
Judith Korth
Postdoc

Update on WASP-19
Author
Summary, in English
Tidal interaction between a star and a close-in massive exoplanet causes the planetary orbit to shrink and eventually leads to tidal disruption. Understanding orbital decay in exoplanetary systems is crucial for advancing our knowledge of planetary formation and evolution. Moreover, it sheds light on the broader question of the long-term stability of planetary orbits and the intricate interplay of gravitational forces within stellar systems. Analyzing Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data for the ultra-short period gas giant WASP-19, we aim to measure orbital period variations and constrain the stellar tidal quality parameter. For this, we fitted the TESS observations together with two WASP-19 transits observed using the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) and searched for orbital decay in combination with previously published transit times. As a result, we find a deviation from the constant orbital period at the (Formula presented.) level. The orbital period changes at a rate of (Formula presented.), which translates into a tidal quality factor of (Formula presented.). We additionally modeled WASP-19 b’s phase curve using the new TESS photometry and obtained updated values for the planet’s eclipse depth, dayside temperature, and geometric albedo. We estimate an eclipse depth of (Formula presented.) ppm, which is slightly higher than previous estimates and corresponds to a dayside brightness temperature of (Formula presented.) K and geometric albedo of (Formula presented.).
Department/s
- Astrophysics
Publishing year
2024-01
Language
English
Publication/Series
Universe
Volume
10
Issue
1
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
MDPI AG
Topic
- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Keywords
- exoplanets
- phase curves
- planets and satellites: individual: WASP-19 b
- transit timing variations
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 2218-1997