Fast-evolving weather for the coolest of our two new substellar neighbours

E-print/Working paper (2013)

We present the results of an intense photometric monitoring in the near-infrared (~0.9 microns) with the TRAPPIST robotic telescope of the newly discovered binary brown dwarf WISE J104915.57-531906.1, the ... [more ▼]

We present the results of an intense photometric monitoring in the near-infrared (~0.9 microns) with the TRAPPIST robotic telescope of the newly discovered binary brown dwarf WISE J104915.57-531906.1, the third closest system to the Sun at a distance of only 2 pc. Our twelve nights of photometric time-series reveal a quasi-periodic (P = 4.87+-0.01 h) variability with a maximal peak-peak amplitude of ~11% and strong night-to-night evolution. We attribute this variability to the rotational modulation of fast-evolving weather patterns in the atmosphere of the coolest component (~T1-type) of the binary. No periodic signal is detected for the hottest component (~L8-type). For both brown dwarfs, our data allow us to firmly discard any unique transit during our observations for planets >= 2 Rearth. For orbital periods smaller than ~9.5 h, transiting planets are excluded down to an Earth-size. [less ▲]

The CORALIE survey for southern extrasolar planets XVII. New and updated long period and massive planets

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2013), 551

Context. Since 1998, a planet-search program around main sequence stars within 50 pc in the southern hemisphere has been carried out with the CORALIE echelle spectrograph at La Silla Observatory. Aims ... [more ▼]

Context. Since 1998, a planet-search program around main sequence stars within 50 pc in the southern hemisphere has been carried out with the CORALIE echelle spectrograph at La Silla Observatory. Aims: With an observing time span of more than 14 years, the CORALIE survey is now able to unveil Jovian planets on Jupiter's period domain. This growing period-interval coverage is important for building formation and migration models since observational constraints are still weak for periods beyond the ice line. Methods: Long-term precise Doppler measurements with the CORALIE echelle spectrograph, together with a few additional observations made with the HARPS spectrograph on the ESO 3.6 m telescope, reveal radial velocity signatures of massive planetary companions on long-period orbits. Results: In this paper we present seven new planets orbiting HD 27631, HD 98649, HD 106515A, HD 166724, HD 196067, HD 219077, and HD 220689, together with the CORALIE orbital parameters for three already known planets around HD 10647, HD 30562, and HD 86226. The period range of the new planetary companions goes from 2200 to 5500 days and covers a mass domain between 1 and 10.5 MJup. Surprisingly, five of them present very high eccentricities above e > 0.57. A pumping scenario by Kozai mechanism may be invoked for HD 106515Ab and HD 196067b, which are both orbiting stars in multiple systems. Since the presence of a third massive body cannot be inferred from the data of HD 98649b, HD 166724b, and HD 219077b, the origin of the eccentricity of these systems remains unknown. Except for HD 10647b, no constraint on the upper mass of the planets is provided by Hipparcos astrometric data. Finally, the hosts of these long period planets show no metallicity excess. [less ▲]

WASP-80b: a gas giant transiting a cool dwarf

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2013), 551

We report the discovery of a planet transiting the star <ASTROBJ>WASP-80</ASTROBJ> (<ASTROBJ>1SWASP J201240.26-020838.2</ASTROBJ>; <ASTROBJ>2MASS J20124017-0208391</ASTROBJ>; <ASTROBJ>TYC 5165-481-1 ... [more ▼]

