A SEARCH FOR A DISTANT COMPANION TO THE SUN WITH THE WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER
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I have used multi-epoch astrometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer to perform a search for a distant companion to the Sun via its parallactic motion. I have not found an object of this kind down to W 2 = 14.5. This limit corresponds to analogs of Saturn and Jupiter at 28,000 and 82,000 AU, respectively, according to models of the Jovian planets by Fortney and coworkers. Models of brown dwarfs by Burrows and coworkers predict fainter fluxes at a given mass for the age of the solar system, producing a closer distance limit of 26,000 AU for a Jupiter-mass brown dwarf. These constraints exclude most combinations of mass and separation at which a solar companion has been suggested to exist by various studies over the years.
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An upper limit to the mass of any possible new planets is provided by WISE observations, which rule out bodies larger than Saturn out to distances 3 × 10^4 AU.
“An upper limit to the mass of any possible new planets is provided by WISE observations, which rule out bodies larger than Saturn out to distances 3 10 4 AU (see Luhman 2014 for further details).”
From The planet nine hypothesis (2019) · cites this paper as Luhman 2014
The WISE spacecraft surveyed the entire sky twice in its 3.4 and 4.6 μm bands, allowing Luhman (2014) to rule out Saturn-sized planets out to a distance of ∼30,000 au.
“The WISE spacecraft surveyed the entire sky twice in its 3.4 and 4.6 μm (W1 and W2) bands, allowing Luhman (2014) to rule out Saturn-sized planets-which have substantial enhanced short-wavelength emission owing to emission from internal heat-out to a distance of ∼30,000 au.”
From Observational constraints on the orbit and location of Planet Nine in the outer solar system (2016) · cites this paper as Luhman (2014)
The Luhman (2014) W1 limit corresponds to approximately 0.2 mJy, which suggests that Neptune itself could only be detected to ∼70 au.
“The Luhman (2014) W1 limit corresponds to approximately 0.2 mJy, which suggests that Neptune itself could only be detected to ∼70 au.”
From Observational constraints on the orbit and location of Planet Nine in the outer solar system (2016) · cites this paper as Luhman (2014)
Section 2 gives a typical W1 sensitivity of magnitude 16.8 at signal-to-noise 5, while Sections 4.2 and 7 use a W2 survey limit of magnitude 14.5. Our copy does not give a W1 limit of approximately 0.2 mJy or a W1 detection distance of about 70 au for Neptune; its mention of Neptune in Section 7 concerns reflected-light limits. (LLM, conf=0.75)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe Luhman (2014) results provide no constraints on the position or existence of Planet Nine.
“The Luhman (2014) results thus provide no constraints on the position or existence of Planet Nine.”
From Observational constraints on the orbit and location of Planet Nine in the outer solar system (2016) · cites this paper as Luhman (2014)
Section 7, “Constraints on a Solar Companion” (page unavailable), gives WISE detection limits for Saturn- and Jupiter-like objects and says the results constrain brown dwarfs and large gas giants. Our copy does not discuss Planet Nine or establish whether those limits apply to its position or existence; searches for Planet Nine and lower-mass-planet constraints found no decisive passage. (LLM, conf=0.73)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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References 34 · Cited by 99
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [17]17. Kuiper, G. P. 1951, in Astrophysics, ed. J. A. Hynek (New York: McGraw-Hill), 357
- Authors
- Luhman, K. L.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Luhman, K. L.
- ORCID
- Luhman, K. L.
- Venue
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Publisher
- American Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2013-12-24
- Volume
- 781
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 4
- ISSN
- 0004-637X (ISSN-L)
- 1538-4357
- OpenAlex
- W2076994334
- Cited by
- 99
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 16
- FWCI
- 9.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- The Astrophysical Journal (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX12AI47G)
- Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium
- California Institute of Technology
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Astrophysics Division
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Instrumentation › Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
- Keywords
- undiscovered planet, WISE, astrometry, brown dwarfs, Jovian planets, planetary mass limits, orbital separation
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