Two Planets Straddling the Habitable Zone of the Nearby K Dwarf Gl 414A

• Published in: The Astronomical journal 2021-02, Vol.161 (2), p.86
• Main Authors: Dedrick, Cayla M., Fulton, Benjamin J., Knutson, Heather A., Howard, Andrew W., Beatty, Thomas G., Cargile, Phillip A., Gaudi, B. Scott, Hirsch, Lea A., Kuhn, Rudolf B., Lund, Michael B., James, David J., Kosiarek, Molly R., Pepper, Joshua, Petigura, Erik A., Rodriguez, Joseph E., Stassun, Keivan G., Stevens, Daniel J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; Circumstellar habitable zone; CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; Dwarf stars; Exoplanet systems; Exoplanets; Extrasolar planets; Gaussian Processes regression; K dwarf stars; NEPTUNE PLANET; Planets; RADIAL VELOCITY; SATURN PLANET; SIGNALS; Space missions; STARS
• ISSN: 0004-6256; 1538-3881; 1538-3881
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/abd0ef

We present the discovery of two planets orbiting the nearby ( D  = 11.9 pc) K7 dwarf Gl 414A. Gl 414A b is a sub-Neptune mass planet with M ⊕ and a semimajor axis of 0.23 ± 0.01 au. Gl 414A c is a sub-Saturn mass planet with M ⊕ and a semimajor axis of 1.43 ± 0.06 au. We jointly analyzed radial velocity data from Keck/HIRES and the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory, as well as photometric data from KELT, to detect the two planets and two additional signals related to the rotationally modulated activity and the long-term magnetic activity cycle of the star. The outer planet in this system may be a potential candidate for future direct-imaging missions.