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WASP-128b: a transiting brown dwarf in the dynamical-tide regime

Hodzic, Vedad; Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.; Anderson, David R.; Bouchy, Francois; Cameron, Andrew Collier; Delrez, Laetitia; Gillon, Michael; Hellier, Coel; Jehin, Emmanuel; Lendl, Monika; Maxted, Pierre F. L.; Pepe, Francesco; Pollacco, Don; Queloz, Didier; Segransan, Damien; Smalley, Barry; Udry, Stephane; West, Richard

WASP-128b: a transiting brown dwarf in the dynamical-tide regime Thumbnail


Authors

Vedad Hodzic

Amaury H. M. J. Triaud

David R. Anderson

Francois Bouchy

Andrew Collier Cameron

Laetitia Delrez

Michael Gillon

Emmanuel Jehin

Monika Lendl

Francesco Pepe

Don Pollacco

Didier Queloz

Damien Segransan

Stephane Udry

Richard West



Abstract

Massive companions in close orbits around G dwarfs are thought to undergo rapid orbital decay due to runaway tidal dissipation. We report here the discovery of WASP-128b, a brown dwarf discovered by the WASP survey transiting a G0V host on a 2.2 d orbit, where the measured stellar rotation rate places the companion in a regime where tidal interaction is dominated by dynamical tides. Under the assumption of dynamical equilibrium, we derive a value of the stellar tidal quality factor logQ'?=6.96±0.19. A combined analysis of ground-based photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy reveals a mass and radius of the host, M? = 1.16 ± 0.04M?, R? = 1.16 ± 0.02R?, and for the companion, Mb = 37.5 ± 0.8Mj, Rb = 0.94 ± 0.02Rj, placing WASP-128b in the driest parts of the brown dwarf desert, and suggesting a mild inflation for its age. We estimate a remaining lifetime for WASP-128b similar to that of some ultra-short period massive hot Jupiters, and note it may be a propitious candidate for measuring orbital decay and testing tidal theories.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 27, 2018
Online Publication Date Sep 14, 2018
Publication Date 2018-12
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Print ISSN 0035-8711
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 481
Issue 4
Pages 5091-5097
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty2512
Keywords methods, data analysis, brown dwarfs, binaries, eclipsing, planets and satellites, dynamical evolution and stability
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty2512

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