A Search for Line Shape and Depth Variations in 51 Pegasi and Tau Boötis

Timothy M. Brown, Edward Kennelly, & Rubina Kotak
High Altitude Observatory
Scott D. Horner
Pennsylvania State University
Edward J. Kennelly, Sylvain G. Korzennik, Peter Nisenson, & Robert W. Noyes
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Abstract

Spectroscopic observations of 51 Pegasi and tau Boötis show no periodic changes in the shapes of their line profiles; these results for 51 Peg are in significant conflict with those reported by Gray and Hatzes (1997). Our detection limits are small enough to rule out nonradial pulsations as the cause of the variability in tau Boo, but not in 51 Peg. The absence of line shape changes is consistent with these stars' radial velocity variability arising from planetary-mass companions.

The letter and the figures (fig1, fig2) are published in the ApJ, v. 494, p. L85.
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Sylvain G. Korzennik (skorzennik@cfa.harvard.edu)

Last modified: Mon Apr 26 11:28:22 1999