Microlensing Constraints on the Frequency of Jupiter‐Mass Companions: Analysis of 5 Years of PLANET Photometry
Open Access
- 10 February 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal
- Vol. 566 (1) , 463-499
- https://doi.org/10.1086/337987
Abstract
We analyze 5 years of PLANET photometry of microlensing events toward the Galactic bulge to search for the short-duration deviations from single-lens light curves that are indicative of the presence of planetary companions to the primary microlenses. Using strict event-selection criteria, we construct a well-defined sample of 43 intensively monitored events. We search for planetary perturbations in these events over a densely sampled region of parameter space spanning two decades in mass ratio and projected separation, but find no viable planetary candidates. By combining the detection efficiencies of the events, we find that, at 95% confidence, less than 25% of our primary lenses have companions with mass ratio q = 10-2 and separations in the lensing zone, [0.6-1.6]θE, where θE is the Einstein ring radius. Using a model of the mass, velocity, and spatial distribution of bulge lenses, we infer that the majority of our lenses are likely M dwarfs in the Galactic bulge. We conclude that less than 33% of M dwarfs in the Galactic bulge have companions with mass mp = MJ between 1.5 and 4 AU, and less than 45% have companions with mp = 3MJ between 1 and 7 AU, the first significant limits on planetary companions to M dwarfs. We consider the effects of the finite size of the source stars and changing our detection criterion, but find that these do not alter our conclusions substantially.Keywords
All Related Versions
This publication has 71 references indexed in Scilit:
- Limits on the Abundance of Galactic Planets From 5 Years of PLANET ObservationsThe Astrophysical Journal, 2001
- PLANET Observations of Microlensing Event OGLE‐1999‐BUL‐23: Limb‐darkening Measurement of the Source StarThe Astrophysical Journal, 2001
- Limits on Stellar and Planetary Companions in Microlensing Event OGLE‐1998‐BUL‐14The Astrophysical Journal, 2000
- Detection of Rotation in a Binary Microlens: PLANET Photometry of MACHO 97‐BLG‐41The Astrophysical Journal, 2000
- A Complete Set of Solutions for Caustic Crossing Binary Microlensing EventsThe Astrophysical Journal, 1999
- Limb Darkening of a K Giant in the Galactic Bulge: PLANET Photometry of MACHO 97‐BLG‐28The Astrophysical Journal, 1999
- The 1995 Pilot Campaign of PLANET: Searching for Microlensing Anomalies through Precise, Rapid, Round‐the‐Clock MonitoringThe Astrophysical Journal, 1998
- MACHO Alert 95‐30: First Real‐Time Observation of Extended Source Effects in Gravitational MicrolensingThe Astrophysical Journal, 1997
- The MACHO Project: 45 Candidate Microlensing Events from the First Year Galactic Bulge DataThe Astrophysical Journal, 1997
- Real-Time Detection and Multisite Observations of Gravitational MicrolensingThe Astrophysical Journal, 1996