PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

SF State astronomers discover new planet in Pisces constellation

2014-01-10
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Nan Broadbent
nbroadbe@sfsu.edu
415-338-7108
San Francisco State University
SF State astronomers discover new planet in Pisces constellation SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 9, 2014 -- A team led by SF State astronomer Stephen Kane has discovered a new giant planet located in a star system within the Pisces constellation. The planet, perhaps twice the mass of Jupiter, could help researchers learn more about how extrasolar planets are formed.

The star system harboring the new planet contains only one star, as do the other three systems with extrasolar planets analyzed by Kane, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy, and his colleagues. It is a surprising finding, given the high rate of multiple-star systems in our solar neighborhood.

"There is a great interest in these stars that are known to host planets," Kane explained, since astronomers suspect that planet formation in a multi-star system would be very different from planet formation in a single-star system like our own. Kane presented his findings today at the annual conference of the American Astronomical Society.

A multiple-star system "might have not one but two planetary disks" where planets form, he said. "Or it could be that having an extra star would be disruptive, and its gravity could cause any protoplanets to pull apart."

Relatively few extrasolar planets have been found in multiple-star systems, "but we know that they are there," Kane said.

In the four systems studied by the researchers, using optical imaging data collected at the Gemini North observatory in Hawaii, there were some intriguing signs that perhaps a second star -- or something else -- was present.

In each system, the extrasolar planets were discovered by the radial velocity technique, pioneered at SF State by astronomer Geoffrey Marcy, now at the University of California, Berkeley. The radial velocity technique measures variations in the speed at which a star moves away and toward Earth, perturbed or "wobbled" by the gravitational pull of a nearby cosmic body. Depending on the radial velocity signature, astronomers can calculate whether the wobble is coming from a planet or star.

In the star systems studied by Kane and his colleagues, there was a part of the radial velocity data that couldn't be explained entirely by the pull of an orbiting planet. And at the same time, the planets that had already been discovered in these systems followed eccentric orbits, swinging away from their stars in a less circular and more elliptical fashion, "more like that of a comet," Kane said.

With these two clues, the researchers wondered if the radial velocity and eccentric orbits might be explained by the presence of another star in the system. But when they took a closer look at the systems, they were able to rule out the possibility that another star was perturbing the system.

"I thought we were likely to find stellar companions, and when all four didn't have a binary star, that did surprise me," Kane said.

But in the case of one star, Pisces' HD 4230, the unexplained radial velocity appears to be coming from the pull of a previously undiscovered giant planet, the researchers report. They confirmed the planet's presence with additional radial velocity data collected at Hawaii's Keck observatory.

Given that the researchers did not find any stellar companions, Kane says it is very likely that the leftover radial velocity is instead a signal that there are additional planets to be found in all four systems. The researchers feel this is especially true for the system called HD 168443, where their ability to detect a companion star was very strong.

Kane is one of the few astronomers to use a variety of planet-hunting techniques, including radial velocity and imaging. He said that the new findings had motivated him to look at other extrasolar systems with similar kinds of unexplained radial velocity data, to see if other stars or planets may be lurking there.

"Limits on Stellar Companions to Exoplanet Host Stars with Eccentric Planets" is in press at Astrophysical Journal. Kane co-authored the study with SF State Postdoctoral Fellow Natalie R. Hinkel; Steve B. Howell of NASA Ames Research Center; Elliott P. Horch of Southern Connecticut State University; Ying Feng and Jason T. Wright of Pennsylvania State University; David R. Ciardi of NASA Exoplanet Science Institute; Mark E. Everett of National Optical Astronomy Observatory and Andrew W. Howard of the University of Hawaii.

###

SF State is the only master's level public university serving the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. The university enrolls more than 30,000 students each year. With nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema and biology to history, broadcast and electronic communications arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies -- the University's more than 219,000 graduates have contributed to the economic cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

High costs of research at universities made worse by funding gap

2014-01-10
High costs of research at universities made worse by funding gap 'Real' costs of research not met by funding available to universities TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2014) – Although more opportunity exists for university-based researchers to be innovative, and ...

With instruments in space and on earth, NJIT solar experts monitor the massive solar storm

2014-01-10
With instruments in space and on earth, NJIT solar experts monitor the massive solar storm The first powerful "X-class" solar flare of 2014, in association with another solar phenomenon, a giant cloud of solar particles known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), erupted from ...

LSUHSC research reveals structure of master regulator and new drug target for autism, cervical cancer

2014-01-10
LSUHSC research reveals structure of master regulator and new drug target for autism, cervical cancer New Orleans, LA – A team of scientists at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans has discovered the structure of the active form of E6-associated ...

Report answers questions about the human microbiome and its role in health, obesity

2014-01-10
Report answers questions about the human microbiome and its role in health, obesity The human microbiome, the collection of trillions of microbes living in and on the human body, is not random, and scientists believe that it plays a role in many basic life ...

Paper predicts a future without carnivores would be truly scary

2014-01-10
Paper predicts a future without carnivores would be truly scary Scientists report on the state of world's largest carnivores and the critical benefits they provide NEW YORK (January 9, 2014) — A fascinating paper released today from a team of leading scientists, including ...

New study shows promise for preventing therapy resistance in tumor cells

2014-01-10
New study shows promise for preventing therapy resistance in tumor cells LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 9, 2013) – A new study led by University of Kentucky researchers suggests that activating the tumor suppressor p53 in normal cells causes them to secrete Par-4, another ...

Innovative motion evaluation tool saves patients with back pain X-ray radiation exposure

2014-01-10
Innovative motion evaluation tool saves patients with back pain X-ray radiation exposure Undergraduate students create, patent, market breakthrough technology TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2013) – Those have undergone extensive back surgery and need repeated ...

'Transformational leadership' curbs bad attitudes towards change

2014-01-10
'Transformational leadership' curbs bad attitudes towards change Rare study of correctional officers Toronto – It's no surprise that a cynical attitude towards the prospect of change makes change harder to implement. But it's important ...

War elephant myths debunked by DNA

2014-01-10
War elephant myths debunked by DNA DNA analysis allows researchers at University of Illinois to clarify details of historic battle between Asian and African elephants, the Battle of Raphia Through DNA analysis, Illinois researchers ...

Battery development may extend range of electric cars

2014-01-10
Battery development may extend range of electric cars New anode quadruples life of lithium-sulfur battery, could also help store renewable energy more cheaply RICHLAND, Wash. – It's known that electric vehicles could travel longer distances ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Older teens who start vaping post-high school risk rapid progress to frequent use

Corpse flowers are threatened by spotty recordkeeping

Riding the AI wave toward rapid, precise ocean simulations

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

[Press-News.org] SF State astronomers discover new planet in Pisces constellation