M2K: II. A Triple-Planet System Orbiting HIP 57274

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a triple-planet system around HIP 57274, including a super-Earth and two gas giants, using Doppler observations, highlighting the prevalence of multi-planet systems among super-Earths.

Contribution

The paper presents the first detailed characterization of a triple-planet system orbiting HIP 57274, including a super-Earth, based on Doppler data, and analyzes the occurrence rate of multi-planet systems among super-Earths.

Findings

Discovered a triple-planet system around HIP 57274.

56% of super-Earths are in multi-planet systems.

Higher multi-planet occurrence among super-Earths compared to Jupiter-mass planets.

Abstract

Doppler observations from Keck Observatory have revealed a triple planet system orbiting the nearby mid-type K dwarf, HIP 57274. The inner planet, HIP 57274b, is a super-Earth with \msini\ = 11.6 \mearth (0.036 \mjup), an orbital period of 8.135 $\pm$ 0.004 d, and slightly eccentric orbit $e=0.19 \pm 0.1$. We calculate a transit probability of 6.5% for the inner planet. The second planet has \msini\ = 0.4 \mjup\ with an orbital period of 32.0 $\pm 0.02$ d in a nearly circular orbit, and $e = 0.05 \pm 0.03$. The third planet has \msini\ = 0.53 \mjup\ with an orbital period of 432 $\pm 8$ d (1.18 years) and an eccentricity $e = 0.23 \pm 0.03$. This discovery adds to the number of super Earth mass planets with $\msini < 12 \mearth\ $ that have been detected with Doppler surveys. We find that 56 $\pm 18$% super-Earths are members of multi-planet systems. This is certainly a lower limit because of observational detectability limits, yet significantly higher than the fraction of Jupiter mass exoplanets, $20 \pm 8$%, that are members of Doppler-detected, multi-planet systems.