arXiv subjects

M. Gillon

Publications and source records attributed to M. Gillon.

323 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

WASP-5b: a dense, very-hot Jupiter transiting a 12th-mag Southern-hemisphere star

We report the discovery of WASP-5b, a Jupiter-mass planet orbiting a 12th-mag G-type star in the Southern hemisphere. The 1.6-d orbital period places WASP-5b in the class of very-hot Jupiters and leads to a predicted equilibrium temperature of 1750 K. WASP-5b is the densest of any known Jovian-mass planet, being a factor seven denser than TrES-4, which is subject to similar stellar insolation, and a factor three denser than WASP-4b, which has a similar orbital period. We present transit photometry and radial-velocity measurements of WASP-5 (= USNO-B1 0487-0799749), from which we derive the mass, radius and density of the planet: M_P = 1.58 +0.13 -0.08 M_J, R_P = 1.090 +0.094 -0.058 R_J and Rho_P = 1.22 +0.19 -0.24 Rho_J. The orbital period is P = 1.6284296 +0.0000048 -0.0000037 d and the mid-transit epoch is T_C (HJD) = 2454375.62466 +0.00026 -0.00025.

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arXiv2008

WASP-4b: a 12th-magnitude transiting hot-Jupiter in the Southern hemisphere

We report the discovery of WASP-4b, a large transiting gas-giant planet with an orbital period of 1.34 days. This is the first planet to be discovered by the SuperWASP-South observatory and CORALIE collaboration and the first planet orbiting a star brighter than 16th magnitude to be discovered in the Southern hemisphere. A simultaneous fit to high-quality lightcurves and precision radial-velocity measurements leads to a planetary mass of 1.22 +/- 0.1 MJup and a planetary radius of 1.42 +/- 0.08 RJup. The host star is USNO-B1.0 0479-0948995, a G7V star of visual magnitude 12.5. As a result of the short orbital period, the predicted surface temperature of the planet is 1776 K, making it an ideal candidate for detections of the secondary eclipse at infrared wavelengths.

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arXiv2007

OGLE-TR-211 - a new transiting inflated hot Jupiter from the OGLE survey and ESO LP666 spectroscopic follow-up program

We present results of the photometric campaign for planetary and low-luminosity object transits conducted by the OGLE survey in 2005 season (Campaign #5). About twenty most promising candidates discovered in these data were subsequently verified spectroscopically with the VLT/FLAMES spectrograph. One of the candidates, OGLE-TR-211, reveals clear changes of radial velocity with small amplitude of 82 m/sec, varying in phase with photometric transit ephemeris. Thus, we confirm the planetary nature of the OGLE-TR-211 system. Follow-up precise photometry of OGLE-TR-211 with VLT/FORS together with radial velocity spectroscopy supplemented with high resolution, high S/N VLT/UVES spectra allowed us to derive parameters of the planet and host star. OGLE-TR-211b is a hot Jupiter orbiting a F7-8 spectral type dwarf star with the period of 3.68 days. The mass of the planet is equal to 1.03+/-0.20 M_Jup while its radius 1.36+0.18-0.09 R_Jup. The radius is about 20% larger than the typical radius of hot Jupiters of similar mass. OGLE-TR-211b is, then, another example of inflated hot Jupiters - a small group of seven exoplanets with large radii and unusually small densities - objects being a challenge to the current models of exoplanets.

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arXiv2007

A transiting planet among 23 new near-threshold candidates from the OGLE survey - OGLE-TR-182

By re-processing the data of the second season of the OGLE survey for planetary transits and adding new mesurements on the same fields gathered in subsequent years with the OGLE telescope, we have identified 23 new transit candidates, recorded as OGLE-TR-178 to OGLE-TR-200. We studied the nature of these objects with the FLAMES/UVES multi-fiber spectrograph on the VLT. One of the candidates, OGLE-TR-182, was confirmed as a transiting gas giant planet on a 4-day orbit. We characterised it with further observations using the FORS1 camera and UVES spectrograph on the VLT. OGLE-TR-182b is a typical ``hot Jupiter'' with an orbital period of 3.98 days, a mass of 1.01 +- 0.15 MJup and a radius of 1.13 (+0.24-0.08) RJup. Confirming this transiting planet required a large investment in telescope time with the best instruments available, and we comment on the difficulty of the confirmation process for transiting planets in the OGLE survey. We delienate the zone were confirmation is difficult or impossible, and discuss the implications for the Corot space mission in its quest for transiting telluric planets.

