WASP-42 b and WASP-49 b: two new transiting Saturns

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2012), 544

We report the discovery of two new transiting planets from the WASP survey. WASP-42 b is a 0.500 +- 0.035 M_J planet orbiting a K1 star at a separation of 0.0548 +- 0.0017 AU with a period of 4.9816872 ... [more ▼]

We report the discovery of two new transiting planets from the WASP survey. WASP-42 b is a 0.500 +- 0.035 M_J planet orbiting a K1 star at a separation of 0.0548 +- 0.0017 AU with a period of 4.9816872 +- 0.0000073 days. The radius of WASP-42 is 1.080 +- 0.057 R_J while its equilibrium temperature is T_eq = 995 +- 34 K. We detect some evidence of a small but non-zero eccentricity of e = 0.060 +- 0.013. WASP-49 b is a 0.378 +- 0.027 M_J planet around an old G6 star. It has a period of 2.7817387 +- 5.6 x 10-6 days and a separation of 0.0379 +- 0.0011 AU. This planet is slightly bloated, having a radius of 1.115 +- 0.056 R_J and an equilibrium temperature of T_eq = 1369 +- 42 K. Both planets have been followed up intensively in photometry, in total we have obtained 5 full and one partial transit light curves of WASP-42 and 4 full and one partial light curves of WASP-49 using the Euler-Swiss, TRAPPIST and Faulkes South telescopes. [less ▲]

WASP-50 b: a hot Jupiter transiting a moderately active solar-type star

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2011), 533

We report the discovery by the WASP transit survey of a giant planet in a close orbit (0.0295 ± 0.0009 AU) around a moderately bright (V = 11.6, K = 10) G9 dwarf (0.89 ± 0.08 M[SUB]&sun;[/SUB], 0.84 ± 0 ... [more ▼]

We report the discovery by the WASP transit survey of a giant planet in a close orbit (0.0295 ± 0.0009 AU) around a moderately bright (V = 11.6, K = 10) G9 dwarf (0.89 ± 0.08 M[SUB]&sun;[/SUB], 0.84 ± 0.03 R[SUB]&sun;[/SUB]) in the Southern constellation Eridanus. Thanks to high-precision follow-up photometry and spectroscopy obtained by the telescopes TRAPPIST and Euler, the mass and size of this planet, WASP-50 b, are well constrained to 1.47 ± 0.09 M[SUB]Jup[/SUB] and 1.15 ± 0.05 R[SUB]Jup[/SUB], respectively. The transit ephemeris is 2 455 558.6120 (±0.0002) + N × 1.955096 (±0.000005) HJD[SUB]UTC[/SUB]. The size of the planet is consistent with basic models of irradiated giant planets. The chromospheric activity (log R'[SUB]HK = -4.67[/SUB]) and rotational period (P[SUB]rot[/SUB] = 16.3 ± 0.5 days) of the host star suggest an age of 0.8 ± 0.4 Gy that is discrepant with a stellar-evolution estimate based on the measured stellar parameters (ρ[SUB]∗[/SUB] = 1.48 ± 0.10 ρ[SUB]&sun;[/SUB], T[SUB]eff[/SUB] = 5400 ± 100 K, [Fe/H] = -0.12 ± 0.08) which favors an age of 7 ± 3.5 Gy. This discrepancy could be explained by the tidal and magnetic influence of the planet on the star, in good agreement with the observations that stars hosting hot Jupiters tend to show faster rotation and magnetic activity. We measure a stellar inclination of 84[SUB]-31[SUP]+6[/SUP][/SUB] deg, disfavoring a high stellar obliquity. Thanks to its large irradiation and the relatively small size of its host star, WASP-50 b is a good target for occultation spectrophotometry, making it able to constrain the relationship between hot Jupiters' atmospheric thermal profiles and the chromospheric activity of their host stars. The photometric time-series used in this work are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via <A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/533/A88">http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/533/A88</A> [less ▲]

Additional science potential for COROT

in Favata, F.; Aigrain, S.; Wilson, A. (Eds.) Stellar Structure and Habitable Planet Finding (2004, January 01)

Space experiments which are aiming towards asteroseismology and the detection of exoplanets, like COROT or MOST, Eddington and Kepler, are designed to deliver high precision photometric data. Obviously ... [more ▼]

Space experiments which are aiming towards asteroseismology and the detection of exoplanets, like COROT or MOST, Eddington and Kepler, are designed to deliver high precision photometric data. Obviously, they can be used also for other purposes than the primary science goals and in addition many other targets can or will be automatically observed simultaneously with the primary targets. As a consequence, fascinating possibilities for additional (parallel, secondary) science projects emerge. For COROT a dedicated working group was thus established with the goal to contribute any useful information which may optimize the scientific output of the mission. [less ▲]