arXiv · 1407.4469
The First H-band Spectrum of the Massive Gas Giant Planet beta Pictoris b with the Gemini Planet Imager
Abstract
Using the recently installed Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), we have taken the first H-band spectrum of the planetary companion to the nearby young star beta Pictoris. GPI is designed to image and provide low-resolution spectra of Jupiter sized, self-luminous planetary companions around young nearby stars. These observations were taken covering the H-band (1.65 microns). The spectrum has a resolving power of $\sim$ 45 and demonstrates the distinctive triangular shape of a cool substellar object with low surface gravity. Using atmospheric models, we find an effective temperature of $1650 \pm 50$ K and a surface gravity of $\log(g) = 4.0 \pm 0.25$ (cgs units). These values agree well with predictions from planetary evolution models for a gas giant with mass between 10 and 12 $M_{\rm Jup}$ and age between 10 and 20 Myrs.
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Jeffrey Chilcote, Travis Barman, Michael P. Fitzgerald, James R. Graham, James E. Larkin, Bruce Macintosh, Brian Bauman, Adam S. Burrows, Andrew Cardwell, Robert J. De Rosa, Daren Dillon, Rene Doyon, Jennifer Dunn, Darren Erikson, Donald Gavel, Stephen J. Goodsell, Markus Hartung, Pascale Hibon, Patrick Ingraham, Paul Kalas, Quinn Konopacky, Jérôme Maire, Franck Marchis, Mark S. Marley, Christian Marois, Max Millar-Blanchaer, Katie Morzinski, Andrew Norton, B. R. Oppenheimer, David Palmer, Jennifer Patience, Marshall D. Perrin, Lisa Poyneer, Laurent Pueyo, Fredrik Rantakyrö, Naru Sadakuni, Leslie Saddlemyer, Dmitry Savransky, Andrew Serio, Anand Sivaramakrishnan, Inseok Song, Remi Soummer, Sandrine Thomas, J. Kent Wallace, Sloane J. Wiktorowicz, Schuyler Wolff. 2014-07-16. The First H-band Spectrum of the Massive Gas Giant Planet beta Pictoris b with the Gemini Planet Imager. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/798/1/l3
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