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). 4176 -4182. 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
Additional Information: This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Oxford University Press at https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2602 - please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Uncontrolled Keywords: 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 15:18
Last Modified: 31 Jan 2020 12:20
URI: https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/7481

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