Search for extrasolar planets around K-giants: $\alpha$ Arietis - planet or surface features?

  • Published : 2010.10.06

Abstract

We report the detection of a low-amplitude 380.8-day radial velocity (RV) variations in oscillating K2 III star ${\alpha}$ Ari (HD 12929). We do not found the correlation between RV variations and equivalent widths of chromospheric activity indicators ($H{\alpha}$ and CaII 8662 ${\AA}line$). The bisector analysis shows that bisector velocity span (BVS) and RV variations are not strongly correlated with each other. These result suggest that the RV variations could have been produced either by planetary companion or by the surface spots. If this RV variation is indeed caused by a planetary companion, an orbital solution with a period of P = 381 days, a semi-amplitude of K = 41 m/s, and an eccentricity of e = 0.25 fits the data best. Assuming a possible stellar mass of $M_{\bigstar} = 1.4-5.6 M\odot$, we estimate the minimum mass for the companion of m sini = 1.8-4.5 $M_{Jup}$ with an orbital semi-major axis of 1.2-1.9 AU. If confirmed, our finding gives a support to search for exoplanets around giant stars with multi-periodic oscillations.

Keywords