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ROPS: A New Search for Habitable Earths in the Southern Sky
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Submitted 27 Apr 2012
abstract compiled · 2026-09-23 · no language-model review
The authors' main claim If the signals are planetary in origin, our findings are consistent with estimates of Neptune mass planets that predict a frequency of 13 - 27 per cent for early M dwarfs.Our current analysis indicates the we can achieve a sensitivity that is equivalent to the amplitude induced by a 6 M_Earth planet orbiting in the habitable zone.
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We present the first results from our Red Optical Planet Survey (ROPS) to search for low mass planets orbiting late type dwarfs (M5.5V - M9V) in their habitable zones (HZ). Our observations, with the red arm of the MIKE spectrograph (0.5 - 0.9 microns) at the 6.5 m Magellan Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory indicate that >= 92 per cent of the flux lies beyond 0.7 microns. We use a novel approach that is essentially a hybrid of the simultaneous iodine and ThAr methods for determining precision radial velocities. We apply least squares deconvolution to obtain a single high S/N ratio stellar line for each spectrum and cross correlate against the simultaneously observed telluric line profile, which we derive in the same way. Utilising the 0.62 - 0.90 micron region, we have achieved an r.m.s. precision of 10 m/s for an M5.5V spectral type star with spectral S/N ~160 on 5 minute timescales. By M8V spectral type, a precision of ~30 m/s at S/N = 25 is suggested, although more observations are needed. An assessment of our errors and scatter in the radial velocity points hints at the presence of stellar radial velocity variations. Of our sample of 7 stars, 2 show radial velocity signals at 6-sigma and 10-sigma of the cross correlation uncertainties. If the signals are planetary in origin, our findings are consistent with estimates of Neptune mass planets that predict a frequency of 13 - 27 per cent for early M dwarfs.Our current analysis indicates the we can achieve a sensitivity that is equivalent to the amplitude induced by a 6 M_Earth planet orbiting in the habitable zone. Based on simulations, we estimate that <10 M_Earth habitable zone planets will be detected in a new stellar mass regime, with <=20 epochs of observations.
background contribution method result interpretation main claim
| # | sentence | role | the authors' own work | states the main conclusion | strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s0 | We present the first results from our Red Optical Planet Survey (ROPS) to search for low mass planets orbiting late type dwarfs (M5.5V - M9V) in their habitable zones (HZ). | contribution 1.00 | 0.88 | 0.08 | asserted 0.98 |
| s1 | Our observations, with the red arm of the MIKE spectrograph (0.5 - 0.9 microns) at the 6.5 m Magellan Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory indicate that >= 92 per cent of the flux lies beyond 0.7 microns. | result 0.67 | 0.96 | 0.03 | hedged possibility 0.61 |
| s2 | We use a novel approach that is essentially a hybrid of the simultaneous iodine and ThAr methods for determining precision radial velocities. | method 0.91 | 0.90 | 0.03 | asserted 1.00 |
| s3 | We apply least squares deconvolution to obtain a single high S/N ratio stellar line for each spectrum and cross correlate against the simultaneously observed telluric line profile, which we derive in the same way. | method 1.00 | 0.94 | 0.02 | asserted 0.99 |
| s4 | Utilising the 0.62 - 0.90 micron region, we have achieved an r.m.s. precision of 10 m/s for an M5.5V spectral type star with spectral S/N ~160 on 5 minute timescales. | result 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.07 | asserted 1.00 |
| s5 | By M8V spectral type, a precision of ~30 m/s at S/N = 25 is suggested, although more observations are needed. | result 0.73 | 0.61 | 0.05 | hedged possibility 1.00 |
| s6 | An assessment of our errors and scatter in the radial velocity points hints at the presence of stellar radial velocity variations. | interpretation 0.58 | 0.92 | 0.04 | hedged possibility 0.99 |
| s7 | Of our sample of 7 stars, 2 show radial velocity signals at 6-sigma and 10-sigma of the cross correlation uncertainties. | result 1.00 | 0.96 | 0.09 | asserted 1.00 |
| s8 | If the signals are planetary in origin, our findings are consistent with estimates of Neptune mass planets that predict a frequency of 13 - 27 per cent for early M dwarfs.Our current analysis indicates the we can achieve a sensitivity that is equivalent to the amplitude induced by a 6 M_Earth planet orbiting in the habitable zone. | interpretation 0.85 | 0.79 | 0.43 | hedged possibility 0.94 |
| s9 | Based on simulations, we estimate that <10 M_Earth habitable zone planets will be detected in a new stellar mass regime, with <=20 epochs of observations. | result 0.62 | 0.57 | 0.20 | hedged possibility 0.73 |
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Original abstract
We present the first results from our Red Optical Planet Survey (ROPS) to search for low mass planets orbiting late type dwarfs (M5.5V - M9V) in their habitable zones (HZ). Our observations, with the red arm of the MIKE spectrograph (0.5 - 0.9 microns) at the 6.5 m Magellan Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory indicate that >= 92 per cent of the flux lies beyond 0.7 microns. We use a novel approach that is essentially a hybrid of the simultaneous iodine and ThAr methods for determining precision radial velocities. We apply least squares deconvolution to obtain a single high S/N ratio stellar line for each spectrum and cross correlate against the simultaneously observed telluric line profile, which we derive in the same way. Utilising the 0.62 - 0.90 micron region, we have achieved an r.m.s. precision of 10 m/s for an M5.5V spectral type star with spectral S/N ~160 on 5 minute timescales. By M8V spectral type, a precision of ~30 m/s at S/N = 25 is suggested, although more observations are needed. An assessment of our errors and scatter in the radial velocity points hints at the presence of stellar radial velocity variations. Of our sample of 7 stars, 2 show radial velocity signals at 6-sigma and 10-sigma of the cross correlation uncertainties. If the signals are planetary in origin, our findings are consistent with estimates of Neptune mass planets that predict a frequency of 13 - 27 per cent for early M dwarfs.Our current analysis indicates the we can achieve a sensitivity that is equivalent to the amplitude induced by a 6 M_Earth planet orbiting in the habitable zone. Based on simulations, we estimate that <10 M_Earth habitable zone planets will be detected in a new stellar mass regime, with <=20 epochs of observations.
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