The near-infrared spectral energy distribution of β Pictoris b
/ Authors
/ Abstract
A gas giant planet has previously been directly seen orbiting at 8-10 AU within the debris disk of the ~12 Myr old star {\beta} Pictoris. The {\beta} Pictoris system offers the rare opportunity to study the physical and atmospheric properties of an exoplanet placed on a wide orbit and to establish its formation scenario. We obtained J (1.265 {\mu}m), H (1.66 {\mu}m), and M' (4.78 {\mu}m) band angular differential imaging of the system between 2011 and 2012. We detect the planetary companion in our four-epoch observations. We estimate J = 14.0 +- 0.3, H = 13.5 +- 0.2, and M' = 11.0 +- 0.3 mag. Our new astrometry consolidates previous semi-major axis (sma=8-10 AU) and excentricity (e = 6MJup and the initial entropies to values (Sinit >= 9.3Kb/baryon), intermediate between those considered for cold/hot-start models, but likely closer to those of hot-start models.
Journal: Astronomy and Astrophysics