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Kepler-503b: An Object at the Hydrogen Burning Mass Limit Orbiting a Subgiant Star
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- arXiv, 2018.
-
Abstract
- Using spectroscopic radial velocities with the APOGEE instrument and Gaia distance estimates, we demonstrate that Kepler-503b, currently considered a validated Kepler planet, is in fact a brown-dwarf/low-mass star in a nearly circular 7.2-day orbit around a subgiant star. Using a mass estimate for the primary star derived from stellar models, we derive a companion mass and radius of $0.075\pm0.003 \ M_{\odot}$ ($78.6\pm3.1 \ M_{Jup}$) and $0.099^{+0.006}_{-0.004}\ R_{\odot}$ ($0.96^{+0.06}_{-0.04}\ R_{Jup}$), respectively. Assuming the system is coeval, the evolutionary state of the primary indicates the age is $\sim6.7$ Gyr. Kepler-503b sits right at the hydrogen burning mass limit, straddling the boundary between brown dwarfs and very low-mass stars. More precise radial velocities and secondary eclipse spectroscopy with James Webb Space Telescope will provide improved measurements of the physical parameters and age of this important system to better constrain and understand the physics of these objects and their spectra. This system emphasizes the value of radial velocity observations to distinguish a genuine planet from astrophysical false positives, and is the first result from the SDSS-IV monitoring of Kepler planet candidates with the multi-object APOGEE instrument.<br />Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL, 12 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables
- Subjects :
- Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Library science
FOS: Physical sciences
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
01 natural sciences
Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
13. Climate action
Space and Planetary Science
Observatory
0103 physical sciences
Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Christian ministry
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Space Science
National laboratory
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Mathematics
Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....92d28f32a09975e3360d11aed2660e97
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1805.08820