Eccentric and cool: A high-spectral-resolution view of 51 Eri b with VLT/HiRISE

Discovered almost ten years ago, the giant planet 51 Eridani b is one of the least separated (≈0.2″) and faintest (J ≈ 19.74 mag) directly imaged exoplanets known to date. Its atmospheric properties have been thoroughly investigated through low- and medium-resolution spectroscopic observations, enabling the robust characterization of the planet’s bulk parameters. However, the planet’s intrinsically high contrast renders high-resolution spectroscopic observations difficult, despite their potential to yield key measurements essential for a more comprehensive characterization. This study sought to constrain the planet’s radial velocity, enabling a full 3D orbital solution when integrated with previous measurements. We obtained four high-contrast, high-resolution (R ≈ 140 000) spectroscopic datasets of the planet, collected over a two-year interval with the HiRISE visitor instrument at the VLT to derive the planet’s radial velocity. Using self-consistent models of atmosphere, we were able to derive the radial velocity of the planet at each of the four epochs. These radial-velocity measurements were then used in combination with all existing relative astrometry in order to constrain the orbit of the planet. Our radial velocity measurements allowed us to break the degeneracy along the line of sight, making the unambiguous interpretation of the phase curve of the companion possible. We further constrained the orbital parameters, and particularly the eccentricity, for which we derive $ e = 0.55_{-0.07}^{+0.03} $. The relatively high eccentricity indicates that the system has experienced dynamical interactions induced by an external perturber. We place constraints on the mass and semimajor axis of a hypothetical, unseen outer planet capable of producing the observed high eccentricities.