55 Cancri d
Encyclopedia
55 Cancri d is an extrasolar planet
in a long-period orbit
around the Sun
-like star 55 Cancri A
. Located at a similar distance from its star as Jupiter
is from our Sun, it is the fifth and outermost known planet in its planetary system
. 55 Cancri d was discovered on June 13, 2002.
. This was achieved by making sensitive measurements of the Doppler shift of the star's spectrum
. At the time of discovery, 55 Cancri A was already known to possess one planet (55 Cancri b
), however there was still a drift in the radial velocity measurements which was unaccounted-for.
In 2002, further measurements revealed the presence of a long-period planet in an orbit at around 5 AU
from the star. The same measurements also indicated the presence of another inner planet, designated 55 Cancri c
.
were not well determined. As more data were collected, the best-fit solution for this planet turned out to be highly eccentric, more so than any of the planets in our solar system
(including Pluto
). In 2008, after a complete orbit of this planet had been observed, the true orbit was revealed, indicating that as had been originally suspected, the planet's 14 year orbit was in fact near-circular, located about 5.77 AU
from the star.
A limitation of the radial velocity method used to discover 55 Cancri d is that only a lower limit on the planet's mass
can be obtained. In the case of 55 Cancri d, this lower limit was around 3.835 times the mass of Jupiter
. In 2004, astrometric
measurements with the Fine Guidance Sensors on the Hubble Space Telescope
suggest that the planet's orbit is inclined
by around 53° with respect to the plane of the sky. If this measurement is confirmed, it implies that the planet's true mass
is 25% greater than the lower limit, at around 4.8 Jupiter masses.
with no solid
surface. Since the planet has only been detected indirectly, parameters such as its radius
, composition, and temperature
are unknown.
Assuming a composition similar to that of Jupiter and that the planet's atmosphere
is close to chemical equilibrium
, it is predicted that 55 Cancri d is covered in a layer of water
cloud
s: the planet's internal heat
probably keeps it too warm to form the ammonia
-based clouds that are typical of Jupiter. Its surface gravity is likely to be about 4 times stronger than Jupiter, or about 10 times that of Earth which is because the radius of the planet is unlikely to be much more than Jupiter's.
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
in a long-period orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
around the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
-like star 55 Cancri A
55 Cancri
55 Cancri , also cataloged Rho1 Cancri or abbreviated 55 Cnc, is a binary star approximately 41 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Cancer...
. Located at a similar distance from its star as Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
is from our Sun, it is the fifth and outermost known planet in its planetary system
Planetary system
A planetary system consists of the various non-stellar objects orbiting a star such as planets, dwarf planets , asteroids, meteoroids, comets, and cosmic dust...
. 55 Cancri d was discovered on June 13, 2002.
Discovery
Like the majority of known extrasolar planets, 55 Cancri d was detected by observing changes in its star's radial velocityRadial velocity
Radial velocity is the velocity of an object in the direction of the line of sight . In astronomy, radial velocity most commonly refers to the spectroscopic radial velocity...
. This was achieved by making sensitive measurements of the Doppler shift of the star's spectrum
Spectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
. At the time of discovery, 55 Cancri A was already known to possess one planet (55 Cancri b
55 Cancri b
55 Cancri b is an extrasolar planet orbiting the Sun-like star 55 Cancri A every 14.65 days. It is the second planet in order of distance from its star, and is an example of a hot Jupiter. Discovered in 1996 by Geoffrey Marcy and R...
), however there was still a drift in the radial velocity measurements which was unaccounted-for.
In 2002, further measurements revealed the presence of a long-period planet in an orbit at around 5 AU
Astronomical unit
An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance....
from the star. The same measurements also indicated the presence of another inner planet, designated 55 Cancri c
55 Cancri c
55 Cancri c is an extrasolar planet in an eccentric orbit around the Sun-like star 55 Cancri A, making one revolution every 44.34 days. It is the third known planet in order of distance from its star...
.
Orbit and mass
When 55 Cancri d was discovered, it was thought to be on a fairly low eccentricity orbit similar to Jupiter in our solar system, though the orbital elementsOrbital elements
Orbital elements are the parameters required to uniquely identify a specific orbit. In celestial mechanics these elements are generally considered in classical two-body systems, where a Kepler orbit is used...
were not well determined. As more data were collected, the best-fit solution for this planet turned out to be highly eccentric, more so than any of the planets in our solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
(including Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
). In 2008, after a complete orbit of this planet had been observed, the true orbit was revealed, indicating that as had been originally suspected, the planet's 14 year orbit was in fact near-circular, located about 5.77 AU
Astronomical unit
An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance....
from the star.
A limitation of the radial velocity method used to discover 55 Cancri d is that only a lower limit on the planet's mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
can be obtained. In the case of 55 Cancri d, this lower limit was around 3.835 times the mass of Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
. In 2004, astrometric
Astrometry
Astrometry is the branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. The information obtained by astrometric measurements provides information on the kinematics and physical origin of our Solar System and our Galaxy, the Milky...
measurements with the Fine Guidance Sensors on the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
suggest that the planet's orbit is inclined
Inclination
Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
by around 53° with respect to the plane of the sky. If this measurement is confirmed, it implies that the planet's true mass
True mass
The term true mass is synonymous with the term mass, but is used in astronomy to differentiate the measured mass of a planet from the lower limit of mass usually obtained from radial velocity techniques...
is 25% greater than the lower limit, at around 4.8 Jupiter masses.
Characteristics
Given the planet's high mass, the planet is a gas giantGas giant
A gas giant is a large planet that is not primarily composed of rock or other solid matter. There are four gas giants in the Solar System: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune...
with no solid
Solid
Solid is one of the three classical states of matter . It is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to changes of shape or volume. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire volume available to it like a...
surface. Since the planet has only been detected indirectly, parameters such as its radius
Radius
In classical geometry, a radius of a circle or sphere is any line segment from its center to its perimeter. By extension, the radius of a circle or sphere is the length of any such segment, which is half the diameter. If the object does not have an obvious center, the term may refer to its...
, composition, and temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
are unknown.
Assuming a composition similar to that of Jupiter and that the planet's atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
is close to chemical equilibrium
Chemical equilibrium
In a chemical reaction, chemical equilibrium is the state in which the concentrations of the reactants and products have not yet changed with time. It occurs only in reversible reactions, and not in irreversible reactions. Usually, this state results when the forward reaction proceeds at the same...
, it is predicted that 55 Cancri d is covered in a layer of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
cloud
Cloud
A cloud is a visible mass of liquid droplets or frozen crystals made of water and/or various chemicals suspended in the atmosphere above the surface of a planetary body. They are also known as aerosols. Clouds in Earth's atmosphere are studied in the cloud physics branch of meteorology...
s: the planet's internal heat
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
probably keeps it too warm to form the ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
-based clouds that are typical of Jupiter. Its surface gravity is likely to be about 4 times stronger than Jupiter, or about 10 times that of Earth which is because the radius of the planet is unlikely to be much more than Jupiter's.