CoRoT-7

Summary

CoRoT-7 (TYC 4799-1733-1) is a binary star system made up of a late G-type star[1] and a M-dwarf star that was discovered in 2021.[3] The primary star has three exoplanets,[5] including CoRoT-7b, an super-Earth exoplanet that is remarkable due to its extremly high temperature (around 2000 °C) and very short orbital period, around 20 hours.[6][7] It was the first exoplanet shown to be rocky.[7][8] The system has the name CoRoT-7 after the CoRoT space telescope, which discovered the exoplanets around the star CoRoT-7A.[8] The stellar system is 520 light-years from the Earth.[5]

CoRoT-7
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox J2000
Constellation Monoceros[1]
Right ascension 06h 43m 49.4688s[2]
Declination −01° 03′ 46.817″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 11.668[1]
Characteristics
CoRoT-7A
Spectral type G9V[1]
CoRoT-7B
Spectral type M4V[3]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)+31.174 ± 0.0086[1] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 10.984[2] mas/yr
Dec.: -0.040[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)6.2676 ± 0.0139 mas[2]
Distance520 ± 1 ly
(159.6 ± 0.4 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)5.78[1]
Position (relative to CoRoT-7A)[3]
ComponentCoRoT-7B
Epoch of observation2021
Angular distance75.7
Projected separation12160 AU
Details
CoRoT-7A
Mass0.91 ± 0.03[1] M
Radius0.82 ± 0.04[1] R
Surface gravity (log g)4.47 ± 0.10[1] cgs
Temperature5250 ± 60[1] K
Metallicity[M/H] = 0.12 ± 0.06[1]
Rotation~23 days[4]
Rotational velocity (v sin i)<3.5[1] km/s
Age(1.2–2.3) × 109[1] years
CoRoT-7B
Mass0.23[3] M
Other designations
2MASS J06434947-0103468, TYC 4799-1733-1, GSC 04799-01733
CoRoT-7A: Gaia EDR3 3107267177757848576
CoRoT-7B: Gaia EDR3 3107267212116737792
Database references
SIMBADdata
Exoplanet Archivedata

Stellar components edit

CoRoT-7A edit

The primary, CoRoT-7A is a G-type main sequence star, slightly smaller, cooler, and younger than the Sun. It has an apparent magnitude of 11.67, fainter than Proxima Centauri (mag. 11.05), the nearest star to the Sun, and is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. This star is approximately 520 light-years away from the Solar System[2] in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn).[9]

CoRoT-7B edit

The comoving companion CoRoT-7B was discovered in 2021. It is a red dwarf star.[3]

Location and properties edit

The star is located in the LRa01 field of view of the CoRoT spacecraft. It is about 500 light years from Earth. According to the project website, this field is in the Monoceros constellation.[9] Published data[10] lists the stellar properties as being a G9V yellow dwarf with a temperature of 5250 K, a radius of about 82% of the Sun and a mass of about 91% of the Sun,[1] But other sources have listed it as a (K0V) orange dwarf.[11] The metallicity is 0.12 ± 0.06. The star is estimated to be about 150 parsecs away and with an age in the range 1.2 – 2.3 billion years, is younger than our own star which has an age of 4.6 billion years.[1] The rotation period of the star, inferred by the lightcurve obtained by CoRoT, is around 23 days.

Planetary system edit

The primary star is orbited by the super-Earth exoplanets CoRoT-7b and CoRoT-7c, both discovered in 2009.[4] A third planet CoRoT-7d, initially proposed in a 2010 study,[12] was confirmed in 2022.[13] The discovery of the inner planet was made using the transit method by the CoRoT program. CoRoT-7b is notable for its relatively small size, compared to other exoplanets known at the time.[14]

The CoRoT-7 planetary system[4][13]
Companion
(in order from star)
Mass Semimajor axis
(AU)
Orbital period
(days)
Eccentricity Inclination Radius
b 6.056±0.653 M🜨 0.0172 ± 0.00029 0.853592±0.000000587 0 80.98±0.51° 1.528±0.065 R🜨
c 13.289±0.689 M🜨 0.046 3.697±0.005 0
d 17.142±2.552 M🜨 0.08 8.966±1.546 0

Because of their closeness to their star, these exoplanets cannot be seen in a telescope; only their gravitational effect can be detected by the Doppler effect on the star's electromagnetic spectrum (radial velocity method), as well as transits of planet b. This star was reported to have stellar activity, making the confirmation process for CoRoT-7b more difficult. In fact, mass estimates are affected by large uncertainty due to stellar activity that perturbs the radial velocity measurements needed to "weigh" the planets.[4][15][16]

