WFIRST Exoplanet Mass Measurement Method Finds a Planetary Mass of $39\pm 8 M_\oplus$ for OGLE-2012-BLG-0950Lb

TL;DR

This paper reports a precise mass measurement of an exoplanet using combined high-resolution imaging, challenging existing planet formation theories and demonstrating techniques for future WFIRST microlensing surveys.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method combining Hubble and Keck imaging to measure exoplanet masses, providing insights into planetary formation and demonstrating techniques for upcoming surveys.

Findings

Measured a $39 ext{ M}_ ext{Earth}$ planet orbiting a $0.58 M_ ext{Sun}$ star.

Detected a planet beyond the snow line with a mass range rarely observed.

Challenged predictions of the core accretion model regarding planet masses.

Abstract

We present the analysis of the simultaneous high resolution images from the {\it Hubble Space Telescope} and Keck Adaptive Optics system of the planetary event OGLE-2012-BLG-0950 that determine that the system consists of a $0.58 \pm 0.04 \rm{M}_\odot$ host star orbited by a $39\pm 8 \rm{M}_\oplus$ planet of at projected separation of $2.54 \pm 0.23\,$AU. The planetary system is located at a distance of $2.19\pm 0.23$ kpc from Earth. This is the second microlens planet beyond the snow line with a mass measured to be in the mass range $20$--$80 \rm{M}_\oplus$. The runaway gas accretion process of the core accretion model predicts few planets in this mass range, because giant planets are thought to be growing rapidly at these masses and they rarely complete growth at this mass. So, this result suggests that the core accretion theory may need revision. This analysis also demonstrates the techniques that will be used to measure the masses of planets and their host stars by the WFIRST exoplanet microlensing survey: one-dimensional microlensing parallax combined with the separation and brightness measurement of the unresolved source and host stars to yield multiple redundant constraints on the masses and distance of the planetary system.