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

M. Gillon*, A. P. Doyle, M. Lendl, P. F. L. Maxted, A. H. M. J. Triaud, D. R. Anderson, S. C. C. Barros, J. Bento, A. Collier-Cameron, B. Enoch, F. Faedi, C. Hellier, E. Jehin, P. Magain, J. Montalbán, F. Pepe, D. Pollacco, D. Queloz, B. Smalley, D. SegransanA. M. S. Smith, J. Southworth, S. Udry, R. G. West, P. J. Wheatley

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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, 0.84 ± 0.03 R) in the Southern constellation Eridanus. Thanks to highprecision 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 MJup and 1.15 ± 0.05 RJup, respectively. The transit ephemeris is 2 455 558.6120 (±0.0002)+N × 1.955096 (±0.000005) HJDUTC. The size of the planet is consistent with basic models of irradiated giant planets. The chromospheric activity (log R'HK = -4.67) and rotational period (Prot = 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* = 1.48 ± 0.10 ρ⊙, Teff = 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+6−31 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.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberA88
Number of pages8
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume533
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • techniques: spectroscopic
  • planetary systems
  • techniques: radial velocities
  • stars: individual: WASP-50
  • techniques: photometric

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