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DETECTION OF SOLAR SYSTEMS WITH LAPLACE RESONANCES USING HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DATA**

Abstract

Orbital resonances occur when star or planetary systems with multiple planets or moons exhibit stable orbits that have simple ratios of frequencies in their orbits. One particularly regular example of this phenomenon is a Laplace resonance, which has a ratio of the orbital periods of 1:2:4. Analyzing the radial velocity of the central body as a function of time for a system with a Laplace resonance should produce visible and predictable oscillations that correlate to the orbital frequencies of the planets in the stars orbit. The goal of this project is to attempt to measure the radial velocity of a star in a Laplace resonance system using Doppler shifting, with the end goal of observing regular changes in velocity that correspond to the predicted periods, and then measuring any deviations which may indicate the presence of additional planets. The method is currently being developed using Hubble Space Telescope data from Gliese 876, a red dwarf located 15.2 light-years from our solar system which is known to have orbiting planets exhibiting a Laplace resonance.

Acknowledgements

Georgia Space Grant Consortium

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