Abstract
The displacement of a radio-emitting star around the barycenter of a possible planetary system can be measured by astrometric very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations. We have observed the radio-emitting star σ2 CrB at 8 epochs over 5 years by VLBI and fitted its 5 astrometric parameters to the observed coordinates. The post-fit coordinate residuals have an rms scatter of 0.22 milliarcseconds and show no systematic behavior. We use this result to set a limit on the presence of planets around σ2 CrB and conclude that our present VLBI astrometric precision corresponds to the threshold to detect a Jupiter-like planet around this star. We also discuss the astrometric monitoring program of 11 radio-emitting stars that we are conducting for the Hipparcos space mission and its possible contribution to a long-term planet search program.
Paper presented at the Conference on Planetary Systems: Formation, Evolution, and Detection held 7–10 December, 1992 at CalTech, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.
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Lestrade, JF., Jones, D.L., Preston, R.A., Phillips, R.B. (1994). High-Precision VLBI Astrometric Observations of Radio-Emitting Stars for Detection of Extra-Solar Planets. In: Burke, B.F., Rahe, J.H., Roettger, E.E. (eds) Planetary Systems: Formation, Evolution, and Detection. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1154-6_27
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