Southworth, J, Dominik, M, Jorgensen, UG, Andersen, MI, Bozza, V, Burgdorf, MJ, D'Ago, G, Dib, S, Figuera Jaimes, R, Fujii, YI, Gill, S, Haikala, LK, Hinse, TC, Hundertmark, M, Khalouei, E, Korhonen, H, Longa-Pena, P, Mancini, L, Peixinho, N, Rabus, M, Rahvar, S, Sajadian, S, Skottfelt, J, Snodgrass, C, Spyratos, P, Tregloan-Reed, J, Unda-Sanzana, E and von Essen, C (2019) Transit timing variations in the WASP-4 planetary system. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 490 (3). 4230 - 4236. ISSN 1365-2966

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Abstract

Transits in the planetary system WASP-4 were recently found to occur 80 s earlier than expected in observations from the TESS satellite. We present 22 new times of mid-transit that confirm the existence of transit timing variations, and are well fitted by a quadratic ephemeris with period decay dP/dt = −9.2 ± 1.1 ms yr−1. We rule out instrumental issues, stellar activity and the Applegate mechanism as possible causes. The light-time effect is also not favoured due to the non-detection of changes in the systemic velocity. Orbital decay and apsidal precession are plausible but unproven. WASP-4 b is only the third hot Jupiter known to show transit timing variations to high confidence. We discuss a variety of observations of this and other planetary systems that would be useful in improving our understanding of WASP-4 in particular and orbital decay in general.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: stars, activity, fundamental parameters, individual, WASP-4
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy > QB799 Stars
Divisions: Faculty of Natural Sciences > School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Symplectic
Date Deposited: 10 Jan 2020 15:25
Last Modified: 12 Jun 2020 09:41
URI: https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/7480

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