Maximum likelihood method for estimating the mass and period distributions of extra-solar planets

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  • 25 July 2001
Abstract
We investigate the distribution of mass M and orbital period P of extra-solar planets, taking account of selection effects due to the limited velocity precision and duration of existing surveys. We fit the data on 63 planets to a power-law distribution of the form dn=CM^{-alpha}P^{-beta}(dM/M)(dP/P), and find alpha=0.12+-0.09, beta=-0.21+-0.06 for M<10M_J, where M_J is the Jupiter mass. The correlation coefficient between these two exponents is -0.31, indicating that uncertainties in the two distributions are strongly coupled. We estimate that 1% of solar-type stars have companions in the range 1M_J<M<10M_J, 2d<P<10yr.

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