We report the discovery of a planet transiting the star <ASTROBJ>WASP-80</ASTROBJ> (<ASTROBJ>1SWASP J201240.26-020838.2</ASTROBJ>; <ASTROBJ>2MASS J20124017-0208391</ASTROBJ>; <ASTROBJ>TYC 5165-481-1</ASTROBJ>; <ASTROBJ>BPM 80815</ASTROBJ>; V = 11.9, K = 8.4). Our analysis shows this is a 0.55 ± 0.04 M[SUB]jup[/SUB], 0.95 ± 0.03 R[SUB]jup[/SUB] gas giant on a circular 3.07 day orbit around a star with a spectral type between K7V and M0V. This system produces one of the largest transit depths so far reported, making it a worthwhile target for transmission spectroscopy. We find a large discrepancy between the vsini[SUB]⋆[/SUB] inferred from stellar line broadening and the observed amplitude of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. This can be understood either by an orbital plane nearly perpendicular to the stellar spin or by an additional, unaccounted for source of broadening. Using WASP-South photometric observations, from Sutherland (South Africa), confirmed with the 60 cm TRAPPIST robotic telescope, EulerCam, and the CORALIE spectrograph on the Swiss 1.2 m Euler Telescope, and HARPS on the ESO 3.6 m (Prog ID 089.C-0151), all three located at La Silla Observatory, Chile.Radial velocity and photometric data are available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to <A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr">cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr</A>(<A href="http://130.79.128.5">130.79.128.5</A>) or via <A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/551/A80">http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/551/A80</A> [less ▲]

WASP-77 Ab: A Transiting Hot Jupiter Planet in a Wide Binary System<xref ref-type="fn" rid="fn1">1</xref>

in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (2013), 125

We report the discovery of a transiting planet with an orbital period of 1.36 days orbiting the brighter component of the visual binary star BD 07 436. The host star, WASP-77 A, is a moderately bright G8 ... [more ▼]

We report the discovery of a transiting planet with an orbital period of 1.36 days orbiting the brighter component of the visual binary star BD 07 436. The host star, WASP-77 A, is a moderately bright G8 V star (V=10.3) with a metallicity close to solar ([Fe/H] = 0.0 ± 0.1). The companion star, WASP-77 B, is a K-dwarf approximately 2 mag fainter at a separation of approximately 3″. The spectrum of WASP-77 A shows emission in the cores of the Caii H and K lines, indicative of moderate chromospheric activity. The Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP) light curves show photometric variability with a period of 15.3 days and an amplitude of about 0.3% that is probably due to the magnetic activity of the host star. We use an analysis of the combined photometric and spectroscopic data to derive the mass and radius of the planet (1.76 ± 0.06 M[SUB]Jup[/SUB], 1.21 ± 0.02 R[SUB]Jup[/SUB]). The age of WASP-77 A estimated from its rotation rate (˜1 Gyr) agrees with the age estimated in a similar way for WASP-77 B (˜0.6 Gyr) but is in poor agreement with the age inferred by comparing its effective temperature and density to stellar models (˜8 Gyr). Follow-up observations of WASP-77 Ab will make a useful contribution to our understanding of the influence of binarity and host star activity on the properties of hot Jupiters. [less ▲]

Spitzer Transits of the Super-Earth GJ1214b and Implications for Its Atmosphere

E-print/Working paper (2013)

We observed the transiting super-Earth exoplanet GJ1214b using Warm Spitzer at 4.5 microns wavelength during a 20-day quasi-continuous sequence in May 2011. The goals of our long observation were to ... [more ▼]

We observed the transiting super-Earth exoplanet GJ1214b using Warm Spitzer at 4.5 microns wavelength during a 20-day quasi-continuous sequence in May 2011. The goals of our long observation were to accurately define the infrared transit radius of this nearby super-Earth, to search for the secondary eclipse, and to search for other transiting planets in the habitable zone of GJ1214. We here report results from the transit monitoring of GJ1214b, including a re-analysis of previous transit observations by Desert et al. (2011). In total, we analyse 14 transits of GJ1214b at 4.5 microns, 3 transits at 3.6 microns, and 7 new ground-based transits in the I+z band. Our new Spitzer data by themselves eliminate cloudless solar composition atmospheres for GJ1214b, and methane-rich models from Howe & Burrows (2012). Using our new Spitzer measurements to anchor the observed transit radii of GJ1214b at long wavelengths, and adding new measurements in I+z, we evaluate models from Benneke & Seager (2012) and Howe & Burrows (2012) using a chi-squared analysis. We find that the best-fit model exhibits an increase in transit radius at short wavelengths due to Rayleigh scattering. Pure water atmospheres are also possible. However, a flat line (no atmosphere detected) remains among the best of the statistically acceptable models, and better than pure water atmospheres. We explore the effect of systematic differences among results from different observational groups, and we find that the Howe & Burrows (2012) tholin-haze model remains the best fit, even when systematic differences among observers are considered. [less ▲]

