Extra-Solar Planets

Debra Fischer (University of California, Berkeley)

Abstract:

Extrasolar planets have been detected around some 6% of FGKM stars. With a statistical sample of more than 70 extrasolar planets we see:

• a mass distribution that rises toward our low mass detection threshold.
• an eccentricity distribution for detected gas giant planets that is distinctly different than our simplistic expectations of circular orbits (based on our own solar system). While close-in gas giant planets are found in circular (or circularized) orbits, the gas giant planets at distances greater than 0.2 AU demonstrate a range of eccentricities.
• a planet transit that confirms the absolute mass and density for a typical Doppler-detected planet
• six stars now show full phase orbits for more than one extrasolar planet. Far from being rare, we find that half of the planet bearing stars in our sample show secondary velocity trends. Thus multiple planet systems appear to be common.
• stars with detected gas giant planets appear to be metal rich relative to stars without detected gas giant planets.

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