, and eccentricity of
0.24
−
0.15
+
0.27
. AF Lep hosts a debris disk located at ∼50 au, but it is unlikely to be sculpted by AF Lep b, implying there may be additional planets in the system at wider separations. The stellar inclination (i
* =
54
−
9
+
11
°
) and orbital inclination (i
o
=
50
−
12
+
9
°
) are in good agreement, which is consistent with the system having spin–orbit alignment. AF Lep b is the lowest-mass imaged planet with a dynamical mass measurement and highlights the promise of using astrometric accelerations as a tool to find and characterize long-period planets.
Funder
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Science Foundation
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Subject
Space and Planetary Science,Astronomy and Astrophysics
Cited by
19 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献