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The GJ 876 Planetary System -- A Progress Report

G. Laughlin·R. P. Butler·D. A. Fischer·G. W. Marcy·S. S. Vogt·A. S. Wolf
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Abstract

We present an updated analysis of the GJ 876 planetary system based on an augmented data set that incorporates 65 new high-precision radial velocities obtained with the Keck telescope from 2001 to 2004. These new radial velocities permit a more accurate characterization of the planet-planet interactions exhibited by the system. Self-consistent three-body orbital fits (which incorporate both the estimated instrumental uncertainties and 6 m/s Gaussian stellar jitter) continue to show that GJ 876 b and GJ 876 c are participating in a stable and symmetric 2:1 resonance condition in which the lowest order, eccentricity type mean-motion resonance variables are all librating. The planets are also locked in a secular resonance which causes them to librate about apsidal alignment. The small libration widths of all three resonances likely point to a dissipative history of differential migration for the two planets in the system. (for full abstract see paper).

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G. Laughlin, R. P. Butler, D. A. Fischer, G. W. Marcy, S. S. Vogt, A. S. Wolf. 2004-07-21. The GJ 876 Planetary System -- A Progress Report. https://doi.org/10.1086/424686

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