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arXiv 1401.0239astro-ph.EPastro-ph.GA
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2014年和2016年Proxima Centauri的微透镜事件:质量测定和可能的行星探测的机会

Microlensing Events by Proxima Centauri in 2014 and 2016: Opportunities for Mass Determination and Possible Planet Detection

Kailash C. Sahu, Howard E. Bond, Jay Anderson, Martin Dominik

摘要:

我们发现,距离太阳最近的恒星Proxima Centauri将在未来几年内通过一对微弱的背景恒星。利用哈勃太空望远镜(HST)在2012年10月获得的图像,我们确定接近20等恒星的通道将发生在2014年10月(碰撞参量1.6”),并在2016年2月接近19.5等恒星(碰撞参量0.5”)。当比邻星从这些恒星前面经过时,光的相对论性偏转将导致背景恒星的位置分别偏移约0.5和1.5质量,这很容易被HST成像检测到,也可能被盖亚和VLT等地面设施检测到。测量这些天体测量的变化提供了一种独特而直接的方法来测量比邻星的质量。此外,如果Proxima有一个行星系,行星可能通过它们的额外微透镜信号被探测到,尽管这种探测的概率很小。在0.03质量的天体测量精度下(HST空间扫描可实现),类木行星引起的质心偏移在距离高达2.0”(相当于Proxima距离的2.6天文单位)处可被检测到,而地球质量的行星引起的质心偏移在源轨道周围8质量的小范围内(相当于0.01天文单位)可被检测到。在源轨道周围约28质量(相当于0.036天文单位)的带内的类木行星将使源的亮度增加>0.01等,因此可以被探测到。行星引起的天体测量和测光微透镜事件的估计时间尺度从几小时到几天不等,这两种方法都可以直接测量行星的质量。

英文摘要:

We have found that Proxima Centauri, the star closest to our Sun, will pass close to a pair of faint background stars in the next few years. Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images obtained in 2012 October, we determine that the passage close to a mag 20 star will occur in 2014 October (impact parameter 1.6"), and to a mag 19.5 star in 2016 February (impact parameter 0.5"). As Proxima passes in front of these stars, the relativistic deflection of light will cause shifts in the positions of the background stars by ~0.5 and 1.5 mas, respectively, readily detectable by HST imaging, and possibly by Gaia and ground-based facilities such as VLT. Measurement of these astrometric shifts offers a unique and direct method to measure the mass of Proxima. Moreover, if Proxima has a planetary system, the planets may be detectable through their additional microlensing signals, although the probability of such detections is small. With astrometric accuracies of 0.03 mas (achievable with HST spatial scanning), centroid shifts caused by Jovian planets are detectable at separations of up to 2.0" (corresponding to 2.6 AU at the distance of Proxima), and centroid shifts by Earth-mass planets are detectable within a small band of 8 mas (corresponding to 0.01 AU) around the source trajectories. Jovian planets within a band of about 28 mas (corresponding to 0.036 AU) around the source trajectories would produce a brightening of the source by >0.01 mag and could hence be detectable. Estimated timescales of the astrometric and photometric microlensing events due to a planet range from a few hours to a few days, and both methods would provide direct measurements of the planetary mass.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

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