Since the beginning of precise Doppler surveys , which have had stunning success in detecting extrasolar planetary companions , one surprising enigma has emerged : the relative paucity of spectroscopic binaries where the secondary mass lies in between the stellar and planetary mass regime .
This gap in the mass function for close-in ( a < 3 - 4 AU ) companions to solar-type stars is generally referred to as the “ Brown Dwarf Desert ” .
Here we report the detection of a companion to HD 137510 ( G0IV ) , with a minimum mass of 26 ~ { } { M } _ { Jupiter } , moving in an eccentric orbit ( e = 0.4 ) with a period of 798 days and an orbital semimajor axis of 1.85 AU .
The detection is based on precise differential radial velocity ( RV ) data obtained by the McDonald Observatory and Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg planet search programs .