Spitzer 3.6 micron and 4.5 micron full-orbit lightcurves of WASP-18

in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2013), 428(3), 2645-2660

We present new lightcurves of the massive hot Jupiter system WASP-18 obtained with the Spitzer spacecraft covering the entire orbit at 3.6 micron and 4.5 micron. These lightcurves are used to measure the ... [more ▼]

We present new lightcurves of the massive hot Jupiter system WASP-18 obtained with the Spitzer spacecraft covering the entire orbit at 3.6 micron and 4.5 micron. These lightcurves are used to measure the amplitude, shape and phase of the thermal phase effect for WASP-18b. We find that our results for the thermal phase effect are limited to an accuracy of about 0.01% by systematic noise sources of unknown origin. At this level of accuracy we find that the thermal phase effect has a peak-to-peak amplitude approximately equal to the secondary eclipse depth, has a sinusoidal shape and that the maximum brightness occurs at the same phase as mid-occultation to within about 5 degrees at 3.6 micron and to within about 10 degrees at 4.5 micron. The shape and amplitude of the thermal phase curve imply very low levels of heat redistribution within the atmosphere of the planet. We also perform a separate analysis to determine the system geometry by fitting a lightcurve model to the data covering the occultation and the transit. The secondary eclipse depths we measure at 3.6 micron and 4.5 micron are in good agreement with previous measurements and imply a very low albedo for WASP-18b. The parameters of the system (masses, radii, etc.) derived from our analysis are in also good agreement with those from previous studies, but with improved precision. We use new high-resolution imaging and published limits on the rate of change of the mean radial velocity to check for the presence of any faint companion stars that may affect our results. We find that there is unlikely to be any significant contribution to the flux at Spitzer wavelengths from a stellar companion to WASP-18. We find that there is no evidence for variations in the times of eclipse from a linear ephemeris greater than about 100 seconds over 3 years. [less ▲]

A Photometric Study of the Hot Exoplanet WASP-19b

E-print/Working paper (2012)

Context: When the planet transits its host star, it is possible to measure the planetary radius and (with radial velocity data) the planet mass. For the study of planetary atmospheres, it is essential to ... [more ▼]

Context: When the planet transits its host star, it is possible to measure the planetary radius and (with radial velocity data) the planet mass. For the study of planetary atmospheres, it is essential to obtain transit and occultation measurements at multiple wavelengths. Aims: We aim to characterize the transiting hot Jupiter WASP-19b by deriving accurate and precise planetary parameters from a dedicated observing campaign of transits and occultations. Methods: We have obtained a total of 14 transit lightcurves in the r'-Gunn, IC, z'-Gunn and I+z' filters and 10 occultation lightcurves in z'-Gunn using EulerCam on the Euler-Swiss telescope and TRAPPIST. We have also obtained one lightcurve through the narrow-band NB1190 filter of HAWK-I on the VLT measuring an occultation at 1.19 micron. We have performed a global MCMC analysis of all new data together with some archive data in order to refine the planetary parameters and measure the occultation depths in z'-band and at 1.19 micron. Results: We measure a planetary radius of R_p = 1.376 (+/-0.046) R_j, a planetary mass of M_p = 1.165 (+/-0.068) M_j, and find a very low eccentricity of e = 0.0077 (+/-0.0068), compatible with a circular orbit. We have detected the z'-band occultation at 3 sigma significance and measure it to be dF_z'= 352 (+/-116) ppm, more than a factor of 2 smaller than previously published. The occultation at 1.19 micron is only marginally constrained at dF_1190 = 1711 (+/-745) ppm. Conclusions: We have shown that the detection of occultations in the visible is within reach even for 1m class telescopes if a considerable number of individual events are observed. Our results suggest an oxygen-dominated atmosphere of WASP-19b, making the planet an interesting test case for oxygen-rich planets without temperature inversion. [less ▲]

