The search for extrasolar planets: Study of line bisectors and its relation with precise radial velocity measurements

Aldo Fiorenzano (TNG)

5 September (Wednesday), 12:00am
6th floor meeting room, sea-level office

Abstract:

We prepared a suitable software in order to use the same spectra acquired for radial velocity determinations (i.e., with the spectrum of the Iodine cell imprinted on) to measure variations of the stellar line profiles. This is a novel approach, that can be of general utility in all high precision radial velocity surveys based on iodine cell data. This software has then been extensively used on data acquired within our survey (at TNG), allowing a proper insight into a number of interesting cases, where spurious estimates of the radial velocities due to activity or contamination by light from the companions were revealed. The same technique can also be considered to correct the measured radial velocities, in order to search for planets around active stars.