Search for rings and satellites around the exoplanet CoRoT-9b using Spitzer photometry

Using Spitzer photometry at 4.5 microns, we search for rings and satellites around the long period transiting planet CoRoT-9b. We observed two transits in 2010 and 2011. From their non-detection, we derive upper limits on the plausible physical characteristics of these objects in the planet environm...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) 2017-07, Vol.603, p.A115
Main Authors: Lecavelier des Etangs, A., Hébrard, G., Blandin, S., Cassier, J., Deeg, H. J., Bonomo, A. S., Bouchy, F., Désert, J.-M., Ehrenreich, D., Deleuil, M., Díaz, R. F., Moutou, C., Vidal-Madjar, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astrophysics
Elongation
Extrasolar planets
Inclination angle
Photometry
Physical properties
Physics
planetary systems
Roche limit
Satellites
stars: individual: CoRoT-9
techniques: photometric
Transits
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Using Spitzer photometry at 4.5 microns, we search for rings and satellites around the long period transiting planet CoRoT-9b. We observed two transits in 2010 and 2011. From their non-detection, we derive upper limits on the plausible physical characteristics of these objects in the planet environment. We show that a satellite larger than about 2.5 Earth radii is excluded at 3σ for a wide range of elongations at the two epochs of observations. Combining the two observations, we conclude that rings are excluded for a wide variety of sizes and inclination. We find that for a ring extending up to the Roche limit, its inclination angle from the edge-on configuration as seen from the Earth must be lower than 13° in the case of silicate composition and lower than 3° in the case of material with water ice density.
ISSN:0004-6361
1432-0746
1432-0756
DOI:10.1051/0004-6361/201730554