Confirmation of the Planet Hypothesis for the Long-period Radial Velocity Variations of Beta Geminorum

Abstract

We present precise stellar radial velocity measurements for the K giant star Beta Gem spanning over 25 years. These data show that the long period low amplitude radial velocity variations found by Hatzes & Cochran (1993) are long-lived and coherent. An examination of the Ca II K emission, spectral line shapes from high resolution data (R = 210,000), and Hipparcos photometry show no significant variations of these quantities with the RV period. These data confirm the planetary companion hypothesis suggested by Hatzes & Cochran (1993). An orbital solution assuming a stellar mass of 1.7 M_sun yields a period, P = 589.6 days, a minimum mass of 2.3 M_Jupiter, and a semi-major axis, and a = 1.6 AU. The orbit is nearly circular (e = 0.02). Beta Gem is the seventh intermediate mass star shown to host a sub-stellar companion and suggests that planet-formation around stars much more massive than the sun may common.

10 pages, 9 figures, Astronomy and Astrophysics, in press

Cited by in corpus (37)

• Retired A Stars and Their Companions: Exoplanets Orbiting Three Intermediate-Mass Subgiants
• Precise Radial Velocities of Giant Stars VII. Occurrence Rate of Giant Extrasolar Planets as a Function of Mass and Metallicity
• Planets around evolved intermediate-mass stars. I. Two substellar companions in the open clusters NGC 2423 and NGC 4349
• Evolved stars hint to an external origin of enhanced metallicity in planet-hosting stars
• Four New Exoplanets and Hints of Additional Substellar Companions to Exoplanet Host Stars
• Planet Engulfment by ~1.5-3 Solar-Mass Red Giants
• Observable Signatures of Planet Accretion in Red Giant Stars I: Rapid Rotation and Light Element Replenishment
• A Planetary Mass Companion to the K0 Giant HD 17092
• Pre-main sequence spectroscopic binaries suitable for VLTI observations
• The Magnetic Fields at the Surface of Active Single G-K Giants
• Exoplanets as Sub-GeV Dark Matter Detectors
• Spitzer IRAC Observations of White Dwarfs. II. Massive Planetary and Cold Brown Dwarf Companions to Young and Old Degenerates
• Metallicities for 13 nearby open clusters from high-resolution spectroscopy of dwarf and giant stars. Stellar metallicity, stellar mass, and giant planets
• Precise radial velocities of giant stars. IV. A correlation between surface gravity and radial velocity variation and a statistical investigation of companion properties
• Metallicities of Planet Hosting Stars: A Sample of Giants and Subgiants
• Discovery of a planet around the K giant star 4 UMa
• A Planet in a 0.6-AU Orbit Around the K0 Giant HD 102272
• The Chemical Compositions of Stars with Planets: A Review
• Precise radial velocities of giant stars XVI. Planet occurrence rates from the combined analysis of the Lick, EXPRESS, and PPPS giant star surveys
• Three red giants with substellar-mass companions
• The Discovery of Stellar Oscillations in the K Giant $\iota$ Dra
• Tracking Advanced Planetary Systems with HARPS-N (TAPAS). I. A multiple planetary system around the red giant star TYC 1422-614-1
• The Discovery of Stellar Oscillations in the Planet Hosting Giant Star Beta Geminorum
• Ondr}ejov echelle spectrograph, ground based support facility for exoplanet missions
• A likely exoplanet orbiting the oscillating K-giant α Arietis
• Precise radial velocities of giant stars VI. A possible 2:1 resonant planet pair around the K giant star $\eta$ Cet
• Cloud Parameterizations and their Effect on Retrievals of Exoplanet Reflection Spectroscopy
• Pulsations and planets: the asteroseismology-extrasolar-planet connection
• Planets around evolved intermediate-mass stars III. Planet candidates and long-term activity signals in six open clusters
• Detection of thermal radio emission from a single coronal giant
• Pollux: A weak dynamo-driven dipolar magnetic field and implications for its probable planet
• WES - Weihai Echelle Spectrograph
• Science Case and Requirements for the MOSAIC Concept for a Multi-Object Spectrograph for the European Extremely Large Telescope
• Tracking Advanced Planetary Systems (TAPAS) with HARPS-N VII. Elder suns with low-mass companions
• One of Everything: The Breakthrough Listen Exotica Catalog
• Precise radial velocities of giant stars -- XVII. Distinguishing planets from intrinsically induced radial velocity signals in evolved stars
• Halo Photometry and Asteroseismology for 98 of the Brightest Stars Observed by TESS