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arXiv2007

Characterization of the hot Neptune GJ 436b with Spitzer and ground-based observations

We present Spitzer Space Telescope infrared photometry of a secondary eclipse of the hot Neptune GJ436b. The observations were obtained using the 8-micron band of the InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC). The data spanning the predicted time of secondary eclipse show a clear flux decrement with the expected shape and duration. The observed eclipse depth of 0.58 mmag allows us to estimate a blackbody brightness temperature of T_p = 717 +- 35 K at 8 microns. We compare this infrared flux measurement to a model of the planetary thermal emission, and show that this model reproduces properly the observed flux decrement. The timing of the secondary eclipse confirms the non-zero orbital eccentricity of the planet, while also increasing its precision (e = 0.14 +- 0.01). Additional new spectroscopic and photometric observations allow us to estimate the rotational period of the star and to assess the potential presence of another planet.

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arXiv2007

Accurate Spitzer infrared radius measurement for the hot Neptune GJ 436b

We present Spitzer Space Telescope infrared photometry of a primary transit of the hot Neptune GJ 436b. The observations were obtained using the 8 microns band of the InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC). The high accuracy of the transit data and the weak limb-darkening in the 8 microns IRAC band allow us to derive (assuming M = 0.44 +- 0.04 Msun for the primary) a precise value for the planetary radius (4.19 +0.21-0.16 Rearth), the stellar radius (0.463 +0.022-0.017 Rsun), the orbital inclination (85.90 +0.19-0.18 degrees) and transit timing (2454280.78186 +0.00015-0.00008 HJD). Assuming current planet models, an internal structure similar to that of Neptune with a small H/He envelope is necessary to account for the measured radius of GJ 436b.

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arXiv2007

The transiting planet OGLE-TR-132b revisited with new spectroscopy and deconvolution photometry

OGLE-TR-132b transits a very metal-rich F dwarf about 2000 pc from the Sun, in the Galactic disc towards Carina. It orbits very close to its host star (a = 0.03 AU) and has an equilibrium temperature of nearly 2000 K. Using rapid-cadence transit photometry from the FORS2 camera on the VLT and SUSI2 on the NTT, and high-resolution spectroscopy with UVES on the VLT, we refine the shape of the transit light curve and the parameters of the system. In particular, we improve the planetary radius estimate, R=1.18 +- 0.07 R_J and provide very precise ephemeris, T_tr=2453142.59123 +- 0.0003 BJD and P=1.689868 +- 0.000003 days. The obtained planetary mass is 1.14 +- 0.12 M_J. Our results give a slightly smaller and lighter star, and bigger planet, than previous values. As the VLT/FORS2 light curve obtained in this analysis with the deconvolution photometry algorithm DECPHOT shows a transit depth in disagreement with the one obtained by a previous study using the same data, we analyze them with two other reduction methods (aperture and image subtraction). The light curves obtained with the three methods are in good agreement, though deconvolution-based photometry is significantly more precise. It appears from these results that the smaller transit depth obtained in the previous study was due to a normalisation problem inherent to the reduction procedure used.

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arXiv2007

Detection of transits of the nearby hot Neptune GJ 436 b

This Letter reports on the photometric detection of transits of the Neptune-mass planet orbiting the nearby M-dwarf star GJ 436. It is by far the closest, smallest and least massive transiting planet detected so far. Its mass is slightly larger than Neptune's at M = 22.6 +- 1.9 M_earth. The shape and depth of the transit lightcurves show that it is crossing the host star disc near its limb (impact parameter 0.84 +- 0.03) and that the planet size is comparable to that of Uranus and Neptune, R = 25200 +- 2200 km = 3.95 +- 0.35 R_earth. Its main constituant is therefore very likely to be water ice. If the current planet structure models are correct, an outer layer of H/He constituting up to ten percent in mass is probably needed on top of the ice to account for the observed radius.

