A Long‐Period Jupiter‐Mass Planet Orbiting the Nearby M Dwarf GJ 849

TLDR: In this article, the authors reported precise Doppler measurements of GJ 849 (M3.5 V) that reveal the presence of a planet with a minimum mass of 0.82M_Jup in a 5.16 yr orbit.

Abstract: We report precise Doppler measurements of GJ 849 (M3.5 V) that reveal the presence of a planet with a minimum mass of 0.82M_Jup in a 5.16 yr orbit. At AU, GJ 849b is the first Doppler‐detected planet discovered around an M dwarf orbiting beyond 0.21 AU, and is only the second Jupiter‐mass planet discovered around a star less massive than 0.5 M_⊙. This detection brings to four the number of M stars known to harbor planets. Based on the results of our survey of 1300 FGKM main‐sequence stars we find that giant planets within 2.5 AU are ∼3 times more common around GK stars than around M stars. Due to GJ 849’s proximity of 8.8 pc, the planet’s angular separation is 0.27 , making this system a prime target for high‐resolution imaging using adaptive optics and future space‐borne missions such as the Space Interferometry Mission PlanetQuest. We also find evidence of a linear trend in the velocity time series, which may be indicative of an additional planetary companion.