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XXI. CoRoT-19b: A low density planet orbiting an old inactive F9V-star

in Astronomy and Astrophysics (2012), 537

Observations of transiting extrasolar planets are of key importance to our understanding of planets because their mass, radius, and mass density can be determined. The CoRoT space mission allows us to ... [more ▼]

Observations of transiting extrasolar planets are of key importance to our understanding of planets because their mass, radius, and mass density can be determined. The CoRoT space mission allows us to achieve a very high photometric accuracy. By combining CoRoT data with high-precision radial velocity measurements, we derive precise planetary radii and masses. We report the discovery of CoRoT-19b, a gas-giant planet transiting an old, inactive F9V-type star with a period of four days. After excluding alternative physical configurations mimicking a planetary transit signal, we determine the radius and mass of the planet by combining CoRoT photometry with high-resolution spectroscopy obtained with the echelle spectrographs SOPHIE, HARPS, FIES, and SANDIFORD. To improve the precision of its ephemeris and the epoch, we observed additional transits with the TRAPPIST and Euler telescopes. Using HARPS spectra obtained during the transit, we then determine the projected angle between the spin of the star and the orbit of the planet. We find that the host star of CoRoT-19b is an inactive F9V-type star close to the end of its main-sequence life. The host star has a mass M*=1.21+/-0.05 Msun and radius R*=1.65+/-0.04 Rsun. The planet has a mass of Mp=1.11+/-0.06 Mjup and radius of Rp=1.29+/-0.03 Rjup. The resulting bulk density is only rho=0.71+/-0.06 gcm-3, which is much lower than that for Jupiter. The exoplanet CoRoT-19b is an example of a giant planet of almost the same mass as Jupiter but a 30% larger radius. [less ▲]

WASP-71b: a bloated hot Jupiter in an 2.9-day, prograde orbit around an evolved F8 star

E-print/Working paper (2012)

We report the discovery by the WASP transit survey of a highly-irradiated, massive (2.258 +/- 0.072 MJup) planet which transits a bright (V = 10.6), evolved F8 star every 2.9 days. The planet, WASP-71b ... [more ▼]

We report the discovery by the WASP transit survey of a highly-irradiated, massive (2.258 +/- 0.072 MJup) planet which transits a bright (V = 10.6), evolved F8 star every 2.9 days. The planet, WASP-71b, is larger than Jupiter (1.50 +/- 0.11 RJup), but less dense (0.67 +/- 0.14 {\rho}Jup). We also report spectroscopic observations made during transit with the CORALIE spectrograph, which allow us to detect the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. We determine the sky-projected angle between the stellar-spin and planetary-orbit axes to be {\lambda} = 19.8 +/- 9.9 degrees. [less ▲]

WASP-64b and WASP-72b: two new transiting highly irradiated giant planets

E-print/Working paper (2012)

We report the discovery by the WASP transit survey of two new highly irradiated giant planets transiting moderately bright stars. WASP-64b is slightly more massive (1.271+-0.068 M_Jup) and larger (1.271 ... [more ▼]

We report the discovery by the WASP transit survey of two new highly irradiated giant planets transiting moderately bright stars. WASP-64b is slightly more massive (1.271+-0.068 M_Jup) and larger (1.271+-0.039 R_Jup) than Jupiter, and is in very-short (a=0.02648+-0.00024 AU) circular orbit around a V=12.3 G7-type dwarf (1.004+-0.028 M_Sun, 1.058+-0.025 R_Sun, Teff=5500+-150 K). Its size is typical of hot Jupiters with similar masses. WASP-72b has also a mass a bit larger than Jupiter's (1.410-0.050+0.045 M_Jup) and orbits very close (0.03655-0.00032+0.00039 AU) to a slightly evolved V=9.6 F7-type star (1.327-0.035+0.043 M_Sun, 1.71-0.09+0.16 R_Sun, Teff=6250+-100 K). Despite its extreme irradiation (about 4 10^9 erg/s/cm^2), WASP-72b has a size consistent with Jupiter's (1.01-0.08+0.12 R_Jup) that makes it a possible outlier among the hot Jupiters of similar masses, suggesting a significant enrichment in heavy elements. [less ▲]