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arXiv2007

The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets. X. A m sin i = 11 Mearth planet around the nearby spotted M dwarf GJ 674

Context: How planet properties depend on stellar mass is a key diagnostic of planetary formation mechanisms. Aims: This motivates planet searches around stars which are significantly more massive or less massive than the Sun, and in particular our radial velocity search for planets around very-low mass stars. Methods: As part of that program, we obtained measurements of GJ 674, an M2.5 dwarf at d=4.5 pc, which have a dispersion much in excess of their internal errors. An intensive observing campaign demonstrates that the excess dispersion is due to two superimposed coherent signals, with periods of 4.69 and 35 days. Results: These data are well described by a 2-planet Keplerian model where each planet has a ~11 Mearth minimum mass. A careful analysis of the (low level) magnetic activity of GJ 674 however demonstrates that the 35-day period coincides with the stellar rotation period. This signal therefore originates in a spot inhomogeneity modulated by stellar rotation. The 4.69-day signal on the other hand is caused by a bona-fide planet, GJ 674b. Conclusion: Its detection adds to the growing number of Neptune-mass planets around M-dwarfs, and reinforces the emerging conclusion that this mass domain is much more populated than the jovian mass range. We discuss the metallicity distributions of M dwarf with and without planets and find a low 11% probability that they are drawn from the same parent distribution. Moreover, we find tentative evidence that the host star metallicity correlates with the total mass of their planetary system.

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arXiv2007

DECPHOT: an optimal deconvolution-based photometric reduction method

A high accuracy photometric reduction method is needed to take full advantage of the potential of the transit method for the detection and characterization of exoplanets, especially in deep crowded fields. In this context, we present DECPHOT, a new deconvolution-based photometry algorithm able to deal with a very high level of crowding and large variations of seeing. It also increases the resolution of astronomical images, an important advantage for the discrimination of false positives in transit photometry.

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arXiv2007

On the influence of blends on the potential of ground-based transit surveys

Transit surveys have to observe many stars all at once in order to compensate for the rarity of the searched events. Such surveys, especially the ones observing a deep field of view and/or broadening their stellar images, have to deal with a relatively high level of crowding. This crowding could lead to a reduction of the number of detectable transits, and the estimation of the potential of such surveys without taking into account the influence of blends could give overoptimistic results. We have developed a code which allows to estimate the extent by which such a survey is affected by the crowding of the field of view. Our results show that the influence of blends is important only for severe levels of crowding and is in general much less crucial than the influence of red noise.

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arXiv2006

WASP-1b and WASP-2b: Two new transiting exoplanets detected with SuperWASP and SOPHIE

We have detected low-amplitude radial-velocity variations in two stars, USNO-B1.0 1219-0005465 (GSC 02265-00107 = WASP-1) and USNO-B1.0 0964-0543604 (GSC 00522-01199 = WASP-2). Both stars were identified as being likely host stars of transiting exoplanets in the 2004 SuperWASP wide-field transit survey. Using the newly-commissioned radial-velocity spectrograph SOPHIE at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, we found that both objects exhibit reflex orbital radial-velocity variations with amplitudes characteristic of planetary-mass companions and in-phase with the photometric orbits. Line-bisector studies rule out faint blended binaries as the cause of either the radial-velocity variations or the transits. We perform preliminary spectral analyses of the host stars, which together with their radial-velocity variations and fits to the transit light curves, yield estimates of the planetary masses and radii. WASP-1b and WASP-2b have orbital periods of 2.52 and 2.15 days respectively. Given mass estimates for their F7V and K1V primaries we derive planet masses 0.80 to 0.98 and 0.81 to 0.95 times that of Jupiter respectively. WASP-1b appears to have an inflated radius of at least 1.33 R_Jup, whereas WASP-2b has a radius in the range 0.65 to 1.26 R_Jup.

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arXiv2006

A deconvolution-based algorithm for crowded field photometry with unknown Point Spread Function

A new method is presented for determining the Point Spread Function (PSF) of images that lack bright and isolated stars. It is based on the same principles as the MCS (Magain, Courbin, Sohy, 1998) image deconvolution algorithm. It uses the information contained in all stellar images to achieve the double task of reconstructing the PSFs for single or multiple exposures of the same field and to extract the photometry of all point sources in the field of view. The use of the full information available allows to construct an accurate PSF. The possibility to simultaneously consider several exposures makes it very well suited to the measurement of the light curves of blended point sources from data that would be very difficult or even impossible to analyse with traditional PSF fitting techniques. The potential of the method for the analysis of ground-based and space-based data is tested on artificial images and illustrated by several examples, including HST/NICMOS images of a lensed quasar and VLT/ISAAC images of a faint blended Mira star in the halo of the giant elliptical galaxy NGC5128 (Cen A).

