On the fundamental mass-period functions of extrasolar planets

Abstract

Employing a catalog of 175 extrasolar planets (exoplanets) detected by the Doppler-shift method, we constructed the independent and coupled mass-period functions. It is the first time in this field that the selection effect is considered in the coupled mass-period functions. Our results are consistent with those of Tabachnik and Tremaine in 2002, with the major difference that we obtain a flatter mass function but a steeper period function. Moreover, our coupled mass-period functions show that about 2.5% of stars would have a planet with mass between Earth Mass and Neptune Mass, and about 3% of stars would have a planet with mass between Neptune Mass and Jupiter Mass. © 2010. The American Astronomical Society.