Orbital inclination and mass of the exoplanet candidate Proxima c

Abstract

We analyze the orbital parameters of the recently discovered exoplanet candidate Proxima c using a combination of its spectroscopic orbital parameters and Gaia DR2 astrometric proper motion anomaly. We obtain an orbital inclination of i = 152 ± 14 deg, corresponding to a planet mass of m c = 12 −5 +12 M ⊕ , comparable to Uranus and Neptune. While the derived orbital parameters are too uncertain to accurately predict the position of the planet for a given epoch, we present a map of its probability of presence relative to its parent star in the coming years.

Topics & Concepts