The planet hosting and Sirius-type binary system \epsilon Reticulum is examined from the perspective of its more evolved white dwarf secondary .
The stellar parameters are determined from a combination of Balmer line spectroscopy , gravitational redshift , and solid angle .
These three methods conspire to yield the most accurate physical description of the companion to date : T _ { eff } = 15 310 \pm 350 K and M = 0.60 \pm 0.02 M _ { \odot } .
Post-main sequence mass loss indicates the current binary separation has increased by a factor of 1.6 from its primordial state when the current primary was forming its planet ( s ) , implying a _ { 0 } \geq 150 AU and constraining stable planets to within 15 - 20 AU for a binary eccentricity of e = 0.5 .
Almost 80 years have passed since the first detection of the stellar companion , and marginal orbital motion may be apparent in the binary , suggesting a near edge-on configuration with i \ga 70 \degr , albeit with substantial uncertainty .
If correct , and all known bodies are coplanar , the mass of the planet HD 27442b is bound between 1.6 and 1.7 M _ { J } .

A search for photospheric metals in the DA white dwarf yields no detections , and hence there is no clear signature of an extant planetary system orbiting the previously more massive secondary .
However , if the white dwarf mass derived via spectral fitting is correct , its evolution could have been influenced by interactions with inner planets during the asymptotic giant branch .
Based on the frequency of giant planets and circumstellar debris as a function of stellar mass , it is unlikely that the primordial primary would be void of planets , given at least one orbiting its less massive sibling .