Two Super-Earths Orbiting the Solar Analogue HD41248 on the edge of a 7:5 Mean Motion Resonance

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of two super-Earths near a 7:5 second-order mean motion resonance orbiting HD41248, highlighting the potential prevalence of such configurations in low-mass planetary systems.

Contribution

It presents the first candidate planetary system in a 7:5 second-order resonance, identified through Bayesian analysis of HARPS data.

Findings

Two super-Earths with periods of 18.357 and 25.648 days.

System stability is enhanced by apsidal alignment.

Potential first example of a 7:5 mean motion resonance in exoplanets.

Abstract

The number of multi-planet systems known to be orbiting their host stars with orbital periods that place them in mean motion resonances is growing. For the most part, these systems are in first-order resonances and dynamical studies have focused their efforts towards understanding the origin and evolution of such dynamically resonant commensurabilities. We report here the discovery of two super-Earths that are close to a second-order dynamical resonance, orbiting the metal-poor ([Fe/H]=-0.43 dex) and inactive G2V star HD41248. We analysed 62 HARPS archival radial velocities for this star, that until now, had exhibited no evidence for planetary companions. Using our new Bayesian Doppler signal detection algorithm, we find two significant signals in the data, with periods of 18.357 days and 25.648 days, indicating they could be part of a 7:5 second-order mean motion resonance. Both semi-amplitudes are below 3m/s and the minimum masses of the pair are 12.3 and 8.6Mearth, respectively. Our simulations found that apsidal alignment stabilizes the system, and even though libration of the resonant angles was not seen, the system is affected by the presence of the resonance and could yet occupy the 7:5 commensurability, which would be the first planetary configuration in such a dynamical resonance. Given the multitude of low-mass multiplanet systems that will be discovered in the coming years, we expect more of these second-order resonant configurations will emerge from the data, highlighting the need for a better understanding of the dynamical interactions between forming planetesimals.