Context. Methods used to detect giant exoplanets can be broadly divided into two categories: indirect and direct. Indirect methods are more sensitive to planets with a small orbital period, whereas... Show moreContext. Methods used to detect giant exoplanets can be broadly divided into two categories: indirect and direct. Indirect methods are more sensitive to planets with a small orbital period, whereas direct detection is more sensitive to planets orbiting at a large distance from their host star. This dichotomy makes it difficult to combine the two techniques on a single target at once.Aims. Simultaneous measurements made by direct and indirect techniques offer the possibility of determining the mass and luminosity of planets and a method of testing formation models. Here, we aim to show how long-baseline interferometric observations guided by radial-velocity can be used in such a way.Methods. We observed the recently-discovered giant planet beta Pictoris c with GRAVITY, mounted on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer.Results. This study constitutes the first direct confirmation of a planet discovered through radial velocity. We find that the planet has a temperature of T=125050 K and a dynamical mass of M=8.2 +/- 0.8 M-Jup. At 18.5 +/- 2.5 Myr, this puts beta Pic c close to a 'hot start' track, which is usually associated with formation via disk instability. Conversely, the planet orbits at a distance of 2.7 au, which is too close for disk instability to occur. The low apparent magnitude (M-K=14.3 +/- 0.1) favours a core accretion scenario.Conclusions. We suggest that this apparent contradiction is a sign of hot core accretion, for example, due to the mass of the planetary core or the existence of a high-temperature accretion shock during formation. Show less
Lagrange, A.M.; Rubini, P.; Nowak, M.; Lacour, S.; Grandjean, A.; Boccaletti, A.; ... ; Woillez, J. 2020
Context. The nearby and young β Pictoris system hosts a well resolved disk, a directly imaged massive giant planet orbiting at '9 au, as well as an inner planet orbiting at '2.7 au, which was... Show moreContext. The nearby and young β Pictoris system hosts a well resolved disk, a directly imaged massive giant planet orbiting at '9 au, as well as an inner planet orbiting at '2.7 au, which was recently detected through radial velocity (RV). As such, it offers several unique opportunities for detailed studies of planetary system formation and early evolution. Aims. We aim to further constrain the orbital and physical properties of β Pictoris b and c using a combination of high contrast imaging, long base-line interferometry, and RV data. We also predict the closest approaches or the transit times of both planets, and we constrain the presence of additional planets in the system. Methods. We obtained six additional epochs of SPHERE data, six additional epochs of GRAVITY data, and five additional epochs of RV data. We combined these various types of data in a single Markov-chain Monte Carlo analysis to constrain the orbital parameters and masses of the two planets simultaneously. The analysis takes into account the gravitational influence of both planets on the star and hence their relative astrometry. Secondly, we used the RV and high contrast imaging data to derive the probabilities of presence of additional planets throughout the disk, and we tested the impact of absolute astrometry. Results. The orbital properties of both planets are constrained with a semi-major axis of 9.8 ± 0.4 au and 2.7 ± 0.02 au for b and c, respectively, and eccentricities of 0.09 ± 0.1 and 0.27 ± 0.07, assuming the HIPPARCOS distance. We note that despite these low fitting error bars, the eccentricity of β Pictoris c might still be over-estimated. If no prior is provided on the mass of β Pictoris b, we obtain a very low value that is inconsistent with what is derived from brightness-mass models. When we set an evolutionary model motivated prior to the mass of β Pictoris b, we find a solution in the 10–11 MJup range. Conversely, β Pictoris c’s mass is well constrained, at 7.8 ± 0.4 MJup, assuming both planets are on coplanar orbits. These values depend on the assumptions on the distance of the β Pictoris system. The absolute astrometry HIPPARCOS-Gaia data are consistent with the solutions presented here at the 2σ level, but these solutions are fully driven by the relative astrometry plus RV data. Finally, we derive unprecedented limits on the presence of additional planets in the disk. We can now exclude the presence of planets that are more massive than about 2.5 MJup closer than 3 au, and more massive than 3.5 MJup between 3 and 7.5 au. Beyond 7.5 au, we exclude the presence of planets that are more massive than 1–2 MJup. Conclusions. Combining relative astrometry and RVs allows one to precisely constrain the orbital parameters of both planets and to give lower limits to potential additional planets throughout the disk. The mass of β Pictoris c is also well constrained, while additional RV data with appropriate observing strategies are required to properly constrain the mass of β Pictoris b. Show less
Context. Young stars with debris disks are the most promising targets for an exoplanet search because debris indicate a successful formation of planetary bodies. Debris disks can be shaped by... Show moreContext. Young stars with debris disks are the most promising targets for an exoplanet search because debris indicate a successful formation of planetary bodies. Debris disks can be shaped by planets into ring structures that give valuable indications on the presence and location of planets in the disk.Aims. We performed observations of the Sco-Cen F star HD 117214 to search for planetary companions and to characterize the debris disk structure.Methods. HD 117214 was observed with the SPHERE subsystems IRDIS, IFS, and ZIMPOL at optical and near-IR wavelengths using angular and polarimetric differential imaging techniques. This provided the first images of scattered light from the debris disk with the highest spatial resolution of 25 mas and an inner working angle <0.1 ''. With the observations with IRDIS and IFS we derived detection limits for substellar companions. The geometrical parameters of the detected disk were constrained by fitting 3D models for the scattering of an optically thin dust disk. Investigating the possible origin of the disk gap, we introduced putative planets therein and modeled the planet-disk and planet-planet dynamical interactions. The obtained planetary architectures were compared with the detection limit curves.Results. The debris disk has an axisymmetric ring structure with a radius of 0.42(0.01)'' or similar to 45 au and an inclination of 71(+/- 2.5)degrees and exhibits a 0.4 '' (similar to 40 au) wide inner cavity. From the polarimetric data, we derive a polarized flux contrast for the disk of (F-pol)(disk)/F=(3.1 +/- 1.2)x10(-4) in the RI band.Conclusions. The fractional scattered polarized flux of the disk is eight times lower than the fractional IR flux excess. This ratio is similar to the one obtained for the debris disk HIP 79977, indicating that dust radiation properties are similar for these two disks. Inside the disk cavity we achieve high-sensitivity limits on planetary companions with a mass down to similar to 4 M-J at projected radial separations between 0.2 '' and 0.4 ''. We can exclude stellar companions at a radial separation larger than 75 mas from the star. Show less
Gratton, R.; Ligi, R.; Sissa, E.; Desidera, S.; Mesa, D.; Bonnefoy, M.; ... ; Wildi, F. 2019
