Description
To investigate the low-amplitude and long-period variations in evolved stars with a precise radial velocity (RV) survey. The high-resolution, the fiber-fed Bohyunsan Observatory Echelle Spectrograph (BOES) was used from 2003 to 2013 for an RV survey of giant stars as part of the exoplanet search program at Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (BOAO). We report the detection of three new planetary companions orbiting the K giants beta Cnc, mu Leo, and beta UMi. The planetary nature of the RV variations is supported by analyses of ancillary data. The HIPPARCOS photometry shows no variations with periods close to those in RV variations and there is no strong correlation between the bisector velocity span (BVS) and the RVs for each star. Furthermore, the stars show weak or no core reversal in Ca II H lines indicating that they are inactive stars. The companion to beta Cnc has a minimum mass of 7.8M_Jup_ in a 605-day orbit with an eccentricity of 0.08. mu Leo is orbited by a companion of minimum mass of 2.4M_Jup_ having a period of 357-days, and an eccentricity of 0.09. beta UMi is a known barium star and is suspected of harbouring a white dwarf or substellar mass companion. Its companion has a minimum mass of 6.1M_Jup_, a period of 522-days, and an eccentricity e=0.19.
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