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The First Neptune Analog or Super-Earth with a Neptune-Like Orbit: MOA-2013-BLG-605LbWe present the discovery of the first Neptune analog exoplanet or super-Earth with a Neptune-like orbit, MOA- 2013-BLG-605Lb. This planet has a mass similar to that of Neptune or a super-Earth and it orbits at 9 approximately 14 times the expected position of the snow line, a(sub snow), which is similar to Neptuneʼs separation of 11 a(sub snow) from the Sun. The planet/host-star mass ratio is q = (3.6 +/- 0.7) × 10(exp −4) and the projected separation normalized by the Einstein radius is s = 2.39 +/- 0.05. There are three degenerate physical solutions and two of these are due to a new type of degeneracy in the microlensing parallax parameters, which we designate "the wide degeneracy." The three models have (i) a Neptune-mass planet with a mass of M(sub p) = 21(+6/-7)(M) orbiting a low-mass M-dwarf with a mass of M(sub h) = 0.19(+0.05/-0.06 (solar mass)), (ii) a mini-Neptune with M(sub p) = 7.9(+1.8/-1.5)(M)) orbiting a brown dwarf host with M(sub h) = 0.068(+0.019/-0.011(solar mass)), and (iii) a super-Earth with M(sub p) = 3.2(+0.5/-0.3(M)) orbiting a low-mass brown dwarf host with M(sub h) = 0.025(+0.005/-0.004)(solar mass)), which is slightly favored. The 3D planet-host separations are 4.6(+4.7/-1.2)au, 2.1(+1.0/-0.2)au, and 0.94(+0.67/-0.02)au, which are 8.9(+10.5/-1.4)m 12(+7/-1), or 14(+11/-1) times larger than a(sub snow) for these models, respectively. Keck adaptive optics observations confirm that the lens is faint. This discovery suggests that low-mass planets with Neptune-like orbits are common. Therefore processes similar to the one that formed Neptune in our own solar system or cold super-Earths may be common in other solar systems.
Document ID
20160009775
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Sumi, T.
(Osaka Univ. Toyonaka, Japan)
Bennett, D. P.
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Baltimore, MD, United States)
Udalski, A.
(Warsaw Univ. Observatory Warsaw, Poland)
Gould, A.
(Ohio State Univ. Columbus, OH, United States)
Poleski, R.
(Warsaw Univ. Observatory Warsaw, Poland)
Bond, I. A.
(Massey Univ. New Zealand)
Skowron, J.
(Warsaw Univ. Observatory Warsaw, Poland)
Rattenbury, N.
(Auckland Univ. New Zealand)
Pogge, R. W.
(Ohio State Univ. Columbus, OH, United States)
Bensby, T.
(Lund Observatory Sweden)
Date Acquired
August 2, 2016
Publication Date
July 7, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher: The American Astronomical Society
Volume: 825
Issue: 2
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN34130
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF-AST 1103471
CONTRACT_GRANT: NRFK-2009-0081561
CONTRACT_GRANT: JSPS26247023
CONTRACT_GRANT: MAU1104
CONTRACT_GRANT: JSPS24253004
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX12AF54G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF-AST-1211875
CONTRACT_GRANT: MAESTRO 2014/14/A/ST9/00121
CONTRACT_GRANT: JSPS23340064
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG06EO90A
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX13AF64G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX12AB99G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF-AST-1009621
CONTRACT_GRANT: JSPS23103002
CONTRACT_GRANT: JSPS25103508
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Einstein radius
Neptune analog exoplanet
planet host-star

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