Microlens OGLE-2005-BLG-169 Implies Cool Neptune-Like Planets are Common

A Gould, A Udalski, D An, D P Bennett, A.-Y Zhou, S Dong, N J Rattenbury, B S Gaudi, P C M Yock, I A Bond, G W Christie, Keith Douglas Horne, J Anderson, K Z Stanek, D L DePoy, C Han, J McCormick, B.-G Park, R W Pogge, S D PoindexterI Soszynski, M K Szymanski, M Kubiak, G Pietrzynski, O Szewczyk, L Wyrzykowski, K Ulaczyk, B Paczynski, D M Bramich, C Snodgrass, I A Steele, M J Burgdorf, M F Bode, C S Botzler, S Mao, S C Swaving

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We detect a Neptune mass ratio (similar or equal to 8 x 10(-5)) planetary companion to the lens star in the extremely high magnification (A similar to 800) microlensing event OGLE-2005-BLG-169. If the parent is a main-sequence star, it has mass M similar to 0.5 M-circle dot, implying a planet mass of similar to 13 M-circle plus and projected separation of similar to 2.7 AU. When intensely monitored over their peak, high-magnification events similar to OGLE-2005-BLG-169 have nearly complete sensitivity to Neptune mass ratio planets with projected separations of 0.6-1.6 Einstein radii, corresponding to 1.6-4.3 AU in the present case. Only two other such events were monitored well enough to detect Neptunes, and so this detection by itself suggests that Neptune mass ratio planets are common. Moreover, another Neptune was recently discovered at a similar distance from its parent star in a low-magnification event, which are more common but are individually much less sensitive to planets. Combining the two detections yields 90% upper and lower frequency limits f = 0.38(-0.22)(+0.31) over just 0.4 decades of planet- star separation. In particular, f > 16% at 90% confidence. The parent star hosts no Jupitermass companions with projected separations within a factor 5 of that of the detected planet. The lens-source relative proper motion is mu similar to 7-10 mas yr(-1), implying that if the lens is sufficiently bright, I less than or similar to 23.8, it will be detectable by the Hubble Space Telescope by 3 years after peak. This would permit a more precise estimate of the lens mass and distance and, so, the mass and projected separation of the planet. Analogs of OGLE-2005-BLG-169Lb orbiting nearby stars would be difficult to detect by other methods of planet detection, including radial velocities, transits, and astrometry.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)L37-L40
Number of pages4
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume644
Issue number1 (pt2)
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Jun 2006

Keywords

  • Galaxy : bulge
  • gravitational lensing
  • planetary systems
  • HIGH-MAGNIFICATION
  • IMAGE SUBTRACTION
  • EXTRASOLAR PLANETS
  • GALACTIC BULGE
  • SYSTEMS
  • COMPANIONS
  • PHOTOMETRY
  • EVENTS
  • MASSES
  • MODEL

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