CoRoT-7d was first proposed by A. P. Hatzes et al in 2010 by the radial velocity method.[12] The existence of CoRoT-7d was disputed by a 2014 study, which concluded that the radial velocity signal was more likely to be an artifact of the stellar rotation.[16] However, a 2022 study provided strong evidence for the existence of this planet,[13] and it is now listed as a confirmed planet in the NASA Exoplanet Archive.[17] CoRoT-7d's mass is 17.1 times that of Earth, but its volume and diameter are unknown. One year on CoRoT-7d would be equivalent to 8.966 days on Earth.[13]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Léger, A; et al. (2009). "Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission VIII. CoRoT-7b: the first Super-Earth with measured radius". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 506 (1): 287–302. arXiv:0908.0241. Bibcode:2009A&A...506..287L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200911933. S2CID 5682749.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2021). "Gaia Early Data Release 3: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 649: A1. arXiv:2012.01533. Bibcode:2021A&A...649A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657. S2CID 227254300. (Erratum: doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657e). Gaia EDR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. ^ a b c d e Fontanive, Clémence; Daniella Bardalez Gagliuffi (2021), "The Census of Exoplanets in Visual Binaries: population trends from a volume-limited Gaia DR2 and literature search", Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, 8: 16, arXiv:2101.12667, Bibcode:2021FrASS...8...16F, doi:10.3389/fspas.2021.625250
  4. ^ a b c d Queloz, D.; Bouchy, F.; Moutou, C.; Hatzes, A.; Hebrard, G.; et al. (2009). "The CoRoT-7 planetary system: two orbiting Super-Earths" (PDF). Astronomy and Astrophysics. 506 (1): 303. Bibcode:2009A&A...506..303Q. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913096. Also available from exoplanet.eu Archived 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ a b "CoRoT-7 Overview". NASA Exoplanet Archive. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  6. ^ "COROT discovers smallest exoplanet yet, with a surface to walk on". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  7. ^ a b Gregersen, Erik. "CoRoT-7b". Britannica. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  8. ^ a b "First Solid Evidence for a Rocky Exoplanet - Mass and density of smallest exoplanet finally measured". ESO. September 16, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Rouan; et al. (February 3, 2009). "CoRoT-exo-7b Has CoRoT discovered the first transiting Super-Earth around a main sequence star?" (PDF). CoRoT Symposium—Paris. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2011. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
  10. ^ Bruntt; Deleuil; Fridlund; Alonso; Bouchy; Hatzes; Mayor; Moutou; Queloz (2010). "Improved stellar parameters of CoRoT-7". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 519: A51. arXiv:1005.3208. Bibcode:2010A&A...519A..51B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201014143. S2CID 54657440.
  11. ^ Jean Schneider. "Star : CoRoT-7". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. Archived from the original on August 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-26.
  12. ^ a b Hatzes; Dvorak; Wuchterl; Guterman; Hartmann; Fridlund; Gandolfi; Guenther; Paetzold (2010). "An Investigation into the Radial Velocity Variations of CoRoT-7". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 520: A93. arXiv:1006.5476. Bibcode:2010A&A...520A..93H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201014795. S2CID 38803450.
  13. ^ a b c d Anna John, Ancy; Collier Cameron, Andrew; Wilson, Thomas G. (2022), "The impact of two non-transiting planets and stellar activity on mass determinations for the super-Earth CoRoT-7b", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 515 (3): 3975–3995, arXiv:2206.14216, doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1814
  14. ^ "Super-Earth found! The smallest transiting extrasolar planet ever discovered". Paris Observatory. February 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  15. ^ "CoRoT-Exo-7b: Confirming the first transiting rocky planet". Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
  16. ^ a b Haywood, R. D.; et al. (September 2014). "Planets and stellar activity: hide and seek in the CoRoT-7 system". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 443 (3): 2517–2531. arXiv:1407.1044. Bibcode:2014MNRAS.443.2517H. doi:10.1093/mnras/stu1320. S2CID 23807689.
  17. ^ "CoRoT-7". NASA Exoplanet Archive. Retrieved 31 July 2022.

External links edit

  • Schilling, Govert (2009-02-03). "CoRoT Finds the Smallest Exoplanet Yet". Sky & Telescope. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-02-04.