Large-scale Exoplanet Search with High Dispersion Spectroscopic Robotic Telescope

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H02169
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Izumiura Hideyuki 国立天文台, ハワイ観測所, 准教授 (00211730)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 光赤外線天文学 / 太陽系外惑星 / ドップラー法 / G型巨星 / 188cm望遠鏡 / 高分散分光器

Outline of Final Research Achievements

NAOJ's 188cm reflector telescope was successfully renovated into an autonomous robotic telescope, which allowed us to continue our large-scale exoplanet search in G-type giant stars for five years. As a result, while 24 planetary mass candidates and 6 brown dwarf mass sources had been detected by the time of this research application, 15 new planetary mass candidates were added by the end of this research. No new brown dwarf mass candidates were added. In total, we reached 39 planetary mass candidates and 6 brown dwarf mass candidates.

Free Research Field

天文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

独自のロボット望遠鏡システムを開発することで巨星における太陽系外惑星の探索を大規模に進め、世界的に見ても有意な数の惑星質量候補天体の検出を達成した。系外惑星の存在そのものやその一般性や特殊性を明らかにすることで、宇宙や宇宙の中の地球の存在というものについて身近に感じ考える機会を社会に提供した。