First Doppler Limits on Binary Planets and Exomoons in the HR 8799 System

TL;DR

This study uses Doppler monitoring of directly imaged exoplanets in the HR 8799 system to set the first constraints on the presence of binary planets and exomoons, achieving limits on companion masses and orbital periods.

Contribution

It introduces the first Doppler-based constraints on binary planets and exomoons around directly imaged exoplanets, using existing spectra with lower resolution.

Findings

Ruled out companions more massive than 2 M_J with periods under 5 days.

Excluded edge-on Jupiter-mass moons with periods under 5 days around HR 8799 c.

Excluded half-Jupiter-mass moons with periods under 1 day around HR 8799 c.

Abstract

We place the first constraints on binary planets and exomoons from Doppler monitoring of directly imaged exoplanets. We model radial velocity observations of HR 8799 b, c, and d from Ruffio et al. (2021) and determine upper limits on the $m\sin{i}$ of short-period binary planets and satellites. At 95% confidence, we rule out companions orbiting the three planets more massive than $m\sin{i} = 2 M_J$ with orbital periods shorter than 5 days. We achieve our tightest constraints on moons orbiting HR 8799 c, where with 95% confidence we rule out out edge-on Jupiter-mass companions in periods shorter than 5 days and edge-on half-Jupiter-mass moons in periods shorter than 1 day. These radial velocity observations come from spectra with resolution 20 times lower than typical radial velocity instruments and were taken using a spectrograph that was designed before the first directly imaged exoplanet was discovered. Similar datasets from new and upcoming instruments will probe significantly lower exomoon masses.