Using the Sun to estimate Earth-like planets detection capabilities.I. Impact of cold spots

Stellar spots may in some cases produce radial velocity (RV) signatures similar to those of exoplanets. To further investigate the impact of spots, we aim at studying the detectability of Earth mass planets in the habitable zone (HZ) of solar type stars, if covered by spots similar to the sunspots. We have used the Sunspots properties recorded over one solar cycle between 1993 and 2003 to build the RV curve that a solar type star seen edge-on would show, if covered by such spots with Tsun -Tspot = 550K. We also simulate the RV of such a spotted star surrounded by an Earth mass planet located in the HZ. Under present assumptions, the detection of a 1 M Earth planet located between 0.8 and 1.2 AU requires an intensive monitoring (weekly or better), during several years of low activity phasis. The temporal sampling is more crucial than the precision of the data (assuming precisions in the range [1-10] cm/s). Cooler spots may become a problem for such detections. Also, we anticipate that plages, not considered in this paper, could further complicate or even compromise the detections

Extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs around A-F type stars V. A planetary system found with HARPS around the F6IV-V star HD 60532

Aims: In the frame of the search for extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs around early-type stars, we present the results obtained for the F-type main-sequence star HD 60532 (F6V) with HARPS. Methods: Using 147 spectra obtained with HARPS at La Silla on a time baseline of two years, we study the radial velocities of this star. Results: HD 60532 radial velocities are periodically variable, and the variations have a Keplerian origin. This star is surrounded by a planetary system of two planets with minimum masses of 1 and 2.5 Mjup and orbital separations of 0.76 and 1.58 AU respectively. We also detect high-frequency, low-amplitude (10 m/s peak-to-peak) pulsations. Dynamical studies of the system point toward a possible 3:1 mean-motion resonance which should be confirmed within the next decade.Comment: 7 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&

HD60532, a planetary system in a 3:1 mean motion resonance

In a recent paper it was reported a planetary system around the star HD60532, composed by two giant planets in a possible 3:1 mean motion resonance, that should be confirmed within the next decade. Here we show that the analysis of the global dynamics of the system allows to confirm this resonance. The present best fit to data already corresponds to this resonant configuration and the system is stable for at least 5Gry. The 3:1 resonance is so robust that stability is still possible for a wide variety of orbital parameters around the best fit solution and also if the inclination of the system orbital plane with respect to the plane of the sky is as small as 15 deg. Moreover, if the inclination is taken as a free parameter in the adjustment to the observations, we find an inclination ~ 20 deg, which corresponds to M_b =3.1 M_Jup and M_c = 7.4 M_Jup for the planetary companions.Comment: 4 Pages, 4 Figures, accepted by A&

Extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs around A-F type stars VI. High precision RV survey of early type dwarfs with HARPS

(Abridged) Aims: Systematic surveys to search for exoplanets have been mostly dedicated to solar-type stars sofar. We developed in 2004 a method to extend such searches to earlier A-F type dwarfs and started spectroscopic surveys to search for planets and quantify the detection limit achievable when taking into account the stars properties and their actual levels of intrinsic variations. We give here the first results of our southern survey with HARPS. Results: 1) 64% of the 170 stars with enough data points are found to be variable. 20 are found to be binaries or candidate binaries (with stars or brown dwarfs). More than 80% or the latest type stars (once binaries are removed) are intrinsically variable at a 2 m/s precision level. Stars with earlier spectral type (B-V <= 0.2) are either variable or associated to levels of uncertainties comparable to the RV rms observed on variable stars of same B-V. 2) We have detected one long-period planetary system around an F6IV-V star. 3) We have quantified the jitter due to stellar activity and we show that taking into account this jitter in addition to the stellar parameters, it is still possible to detect planets with HARPS with periods of 3 days (resp. 10 days and 100 days) on 91% (resp. 83%, 61%) of them. We show that even the earliest spectral type stars are accessible to this type of search, provided they have a low vsini and low levels of activity. 4) Taking into account the present data, we compute the actually achieved detection limits for 107 targets and discuss the limits as a function of B-V. Given the data at hand, our survey is sensitive to short-period (few days) planets and to longer ones (100 days) at a lower extent (latest type stars). We derive first constrains on the presence of planets around A-F stars for these ranges of periods.Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables, A&A accepte

Comparison of different exoplanet mass detection limit methods using a sample of main-sequence intermediate-type stars

The radial velocity (RV) technique is a powerful tool for detecting extrasolar planets and deriving mass detection limits that are useful for constraining planet pulsations and formation models. Detection limit methods must take into account the temporal distribution of power of various origins in the stellar signal. These methods must also be able to be applied to large samples of stellar RV time series We describe new methods for providing detection limits. We compute the detection limits for a sample of ten main sequence stars, which are of G-F-A type, in general active, and/or with detected planets, and various properties. We use them to compare the performances of these methods with those of two other methods used in the litterature. We obtained detection limits in the 2-1000 day period range for ten stars. Two of the proposed methods, based on the correlation between periodograms and the power in the periodogram of the RV time series in specific period ranges, are robust and represent a significant improvement compared to a method based on the root mean square of the RV signal. We conclude that two of the new methods (correlation-based method and local power analysis, i.e. LPA, method) provide robust detection limits, which are better than those provided by methods that do not take into account the temporal sampling.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Modeling the RV and BVS of active stars

