Abstract
Context. Low mass stars are currently the best targets for searches for rocky
planets in the habitable zone of their host star. Over the last 13 years,
precise radial velocities measured with the HARPS spectrograph have identified
over a dozen super-Earths and Earth-mass planets (msin i<10Mearth ) around M
dwarfs, with a well understood selection function. This well defined sample
informs on their frequency of occurrence and on the distribution of their
orbital parameters, and therefore already constrains our understanding of
planetary formation. The subset of these low-mass planets that were found
within the habitable zone of their host star also provide prized targets for
future atmospheric biomarkers searches. Aims. We are working to extend this
planetary sample to lower masses and longer periods through dense and long-term
monitoring of the radial velocity of a small M dwarf sample. Methods. We
obtained large numbers of HARPS spectra for the M dwarfs GJ 3138, GJ 3323, GJ
273, GJ 628 and GJ 3293, from which we derived radial velocities (RVs) and
spectroscopic activity indicators. We searched them for variabilities,
periodicities, Keplerian modulations and correlations, and attribute the
radial-velocity variations to combinations of planetary companions and stellar
activity. Results. We detect 12 planets, of which 9 are new with masses ranging
from 1.17 to 10.5 Mearth . Those planets have relatively short orbital periods
(P<40 d), except two of them with periods of 217.6 and 257.8 days. Among these
systems, GJ 273 harbor two planets with masses close to the one of the Earth.
With a distance of 3.8 parsec only, GJ 273 is the second nearest known
planetary system - after Proxima Centauri - with a planet orbiting the
circumstellar habitable zone.
Description
The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets XLI. A dozen planets
around the M dwarfs GJ 3138, GJ 3323, GJ 273, GJ 628, and GJ 3293
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