The Calan-Hertfordshire Extrasolar Planet Search

TL;DR

This paper reports on a project using precision radial-velocity measurements to discover bright transiting exoplanets in the southern hemisphere, including new planetary discoveries and improved orbital data.

Contribution

It introduces a new survey targeting bright, inactive, metal-rich stars with HARPS, presenting initial discoveries and enhanced orbital parameters for known systems.

Findings

Discovery of a brown dwarf/extreme-Jovian exoplanet around HD191760.

Improved orbital data for HD48265, HD143361, and HD154672.

Ongoing prospects for finding more bright transiting planets.

Abstract

The detailed study of the exoplanetary systems HD189733 and HD209458 has given rise to a wealth of exciting information on the physics of exoplanetary atmospheres. To further our understanding of the make-up and processes within these atmospheres we require a larger sample of bright transiting planets. We have began a project to detect more bright transiting planets in the southern hemisphere by utilising precision radial-velocity measurements. We have observed a constrained sample of bright, inactive and metal-rich stars using the HARPS instrument and here we present the current status of this project, along with our first discoveries which include a brown dwarf/extreme-Jovian exoplanet found in the brown dwarf desert region around the star HD191760 and improved orbits for three other exoplanetary systems HD48265, HD143361 and HD154672. Finally, we briefly discuss the future of this project and the current prospects we have for discovering more bright transiting planets.