Prof Suzanne Aigrain: Publications

Stellar_flare_hits_HD_189733_b_(artist's_impression)

This artist's impression shows the hot Jupiter HD 189733b, as it passes in front of its parent star, as the latter is flaring, driving material away from the planet. The escaping atmosphere is seen silhouetted against the starlight. The surface of the star, which is around 80% the mass of the Sun, is based on observations of the Sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Credit: NASA, ESA, L. Calçada, Solar Dynamics Observatory

Star-Planet Interactions

(2008)

Authors:

Evgenya Shkolnik, Suzanne Aigrain, Steven Cranmer, Rim Fares, Malcolm Fridlund, Frederic Pont, Juergen Schmitt, Alexis Smith, Takeru Suzuki

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission: V. CoRoT-Exo-4b: Stellar and planetary parameters

Astronomy and Astrophysics 488:2 (2008) L47-L50

Authors:

C Moutou, H Bruntt, T Guillot, A Shporer, E Guenther, S Aigrain, JM Almenara, R Alonso, M Auvergne, A Baglin, M Barbieri, P Barge, W Benz, P Bordé, F Bouchy, HJ Deeg, R De La Reza, M Deleuil, R Dvorak, A Erikson, M Fridlund, M Gillon, P Gondoin, A Hatzes, G Hébrard, L Jorda, P Kabath, H Lammer, A Léger, A Llebaria, B Loeillet, P Magain, M Mayor, T Mazeh, M Ollivier, M Pätzold, F Pepe, F Pont, D Queloz, M Rabus, H Rauer, D Rouan, J Schneider, S Udry, G Wuchterl

Abstract:

Aims: The CoRoT satellite has announced its fourth transiting planet (Aigrain et al. 2008, A&A, 488, L43) with space photometry. We describe and analyse complementary observations of this system performed to establish the planetary nature of the transiting body and to estimate the fundamental parameters of the planet and its parent star. Methods: We have analysed high precision radial-velocity data, ground-based photometry, and high signal-to-noise ratio spectroscopy. Results: The parent star CoRoT-Exo-4 (2MASS 06484671-0040219) is a late F-type star of mass of 1.16 and radius of 1.17 . The planet has a circular orbit with a period of 9.20205 d. The planet radius is 1.19 and the mass is 0.72 . It is a gas-giant planet with a "normal" internal structure of mainly H and He. CoRoT-Exo-4b has the second longest period of the known transiting planets. It is an important discovery since it occupies an empty area in the mass-period diagram of transiting exoplanets.. © 2008 ESO.

Searching for the secondary eclipse of CoRoT-Exo-2b and its transit timing variations

(2008)

Authors:

R Alonso, S Aigrain, F Pont, T Mazeh, the CoRoT Exoplanet Science Team

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission IV: CoRoT-Exo-4b: A transiting planet in a 9.2 day synchronous orbit

(2008)

Authors:

S Aigrain, A Collier Cameron, M Ollivier, F Pont, L Jorda, JM Almenara, R Alonso, P Barge, P Borde, F Bouchy, H Deeg, R De la Reza, M Deleuil, R Dvorak, A Erikson, M Fridlund, P Gondoin, M Gillon, T Guillot, A Hatzes, H Lammer, AF Lanza, A Leger, A Llebaria, P Magain, T Mazeh, C Moutou, M Paetzold, C Pinte, D Queloz, H Rauer, D Rouan, J Schneider, G Wuchter, S Zucker

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission: II. CoRoT-Exo-2b: A transiting planet around an active G star

Astronomy and Astrophysics 482:3 (2008)

Authors:

R Alonso, M Auvergne, A Baglin, M Ollivier, C Moutou, D Rouan, HJ Deeg, S Aigrain, JM Almenara, M Barbieri, P Barge, W Benz, P Bordé, F Bouchy, R De La Reza, M Deleuil, R Dvorak, A Erikson, M Fridlund, M Gillon, P Gondoin, T Guillot, A Hatzes, G Hébrard, P Kabath, L Jorda, H Lammer, A Léger, A Llebaria, B Loeillet, P Magain, M Mayor, T Mazeh, M Pätzold, F Pepe, F Pont, D Queloz, H Rauer, A Shporer, J Schneider, B Stecklum, S Udry, G Wuchterl

Abstract:

Context. The CoRoT mission, a pioneer in exoplanet searches from space, has completed its first 150 days of continuous observations of ∼12 000 stars in the galactic plane. An analysis of the raw data identifies the most promising candidates and triggers the ground-based follow-up.Aims. We report on the discovery of the transiting planet CoRoT-Exo-2b, with a period of 1.743 days, and characterize its main parameters.Methods. We filter the CoRoT raw light curve of cosmic impacts, orbital residuals, and low frequency signals from the star. The folded light curve of 78 transits is fitted to a model to obtain the main parameters. Radial velocity data obtained with the SOPHIE, CORALIE and HARPS spectrographs are combined to characterize the system. The 2.5 min binned phase-folded light curve is affected by the effect of sucessive occultations of stellar active regions by the planet, and the dispersion in the out of transit part reaches a level of 1.0910 in flux units.Results. We derive a radius for the planet of 1.465 0.029 and a mass of 3.31 0.16 , corresponding to a density of 1.31 0.04 g/cm. The large radius of CoRoT-Exo-2b cannot be explained by current models of evolution of irradiated planets.. © 2008 ESO.

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