Paper:	Microlensing Searches for Extrasolar Planets
Volume:	294, Scientific Frontiers in Research on Extrasolar Planets
Page:	79
Authors:	Gaudi, B. S.
Abstract:	I review results from, and future prospects for, microlensing searches for extrasolar planets. Analyses of well-sampled microlensing light curves by several collaborations have demonstrated that current searches are sensitive to >≈ 1 Jupiter mass planets with few AU separations from M dwarfs in the Galactic bulge. To date, however, no unambiguous planetary detections have been made. Detailed analysis has shown that this null result implies that <33% of typical stars (i.e. M dwarfs) in the Galactic bulge have Jupiter-mass companions with separations between 1.5 and 4 AU, and <45% have 3 Jupiter mass companions between 1 and 7 AU. The recent dramatic increase in the number of alerts per year will allow ongoing microlensing searches to probe companion fractions of a few percent within a few years. I conclude by speculating on the prospects for the detection of terrestrial-mass and free-floating planets from the ground and space.

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