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A planet within the debris disk around the pre-main-sequence star AU Microscopii
Peter Plavchan1, Thomas Barclay2,3, Jonathan Gagné4
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA. pplavcha@gmu.edu.
Nature
|June 26, 2020
Summary
Astronomers discovered a new planet, AU Microscopii b, orbiting the young star AU Microscopii. This finding is significant as it provides a unique opportunity to study planet formation within a debris disk environment.
Area of Science:
- Exoplanetary Science
- Stellar Astrophysics
- Planetary Formation
Background:
- AU Microscopii (AU Mic) is a nearby young star (22 million years old) with a rare, edge-on debris disk.
- The star exhibits significant magnetic activity, posing challenges for detecting planets.
- The debris disk extends from 35 to 210 AU and contains clumps with non-Keplerian motion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the detection of a transiting planet around AU Microscopii.
- To characterize the properties of the newly discovered planet, AU Mic b.
- To investigate planet formation and evolution in the presence of a debris disk.
Main Methods:
- Transit photometry observations were used to detect the planet.
- Orbital period, distance, radius, and mass of the planet were determined from the transit data.
Main Results:
- A transiting planet, AU Mic b, was discovered.
- AU Mic b has an orbital period of 8.46 days and orbits at 0.07 AU.
- The planet has a radius of 0.4 Jupiter radii and a mass <0.18 Jupiter masses.
Conclusions:
- The discovery of AU Mic b co-existing with a debris disk offers a unique laboratory.
- This system allows for testing models of planet formation and evolution.
- Further study can shed light on the interplay between planets and debris disks.
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