We present a method of modeling the radial velocity (RV) measurements which can be useful in searching for planets hosted by chromospherically active stars. We assume that the observed RV signal is induced by the reflex motion of a star as well as by distortions of spectral line profiles, measured by the Bisector Velocity Span (BVS). The RVs are fitted with a common planetary model including RV correction term depending linearly on the BVS, which accounts for the stellar activity. The coefficient of correlation is an additional free parameter of the RV model. That approach differs from correcting the RVs before or after fitting the "pure" planetary model. We test the method on simulated data derived for single-planet systems. The results are compared with the outcomes of algorithms found in the literature.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, proceedings of the conference "Extrasolar planets in multi-body systems: theory and observations" (August 2008, Torun, Poland

Activity-induced radial velocity jitter in a flaring M dwarf

We investigate the effect of stellar activity and flares on short-term radial velocity measurements in the mid-M flare star CN Leo. Radial velocity variations are calculated from 181 UVES spectra obtained during three nights. We searched for spectral orders that contain very few atmospheric absorption lines and calibrated them against the telluric A-band from O$_2$ in the Earth's atmosphere. One giant flare occurred during our observations, which has a very strong effect on radial velocity. The apparent radial velocity shift due to the flare is several hundred m s$^{-1}$ and clearly correlated with H$\alpha$ emission. Outside the flare, only spectral orders containing the most prominent emission lines of H, He, and Ca show a correlation to chromospheric activity together with a radial velocity jitter exceeding a few 10 m s$^{-1}$. We identify a number of spectral orders that are free of strong emission lines and show no flaring-related radial velocity jitter, although flares occurred as strong as 0.4 dex in normalized H$\alpha$ luminosity. The mean radial velocity jitter due to moderate flaring is less than 10 m s$^{-1}$. Strong flares are easily recognized directly in the spectra and should be neglected for planet searches.Comment: accepted by A&

Formation of the resonant system HD 60532

Among multi-planet planetary systems there are a large fraction of resonant systems. Studying the dynamics and formation of these systems can provide valuable informations on processes taking place in protoplanetary disks where the planets are thought have been formed. The recently discovered resonant system HD 60532 is the only confirmed case, in which the central star hosts a pair of giant planets in 3:1 mean motion resonance. We intend to provide a physical scenario for the formation of HD 60532, which is consistent with the orbital solutions derived from the radial velocity measurements. Observations indicate that the system is in an antisymmetric configuration, while previous theoretical investigations indicate an asymmetric equilibrium state. The paper aims at answering this discrepancy as well. We performed two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of thin disks with an embedded pair of massive planets. Additionally, migration and resonant capture are studied by gravitational N-body simulations that apply properly parametrized non-conservative forces. Our simulations suggest that the capture into the 3:1 mean motion resonance takes place only for higher planetary masses, thus favouring orbital solutions having relatively smaller inclination i=20 degrees. The system formed by numerical simulations qualitatively show the same behaviour as HD 60532. We also find that the presence of an inner disk (between the inner planet and the star) plays a very important role in determining the final configurations of resonant planetary systems. Its damping effect on the inner planet's eccentricity is responsible for the observed antisymmetric state of HD 60532.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs around A-F type stars - VII. Theta Cygni radial velocity variations: planets or stellar phenomenon?

(abridged) In the frame of the search for extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs around early-type main-sequence stars, we present the results obtained on the early F-type star Theta Cygni. Elodie and Sophie at OHP were used to obtain the spectra. Our dedicated radial-velocity measurement method was used to monitor the star's radial velocities over five years. We also use complementary, high angular resolution and high-contrast images taken with PUEO at CFHT. We show that Theta Cygni radial velocities are quasi-periodically variable, with a ~150-day period. These variations are not due to the ~0.35-Msun stellar companion that we detected in imaging at more than 46 AU from the star. The absence of correlation between the bisector velocity span variations and the radial velocity variations for this 7 km/s vsini star, as well as other criteria indicate that the observed radial velocity variations are not due to stellar spots. The observed amplitude of the bisector velocity span variations also seems to rule out stellar pulsations. However, we observe a peak in the bisector velocity span periodogram at the same period as the one found in the radial velocity periodogram, which indicates a probable link between these radial velocity variations and the low amplitude lineshape variations which are of stellar origin. Long-period variations are not expected from this type of star to our knowledge. If a stellar origin (hence of new type) was to be confirmed for these long-period radial velocity variations, this would have several consequences on the search for planets around main-sequence stars, both in terms of observational strategy and data analysis. An alternative explanation for these variable radial velocities is the presence of at least one planet of a few Jupiter masses orbiting at less than 1 AU. (abridged)Comment: 9 pages, accepted in A

Reconstructing the solar integrated radial velocity using MDI/SOHO

Searches for exoplanets with radial velocity techniques are increasingly sensitive to stellar activity. It is therefore crucial to characterize how this activity influences radial velocity measurements in their study of the detectability of planets in these conditions. In a previous work we simulated the impact of spots and plages on the radial velocity of the Sun. Our objective is to compare this simulation with the observed radial velocity of the Sun for the same period. We use Dopplergrams and magnetograms obtained by MDI/SOHO over one solar cycle to reconstruct the solar integrated radial velocity in the Ni line 6768 \AA. We also characterize the relation between the velocity and the local magnetic field to interpret our results. We obtain a stronger redshift in places where the local magnetic field is larger (and as a consequence for larger magnetic structures): hence we find a higher attenuation of the convective blueshift in plages than in the network. Our results are compatible with an attenuation of this blueshift by about 50% when averaged over plages and network. We obtain an integrated radial velocity with an amplitude over the solar cycle of about 8 m/s, with small-scale variations similar to the results of the simulation, once they are scaled to the Ni line. The observed solar integrated radial velocity agrees with the result of the simulation made in our previous work within 30%, which validates this simulation. The observed amplitude confirms that the impact of the convective blueshift attenuation in magnetic regions will be critical to detect Earth-mass planets in the habitable zone around solar-like stars.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysic