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The HARPS survey for southern extra-solar planets II. A 14 Earth-masses exoplanet around mu Arae

N. C. Santos·F. Bouchy·M. Mayor·F. Pepe·D. Queloz·S. Udry·C. Lovis·M. Bazot·W. Benz·J. -L. Bertaux·G. Lo Curto·X. Delfosse·C. Mordasini·D. Naef·J. -P. Sivan·S. Vauclair
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Abstract

In this letter we present the discovery of a very light planetary companion to the star mu Ara (HD160691). The planet orbits its host once every 9.5days, and induces a sinusoidal radial velocity signal with a semi-amplitude of 4.1 m/s, the smallest Doppler amplitude detected so far. These values imply a mass of m2 sini = 14 earth-masses. This detection represents the discovery of a planet with a mass slightly smaller than that of Uranus, the smallest ``ice giant" in our Solar System. Whether this planet can be considered an ice giant or a super-earth planet is discussed in the context of the core-accretion and migration models.

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N. C. Santos, F. Bouchy, M. Mayor, F. Pepe, D. Queloz, S. Udry, C. Lovis, M. Bazot, W. Benz, J. -L. Bertaux, G. Lo Curto, X. Delfosse, C. Mordasini, D. Naef, J. -P. Sivan, S. Vauclair. 2004-09-10. The HARPS survey for southern extra-solar planets II. A 14 Earth-masses exoplanet around mu Arae. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361%3A200400076

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