The Very Low Mass Component of the Gliese 105 System

Abstract

Multiple-epoch, multicolor images of the astrometric binary Gliese 105A and its very low mass companion Gliese 105C have been obtained using the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) and Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). The optical and near-infrared colors of Gl 105C strongly suggest a spectral type of M7V for that star. Relative astrometric measurements spanning 3 yr reveal the first evidence of Gl 105C's orbital motion. Previous long-term astrometric studies at Sproul and McCormick Observatories have shown that the period of Gl 105A's perturbation is approximately 60 yr. To satisfy both the observed orbital motion and Gl 105A's astrometric period, Gl 105C's orbit must have an eccentricity of approximately 0.75 and a semimajor axis of approximately 15 AU. Measurements of Gl 105A's radial velocity over 12 yr show a linear trend with a slope of 11.3 m/s/yr, which is consistent with these orbital constraints and a nearly face-on orbit. As no other faint companions to Gl 105A have been detected, we conclude that Gl 105C is probably the source of the 60-yr astrometric perturbation.

16 pages, 6 figures; to be published in the October 2000 issue of The Astronomical Journal

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• The Lick Planet Search: Detectability and Mass Thresholds

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