Bibcode
Tregloan-Reed, J.; Southworth, John; Burgdorf, M.; Novati, S. Calchi; Dominik, M.; Finet, F.; Jørgensen, U. G.; Maier, G.; Mancini, L.; S., Prof; Ricci, D.; Snodgrass, C.; Bozza, V.; Browne, P.; Dodds, P.; Gerner, T.; Harpsøe, K.; Hinse, T. C.; Hundertmark, M.; Kains, N.; Kerins, E.; Liebig, C.; Penny, M. T.; Rahvar, S.; Sahu, K.; Scarpetta, G.; Schäfer, S.; Schönebeck, F.; Skottfelt, J.; Surdej, J.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 450, Issue 2, p.1760-1769
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6
2015
Citations
55
Refereed citations
50
Description
We present updates to PRISM, a photometric transit-starspot model, and
GEMC, a hybrid optimization code combining MCMC and a genetic algorithm.
We then present high-precision photometry of four transits in the WASP-6
planetary system, two of which contain a starspot anomaly. All four
transits were modelled using PRISM and GEMC, and the physical properties
of the system calculated. We find the mass and radius of the host star
to be 0.836 ± 0.063 M⊙ and 0.864 ± 0.024
R⊙, respectively. For the planet, we find a mass of 0.485
± 0.027 MJup, a radius of 1.230 ± 0.035
RJup and a density of 0.244 ± 0.014
ρJup. These values are consistent with those found in the
literature. In the likely hypothesis that the two spot anomalies are
caused by the same starspot or starspot complex, we measure the stars
rotation period and velocity to be 23.80 ± 0.15 d and 1.78
± 0.20 km s-1, respectively, at a colatitude of
75.8°. We find that the sky-projected angle between the stellar spin
axis and the planetary orbital axis is λ = 7.2° ±
3.7°, indicating axial alignment. Our results are consistent with
and more precise than published spectroscopic measurements of the
Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. These results suggest that WASP-6 b formed
at a much greater distance from its host star and suffered orbital decay
through tidal interactions with the protoplanetary disc.
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