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PSR B1257+12 and the First Confirmed Planets Beyond the Solar System

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Handbook of Exoplanets

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Abstract

We describe the survey and timing observations conducted in early 1990 with the Arecibo radio telescope, which have led to the discovery of the first confirmed extrasolar planetary system consisting of three low-mass planets, orbiting the 6.2-ms millisecond pulsar, PSR B1257+12. The existence of planets around a neutron star has carried with it a now fulfilled promise that planets should be common around the various types of stars. Furthermore, the architecture of the PSR B1257+12 system offered an early preview of the future discoveries of the very common compact systems of superEarth-mass planets by the Kepler telescope and ground-based radial velocity surveys.

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Acknowledgements

The Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds is supported by the Pennsylvania State University and the Eberly College of Science. The Arecibo Observatory is operated by the SRI International under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (AST-1100968) and in alliance with Ana G. Méndez-Universidad Metropolitana and the Universities Space Research Association.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Alexander Wolszczan

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  1. Alexander Wolszczan
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Correspondence to Alexander Wolszczan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , La Laguna, Spain

    Hans J. Deeg

  2. Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain

    Juan Antonio Belmonte

Section Editor information

  1. School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Tsevi Mazeh

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Wolszczan, A. (2018). PSR B1257+12 and the First Confirmed Planets Beyond the Solar System. In: Deeg, H., Belmonte, J. (eds) Handbook of Exoplanets . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30648-3_131-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30648-3_131-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-30648-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30648-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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