OGLE-2008-BLG-092Lb: a 4 Uranus Mass Gas Giant Around the Primary of a Binary System

TRIPLE MICROLENS OGLE-2008-BLG-092L: BINARY STELLAR SYSTEM WITH A CIRCUMPRIMARY URANUS-TYPE PLANET

Authors:

Poleski et al

Abstract:

We present the gravitational microlensing discovery of a 4 M Uranus planet that orbits a 0.7 M ☉ star at ≈18 AU. This is the first known analog of Uranus. Similar planets, i.e., cold ice giants, are inaccessible to either radial velocity or transit methods because of the long orbital periods, while low reflected light prevents direct imaging. We discuss how similar planets may contaminate the sample of the very short microlensing events that are interpreted as free-floating planets with an estimated rate of 1.8 per main-sequence star. Moreover, the host star has a nearby stellar (or brown dwarf) companion. The projected separation of the planet is only about three times smaller than that of the companion star, suggesting significant dynamical interactions.