A Search for exoplanets around northern circumpolar stars VIII. filter out a planet cycle from the multi-period radial velocity variations in M giant HD 3638

TL;DR

This study reinterprets radial velocity data of the M giant HD 36384, identifying a planetary companion with a 490-day orbit and distinguishing stellar activity signals from potential planetary signals.

Contribution

It demonstrates a method to differentiate stellar activity from planetary signals in giant stars using combined RV, photometry, and line profile analysis.

Findings

Detected a planetary-mass companion of 6.6 MJ at 1.3 AU.

Identified stellar activity signals with periods around 580 days.

Reinterpreted previous ambiguous RV signals as planetary rather than stellar activity.

Abstract

This paper is written as a follow-up observations to reinterpret the radial velocity (RV) of HD 36384, where the existence of planetary systems is known to be ambiguous. In giants, it is, in general, difficult to distinguish the signals of planetary companions from those of stellar activities. Thus, known exoplanetary giant hosts are relatively rare. We, for many years, have obtained RV data in evolved stars using the high-resolution, fiber-fed Bohyunsan Observatory Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) at the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (BOAO). Here, we report the results of RV variations in the M giant HD 36384. We have found two significant periods of 586d and 490d. Considering the orbital stability, it is impossible to have two planets at so close orbits. To determine the nature of the RV variability variations, we analyze the HIPPARCOS photometric data, some indicators of stellar activities, and line profiles. A significant period of 580d was revealed in the HIPPARCOS photometry. H{\alpha} EW variations also show a meaningful period of 582d. Thus, the period of 586d may be closely related to the rotational modulations and/or stellar pulsations. On the other hand, the other significant period of 490d is interpreted as the result of the orbiting companion. Our orbital fit suggests that the companion was a planetary mass of 6.6 MJ and is located at 1.3 AU from the host.