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arXiv2006

High accuracy transit photometry of the planet OGLE-TR-113b with a new deconvolution-based method

A high accuracy photometry algorithm is needed to take full advantage of the potential of the transit method for the characterization of exoplanets, especially in deep crowded fields. It has to reduce to the lowest possible level the negative influence of systematic effects on the photometric accuracy. It should also be able to cope with a high level of crowding and with large scale variations of the spatial resolution from one image to another. A recent deconvolution-based photometry algorithm fulfills all these requirements, and it also increases the resolution of astronomical images, which is an important advantage for the detection of blends and the discrimination of false positives in transit photometry. We made some changes to this algorithm in order to optimize it for transit photometry and used it to reduce NTT/SUSI2 observations of two transits of OGLE-TR-113b. This reduction has led to two very high precision transit light curves with a low level of systematic residuals, used together with former photometric and spectroscopic measurements to derive new stellar and planetary parameters in excellent agreement with previous ones, but significantly more precise.

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arXiv2005

High precision determination of the atmospheric parameters and abundances of the COROT main targets

One of the main goals of the COROT mission is to get precise photometric observations of selected bright stars in order to allow the modelling of their interior through asteroseismology. However, in order to interpret the asteroseismological data, the effective temperature, surface gravity, and chemical composition of the stars must be known with sufficient accuracy. To carry out this task, we have developed a spectroscopic method called APASS (Atmospheric Parameters and Abundances from Synthetic Spectra) which allows precise analysis of stars with a moderate to high rotational velocity, which is the case for most primary COROT targets. Our method is based on synthetic spectra and works differentially with respect to the Sun. Using high signal-to-noise spectra and the APASS method, we determined the atmospheric parameters and chemical abundances of 13 primary COROT targets. Our results agree well with those obtained by Bruntt using his software VWA and with those obtained with the software TEMPLOGG. However, in both cases, our error bars are significantly smaller than those of other methods. Our effective temperatures are also in excellent agreement with those obtained with the IR photometry method. For five stars with relatively low rotational velocity, we also performed an analysis with a classical equivalent-width method to test agreement with APASS results. We show that equivalent-width measurements by Gaussian or Voigt profile-fitting are sensitive to the rotational broadening, leading to systematic errors whenever the projected rotation velocity is non-negligible. The APASS method appears superior in all cases and should thus be preferred.

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arXiv2005

On the potential of extrasolar planet transit surveys

We analyse the respective benefits and drawbacks of ground-based and space-based transit surveys for extrasolar planets. Based on simple but realistic assumptions about the fraction of lower main sequence stars harboring telluric and giant planets within the outer limit of the habitable zone, we predict the harvests of fictitious surveys with three existing wide field optical and near-IR cameras: the CFHT-Megacam, SUBARU-Suprime and VISTA-IR. An additional promising instrument is considered, VISTA-Vis, currently under development. The results are compared with the harvests predicted under exactly the same assumptions, for the space missions COROT and KEPLER. We show that ground-based wide field surveys may discover more giant planets than space missions. However, space surveys seem to constitute the best strategy to search for telluric planets. In this respect, the KEPLER mission appears 50 times more efficient than any of the ground--based surveys considered here. KEPLER might even discover telluric planets in the habitable zone of their host star.

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arXiv2004

Abundance analysis of targets for the COROT / MONS asteroseismology missions II. Abundance analysis of the COROT main targets

One of the goals of the ground-based support program for the COROT and Roemer satellite missions is to characterize suitable target stars for the part of the missions dedicated to asteroseismology. We present the detailed abundance analysis of nine of the potential COROT main targets using the semi-automatic software VWA. For two additional COROT targets we could not perform the analysis due to the high rotational velocity of these stars. For five stars with low rotational velocity we have also performed abundance analysis by a classical equivalent width method in order to test the reliability of the VWA software. The agreement between the different methods is good. We find that it is necessary to measure abundances extracted from each line relative to the abundances found from a spectrum of the Sun in order to remove systematic errors. We have constrained the global atmospheric parameters Teff, log g, and [Fe/H] to within 70-100 K, 0.1-0.2 dex, and 0.1 dex for five stars which are slow rotators (v sin i < 15 km/s). For most of the stars stars we find good agreement with the parameters found from line depth ratios, H-alpha lines, Strömgren indices, previous spectroscopic studies, and also log g determined from the HIPPARCOS parallaxes. For the fast rotators v sin i > 60 km/s it is not possible to constrain the atmospheric parameters.

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