In search of other planetary systems

Abstract

Numerous recent developments have led to an increasing awareness of and interest in the detection of other planetary systems. A brief review of the modern history of this subject is presented with emphasis on the status of data concerning Barnard's star. A discussion is given of plausible observable effects of other planetary systems with numerical examples to indicate the nature of the detection problem. Possible types of information (in addition to discovery) that observations of these effects might yield (e.g., planetary mass and temperature) are outlined. Also discussed are various candidate detection techniques (e.g., astrometric observations) which might be employed to conduct a search, the current state-of-the-art of these techniques in terms of measurement accuracy, and the capability of existing or planned facilities (e.g., space telescope) to perform a search. Finally, consideration is given to possible search strategies and the scope of a comprehensive search program.