Chapter 10: Other Planetary Systems: The New Science of Distant Worlds

Chapter 10: Other Planetary Systems:
The New Science of Distant Worlds
Our goals for learning:

How do we detect planets around other stars?
How successful are these methods?
How do we detect planets

around other stars?
Hunting For Planets

l
Have to use light coming to us- no

interstellar exploration :(
Direct: Pictures or spectra of the planets

themselves
l
Indirect: Measuring the effects of planets
on the properties of their parent stars.
(Stellar wobble, Doppler shift effects,
brightness changes during transits/eclipses)
l
Gravitational Tugging
-Stellar Wobble
l
Sun and Jupiter

orbit around their
common center of
mass
Sun therefore
wobbles around
that center of mass
with same period
as Jupiter
Gravitational Tugging
-Stellar Wandering
l
Suns motion around

solar systems center
of mass depends on
tugs from all the
planets
Astronomers around
other stars that
measured this motion
could determine
masses and orbits of
all the planets
Stellar Wandering
(Astrometrics)
l
We can detect
planets by measuring
the change in a stars
position on sky
However, these tiny
motions are very
difficult to measure
(~0.001 arcsecond)
Doppler or 'Radial Velocity' Technique

l
Measuring a stars
Doppler shift can tell us
its motion toward and
away from us
Current techniques can
measure motions as
small as 1 m/s (walking
speed!)
The first-ever planet was
discovered in 1995 by
the Doppler technique
Other Planet-Hunting Strategies

Gravitational Lensing: Mass bends light in a
special way when a star with planets passes in
front of another star.
Features in Dust Disks: Gaps, waves, or
ripples in disks of dusty gas around stars can
indicate presence of planets.
Transits and Eclipses
A transit is when a planet crosses in front of a star

The planet blocks out some of the star's light (an
eclipse) reducing the stars apparent brightness and
tells us planets radius
Kepler: Mission to Measure Transits

NASA's Kepler mission
was launched in 2008 to
begin looking for
transiting planets.
It is designed to measure
the 0.008% decline in
brightness when an
Earth-mass planet
eclipses a
Sun-like star
Kepler: Mission to Measure Transits

Observe a tiny patch
of sky near Cygnus
Onboard photometer
constantly scanned
100,000 stars looking
for the dimming effect
How Successful Are These

Methods?
From Earth, Doppler (radial-velocity)

technique is most effective
Astrometrics takes too long
Transits extremely difficult from Earth. Kepler

mission was made to be sensitive enough to
detect small dimming effects.
Amazing results over 4000 possible planets!
What have we learned?

How do we detect planets around other
stars?
Direct starlight is billions of times brighter
than starlight reflected from planets
making imaging difficult.
A stars periodic motion (detected through
Doppler shifts) tells us about its planets
Transiting planets periodically reduce a
stars brightness

How successful are these methods?
Doppler shift (aka raidal velocity technique)
detected the most planets initially
The Kepler telescope is sensitive enough
to detect faint dimming of starlight due to a
planet's transit
Kepler has detected 1000s of possible
planets including several multi-planet
systems
Our goals for learning:

What properties of extrasolar planets can we
measure?
How do extrasolar planets compare with planets
in our solar system?
Do we need to modify our theory of solar
system formation?
Measurable Properties
Orbital Period, Distance, Shape
directly measure from motions
Planet Mass, Size, and Density
calculate from motion measurements
Composition
measure from spectra under the right conditions
Measuring Mass: Newton&Kepler's Laws

2
4p
4p a
3
p =
a O R M 1 + M2=
GM 1 + M2
G p2
2
p = orbital period
a=average orbital distance (between centers)
(M1 + M2) = sum of object masses
The result:
The masses of any orbiting bodies can be calculated
from the size or period of their orbit (measureable
quantities!)
The mass of binary stars and extra-solar

planet properties are derived this way.
We know the mass of stars based on their
energy-output and other behaviors
The mass of the invisible planet(s) can then be
calculated
highlighted.
Measuring Mass
We cannot measure an exact mass for a planet
without knowing the tilt of its orbit, because

Doppler shift tells us only the velocity toward or
away from us.
Doppler data can
only give us lower
limits on masses.
Planet shape, size -transit method only

Planet passes in front of its star -shape and size
become visible
Sometimes starlight passing through the planet's
atmosphere can be measured
Multiple planets can
be detected too
-star systems!
E.g. Kepler-11 system

The periods and sizes of Kepler 11's 6 known
planets can be determined using transit data.
Calculating Density
Using mass,
determined using
the Doppler
technique, and
size, determined
using the transit
technique, bulk
density can be
calculated.

