A young white dwarf companion to pulsar B1620-26: Evidence for early planet formation

Steinn Sigurdsson; Harvey B. Richer; Brad M. Hansen; Ingrid H. Stairs; Stephen E. Thorsett

doi:10.1126/science.1086326

A young white dwarf companion to pulsar B1620-26: Evidence for early planet formation

Steinn Sigurdsson, Harvey B. Richer, Brad M. Hansen, Ingrid H. Stairs, Stephen E. Thorsett

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

195 Scopus citations

Abstract

The pulsar B1620-26 has two companions, one of stellar mass and one of planetary mass. We detected the stellar companion with the use of Hubble Space Telescope observations. The color and magnitude of the stellar companion indicate that it is an undermassive white dwarf (0.34 ± 0.04 solar mass) of age 480 × 10⁶ ± 140 × 10⁶ years. This places a constraint on the recent history of this triple system and supports a scenario in which the current configuration arose through a dynamical exchange interaction in the cluster core. This implies that planets may be relatively common in low-metallicity globular clusters and that planet formation is more widespread and has happened earlier than previously believed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	193-196
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	301
Issue number	5630
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1086326
State	Published - Jul 11 2003

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1086326

Cite this

@article{8b47f4c2dbe5487c94cee276f9433582,

title = "A young white dwarf companion to pulsar B1620-26: Evidence for early planet formation",

abstract = "The pulsar B1620-26 has two companions, one of stellar mass and one of planetary mass. We detected the stellar companion with the use of Hubble Space Telescope observations. The color and magnitude of the stellar companion indicate that it is an undermassive white dwarf (0.34 ± 0.04 solar mass) of age 480 × 106 ± 140 × 106 years. This places a constraint on the recent history of this triple system and supports a scenario in which the current configuration arose through a dynamical exchange interaction in the cluster core. This implies that planets may be relatively common in low-metallicity globular clusters and that planet formation is more widespread and has happened earlier than previously believed.",

author = "Steinn Sigurdsson and Richer, {Harvey B.} and Hansen, {Brad M.} and Stairs, {Ingrid H.} and Thorsett, {Stephen E.}",

year = "2003",

month = jul,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1126/science.1086326",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "301",

pages = "193--196",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "5630",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - A young white dwarf companion to pulsar B1620-26

T2 - Evidence for early planet formation

AU - Sigurdsson, Steinn

AU - Richer, Harvey B.

AU - Hansen, Brad M.

AU - Stairs, Ingrid H.

AU - Thorsett, Stephen E.

PY - 2003/7/11

Y1 - 2003/7/11

N2 - The pulsar B1620-26 has two companions, one of stellar mass and one of planetary mass. We detected the stellar companion with the use of Hubble Space Telescope observations. The color and magnitude of the stellar companion indicate that it is an undermassive white dwarf (0.34 ± 0.04 solar mass) of age 480 × 106 ± 140 × 106 years. This places a constraint on the recent history of this triple system and supports a scenario in which the current configuration arose through a dynamical exchange interaction in the cluster core. This implies that planets may be relatively common in low-metallicity globular clusters and that planet formation is more widespread and has happened earlier than previously believed.

AB - The pulsar B1620-26 has two companions, one of stellar mass and one of planetary mass. We detected the stellar companion with the use of Hubble Space Telescope observations. The color and magnitude of the stellar companion indicate that it is an undermassive white dwarf (0.34 ± 0.04 solar mass) of age 480 × 106 ± 140 × 106 years. This places a constraint on the recent history of this triple system and supports a scenario in which the current configuration arose through a dynamical exchange interaction in the cluster core. This implies that planets may be relatively common in low-metallicity globular clusters and that planet formation is more widespread and has happened earlier than previously believed.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037815194&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0037815194&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/science.1086326

DO - 10.1126/science.1086326

M3 - Article

C2 - 12855802

AN - SCOPUS:0037815194

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 301

SP - 193

EP - 196

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5630

ER -

A young white dwarf companion to pulsar B1620-26: Evidence for early planet formation

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this