Response to Comment on "Stellar activity masquerading as planets in the habitable zone of the M dwarf Gliese 581"

TL;DR

This paper defends previous findings that stellar activity on Gliese 581 causes radial velocity signals previously attributed to planets, emphasizing the importance of accounting for stellar activity in exoplanet detection.

Contribution

The authors clarify that stellar activity, not planets, explains certain RV signals in Gliese 581, countering critiques that focus solely on statistical analysis.

Findings

Stellar activity induces RV shifts misinterpreted as planets.

Stellar activity effects remain significant despite modeling efforts.

Physical explanations for RV signals are consistent with stellar activity.

Abstract

Anglada-Escud\'e and Tuomi question the statistical rigor of our analysis while ignoring the stellar activity aspects that we present. Although we agree that improvements in multiparametric radial velocity (RV) modeling are necessary for the detection of Earth-mass planets, the key physical points we raised were not challenged. We maintain that activity on Gliese 581 induces RV shifts that were interpreted as exoplanets.