Jump to content

Tau Boötis

Coordinates: Sky map 13h 47m 15.7s, +17° 27′ 25″
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from GJ 527)
Not to be confused with T Boötis.
τ Boötis

Location of τ Boötis (circled)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Boötes
Right ascension 13h 47m 15.7382s[1]
Declination +17° 27′ 24.810″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 4.50[2] (4.46 to 4.52)[3]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage Main sequence
Spectral type F6V + M2[4]
B−V color index 0.48[2]
Variable type Suspected[3]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−16.03±0.15[5] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −468.923(95) mas/yr[1]
Dec.: +63.469(74) mas/yr[1]
Parallax (π)64.0470±0.1093 mas[1]
Distance50.92 ± 0.09 ly
(15.61 ± 0.03 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)3.38[6]
Orbit[4]
Primaryτ Boo A
Companionτ Boo B
Period (P)2,420+2,587
−947 yr
Semi-major axis (a)14.1+8.8
−3.9″
Eccentricity (e)0.87±0.04
Inclination (i)47.2+2.7
−3.7°
Longitude of the node (Ω)191.8+3.3
−4.7°
Argument of periastron (ω)
(secondary)		290.7+13
−10°
Details
τ Boo A
Mass1.35±0.03[4] M☉
Radius1.42±0.02[4] R☉
Luminosity3.06±0.16[7] L☉
Surface gravity (log g)4.26±0.06[4] cgs
Temperature6,387±44[4] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]0.25±0.03[4] dex
Rotation3.2±0.2 days[4]
Rotational velocity (v sin i)14.27±0.06[7] km/s
Age1.3+0.4
−0.6[4] Gyr
τ Boo B
Mass0.49±0.02[4] M☉
Radius0.48±0.05[4] R☉
Surface gravity (log g)4.90[8] cgs
Temperature3,580±90[4] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]+0.21[8] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)5.0[8] km/s
Other designations
τ Boo, 4 Boötis, NSV 6444, BD+18°2782, FK5 507, GC 18637, GJ 527, HD 120136, HIP 67275, HR 5185, SAO 100706, ADS 9025, CCDM 13473+1727, WDS J13473+1727A, LTT 14021[9]
Database references
SIMBADdata
A
B

Tau Boötis is a wide binary star system in the northern constellation of Boötes. Its name is a Bayer designation that is Latinised from τ Boötis, and abbreviated Tau Boo or τ Boo. This system is visible to the naked eye at a point of light with a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.50.[2] Based on parallax measurements,[1] It is located at a distance of approximately 51 light-years (16 pc) from the Earth. This system is drifting closer to the Sun with a radial velocity of −16 km/s.[5]

The primary component is an ordinary F-type main-sequence star that is larger, brighter, and more massive than the Sun, while the secondary is a faint red dwarf. In 1999, an extrasolar planet was detected orbiting the primary star.

Stellar components

[edit]

The primary component is a yellow-white F-type main-sequence star with a stellar classification of F6V. It is 35 percent more massive and 42 percent larger than the Sun. The star is radiating three[7] times the luminosity of the Sun from its photosphere at an effective temperature of 6,387 K.[4] It is about 1.3 billion years old, making it younger than the Sun.[4] Since it is more massive than the Sun, its lifespan is shorter—less than 6 billion years. This star is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 14.3 km/s,[7] completing a rotation every three days.[4]

The primary is the first star apart from the Sun to be observed changing the polarity of its magnetic field.[10] It is listed as a suspected variable star. The magnetic activity cycle for this star shows a period of 122 days—much shorter than the solar cycle.[11]

The secondary companion is a dim, 11th magnitude red dwarf of spectral type M2.[4] It only about half the mass and radius of the Sun.[4] The stars orbit each other at a typical distance of about 220 AU (14 arcseconds) but come as close as about 28 AU during periapsis, giving its orbit a very high eccentricity of about 0.87. One orbit around the primary would take approximately 2,400 years to complete, although this period is poorly constrained.[4]

Planetary system

[edit]

In 1996 the exoplanet Tau Boötis b was discovered orbiting the primary star by a team of astronomers led by R. Paul Butler.[12] It has six times the mass of Jupiter and is orbiting the star with a period of 3.3 days.[13] Tau Boötis and its planet appear to be tidally locked to each other.[14] In 2014, water vapor was discovered in the atmosphere of this hot Jupiter.[15]

There are indications of a second planet orbiting the star with a period of roughly 5,000 days; however, this could be due to an instrumental effect or a stellar magnetic activity cycle.[16] Because this is a highly eccentric binary star system, the maximum exoplanetary orbit around the primary that is dynamically stable for long periods has a semimajor axis of 4.86 au.[17]

The Tau Boötis A planetary system[13]
Companion
(in order from star) 		Mass Semimajor axis
(AU) 		Orbital period
(days) 		Eccentricity Inclination Radius
b 5.90+0.35
−0.20[17] MJ 		0.0481 ± 0.028 3.312463 ± 0.000014 0.023 ± 0.015 44.5 ± 1.5° 1.06 RJ

Naming controversy

[edit]