What properties of extrasolar planets can we
measure?
Orbital properties, such as period, distance, and
shape.
Planetary properties, such as mass and size.
Atmospheric properties, such as temperature
and composition.
How do extrasolar planets compare with

planets in our solar system?
How do extrasolar planets compare with

Exoplanet results strongly depend on which

techniques used to find them
Gravity tugging techniques favor big, swift

planets.
Only transits can detect the smaller planets.

Mercury-size and smaller undetectable with
current technology.
First Extrasolar Planet

Doppler shifts of star 51
Pegasi indirectly reveal
a planet with 4-day
orbital period
Short period means
small orbital distance
First extrasolar planet to
be discovered (1995)
Surprising Characteristics
Some extrasolar planets have highly elliptical
orbits
Some massive planets orbit very close to their
stars: Hot Jupiters
Gas Giants that have smaller orbits than
Mercury.
Kepler has discovered a huge range of sizes,
including Earth-sized.
Hot Jupiters
Kepler Mission
Some Earth-sized worlds detected in the habitable

zones of stars!
(more in the hot Venus-zone)
Caveats
Habitable Zone Habitable Planet
A planet may be in a star's liquid water zone, this
does not mean that the planet must have water or life.
Earth-sized planet Earth-like conditions

A planet close to Earth in size may still be very
different in behavior and conditions (e.g Venus)
Identifying these worlds is vital for target selection

for the next generation of more-sensitive
telescopes. (TESS, James Webb Telescope)
Sol System vs.Multi-planet Kepler Systems
Sol System vs.Multi-planet Kepler Systems
Our Solar System is Unusual

Kepler transit results show planet frequency
increases towards smaller (terrestrial) size.
Recent work show that the transition to a H/He
dominated atmosphere occurs around 1.5 Earth
radii.
Lots of worlds are 2-3 times size of Earth, yet
our solar system does not have this size.
A jump in planet-size:TerrestrialGas Giant
found in our solar system is not normal.
Do we need to modify our theory of

solar system formation?
The nebular theory predicts that massive
Jupiter-like planets should not form inside the
frost line (at << 5 AU).
Hot Jupiters and Super-Earths mean that our
solar Nebula theory must be revised.
Planetary migration or gravitational encounters
may explain hot Jupiters.
Planet Migration
A young planet's motion
can create waves in a
planet-forming disk.
Models show that matter
in these waves can tug
on a planet, causing its
orbit to migrate inward.
Gravity assists and
resonances can also
have an effect

How do extra-solar planets compare with the
Earth-sized worlds are common
Many large-mass planets orbit close to their
stars
Multi-planet systems exist and may be
common. None are like us.
Work is very preliminary, more sensitive
telescopes needed to fully map discovered
systems.

Do we need to modify our theory of solar system
formation?
Original nebular theory cannot account for
the existence of hot Jupiters.
Planetary migration or gravitational
encounters may explain how Jupiter-like
planets moved inward.

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Chapter 10: Other Planetary Systems: The New Science of Distant Worlds

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Chapter 10: Other Planetary Systems:

The New Science of Distant Worlds

Our goals for learning:

How do we detect planets

Hunting For Planets

Have to use light coming to us- no

Direct: Pictures or spectra of the planets

Sun and Jupiter

Suns motion around

Doppler or 'Radial Velocity' Technique

Other Planet-Hunting Strategies

Transits and Eclipses

A transit is when a planet crosses in front of a star

Kepler: Mission to Measure Transits

Kepler: Mission to Measure Transits

How Successful Are These

From Earth, Doppler (radial-velocity)

Astrometrics takes too long

Transits extremely difficult from Earth. Kepler

Amazing results over 4000 possible planets!

What have we learned?

What have we learned?

Our goals for learning:

directly measure from motions

Planet Mass, Size, and Density

calculate from motion measurements

measure from spectra under the right conditions

Measuring Mass: Newton&Kepler's Laws

The mass of binary stars and extra-solar

without knowing the tilt of its orbit, because

Planet shape, size -transit method only

E.g. Kepler-11 system

What have we learned?

How do extrasolar planets compare with

How do extrasolar planets compare with

Exoplanet results strongly depend on which

Gravity tugging techniques favor big, swift

Only transits can detect the smaller planets.

First Extrasolar Planet

Some Earth-sized worlds detected in the habitable

Earth-sized planet Earth-like conditions

Identifying these worlds is vital for target selection

Sol System vs.Multi-planet Kepler Systems

Sol System vs.Multi-planet Kepler Systems

Our Solar System is Unusual

Do we need to modify our theory of

What have we learned?

What have we learned?

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