A Planetary System?
In 2009 Wiesemeyer et al. proposed that quasi-periodic fluctuations observed for the star R Leonis may be due to the presence of an evaporating substellar companion, probably an extrasolar planet. They have inferred a putative mass for the orbiting body of twice the mass of Jupiter, orbital period of 5.2 years and likely orbital separation of 2.7–3 astronomical units. If confirmed such a planetary object could likely be an evaporating planet, with long comet-like trail as hinted by intense SiO maser emissions. Planetary temperature would exceed 1500 kelvins, accounting a stellar luminosity of more than 8,000 times that of the Sun.
| Companion |
Mass | Semimajor axis |
Orbital period |
Eccentricity | Inclination | Radius |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | ≥2 MJ | ≥2.7 | 1898 | 0 | — | — |
Read more about this topic: R Leonis
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