The planet and its host star was one of the planetary systems selected by the International Astronomical Union as part of NameExoWorlds, their public process for giving proper names to exoplanets and their host star (where no proper name already exists).[18][19] The process involved public nomination and voting for the new names, and the IAU announced the new names in mid-December 2015.[20]

However, the IAU annulled the vote for the system, as the winning names ("Shri Ram Matt" for the star and "Bhagavatidevi" for the planet)[19] were judged not to conform with the IAU rules for naming exoplanets due to the political activities of the namesake people.[21] The names garnered the majority of the votes cast for the system, and made up a significant proportion of all votes cast as part of the contest.[19]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  2. ^ a b c Mallik, Sushma V. (December 1999). "Lithium abundance and mass". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 352: 495–507. Bibcode:1999A&A...352..495M.
  3. ^ a b Samus, N. N.; et al. (2017). "General Catalogue of Variable Stars". Astronomy Reports. 5.1. 61 (1): 80–88. Bibcode:2017ARep...61...80S. doi:10.1134/S1063772917010085. S2CID 125853869. Search for: NSV 6444.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Justesen, A. B.; Albrecht, S. (2019). "Constraining the orbit of the planet-hosting binary τ Boötis". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 625. EDP Sciences: A59. arXiv:1812.05885. Bibcode:2019A&A...625A..59J. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201834368. ISSN 0004-6361.
  5. ^ a b Nidever, David L.; et al. (2013). "Radial Velocities for 889 Late-Type Stars". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 141 (2): 503–522. arXiv:astro-ph/0112477. Bibcode:2002ApJS..141..503N. doi:10.1086/340570. S2CID 51814894.
  6. ^ Reiners, Ansgar (January 2006). "Rotation- and temperature-dependence of stellar latitudinal differential rotation". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 446 (1): 267–277. arXiv:astro-ph/0509399. Bibcode:2006A&A...446..267R. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20053911. S2CID 8642707.
  7. ^ a b c d Borsa, F.; et al. (2015). "The GAPS programme with HARPS-N at TNG. VII. Putting exoplanets in the stellar context: Magnetic activity and asteroseismology of τ Bootis A". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 578: A64. arXiv:1504.00491. Bibcode:2015A&A...578A..64B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201525741. S2CID 53490623.
  8. ^ a b c Lindgren, Sara; et al. (February 2016). "Metallicity determination of M dwarfs". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 586: A100. arXiv:1510.06642. Bibcode:2016A&A...586A.100L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201526602. eISSN 1432-0746. ISSN 0004-6361.
  9. ^ "Tau Boo". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  10. ^ Donati, J.-F.; et al. (2008). "Magnetic cycles of the planet-hosting star Tau Boötis". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 385 (3): 1179–1185. arXiv:0802.1584. Bibcode:2008MNRAS.385.1179D. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.12946.x. S2CID 119089082.
  11. ^ Mittag, M.; et al. (April 2017). "Four-month chromospheric and coronal activity cycle in τ Boötis". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 600: 9. Bibcode:2017A&A...600A.119M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629156. A119.
  12. ^ Butler, R. Paul; et al. (1997). "Three New 51 Pegasi Type Planets". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 474 (2): L115 – L118. Bibcode:1997ApJ...474L.115B. doi:10.1086/310444.
  13. ^ a b Butler, R. P.; et al. (2006). "Catalog of Nearby Exoplanets". The Astrophysical Journal. 646 (1): 505–522. arXiv:astro-ph/0607493. Bibcode:2006ApJ...646..505B. doi:10.1086/504701. S2CID 119067572.
  14. ^ Walker, G. A. H.; et al. (2008). "MOST detects variability on tau Bootis possibly induced by its planetary companion". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 482 (2): 691–697. arXiv:0802.2732. Bibcode:2008A&A...482..691W. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078952. S2CID 56317105.
  15. ^ Lockwood, Alexandra C.; et al. (March 2014). "Near-IR Direct Detection of Water Vapor in Tau Boötis b". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 783 (2). id. L29. arXiv:1402.0846. Bibcode:2014ApJ...783L..29L. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/783/2/L29.
  16. ^ Howard, Andrew W.; Fulton, Benjamin J. (2016). "Limits on Planetary Companions from Doppler Surveys of Nearby Stars". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 128 (969). 114401. arXiv:1606.03134. Bibcode:2016PASP..128k4401H. doi:10.1088/1538-3873/128/969/114401. S2CID 118503912.
  17. ^ a b Jaime, Luisa G.; et al. (December 2012). "Regions of dynamical stability for discs and planets in binary stars of the solar neighbourhood". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 427 (4): 2723–2733. arXiv:1208.2051. Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427.2723J. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21839.x.
  18. ^ "NameExoWorlds: An IAU Worldwide Contest to Name Exoplanets and their Host Stars". International Astronomical Union. 9 July 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  19. ^ a b c "The ExoWorlds". NameExoWorlds. International Astronomical Union. n.d. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  20. ^ "The Process". NameExoWorlds. International Astronomical Union. 30 November 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  21. ^ "Final Results of NameExoWorlds Public Vote Released". International Astronomical Union. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
[edit]


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tau_Boötis&oldid=1293755904"