WASP-19b: The shortest period transiting exoplanet yet discovered

Hebb, L.; Collier-Cameron, A.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Lister, T. A.; Smalley, B.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Hellier, C.; Anderson, D. R.; Pollacco, D.; Gillon, M.; Queloz, D.; West, R. G.; Bentley, S.; Enoch, B.; Haswell, C. A.; Horne, K.; Mayor, M.; Pepe, F.; Segransan, D.; Skillen, I.; Udry, S. and Wheatley, P. J. (2010). WASP-19b: The shortest period transiting exoplanet yet discovered. The Astrophysical Journal, 708(1) pp. 224–231.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/708/1/224

Abstract

We report on the discovery of a new extremely short period transiting extrasolar planet, WASP-19b. The planet has mass M _pl = 1.15 ± 0.08 M_J, radius R _pl = 1.31 ± 0.06 R_J, and orbital period P = 0.7888399 ± 0.0000008 days. Through spectroscopic analysis, we determine the host star to be a slightly super-solar metallicity ([M/H] = 0.1 ± 0.1 dex) G-dwarf with T _eff = 5500 ± 100 K. In addition, we detect periodic, sinusoidal flux variations in the light curve which are used to derive a rotation period for the star of P _rot = 10.5 ± 0.2 days. The relatively short stellar rotation period suggests that either WASP-19 is somewhat young (~ 600 Myr old) or tidal interactions between the two bodies have caused the planet to spiral inward over its lifetime resulting in the spin-up of the star. Due to the detection of the rotation period, this system has the potential to place strong constraints on the stellar tidal quality factor, Q'_s, if a more precise age is determined.

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