Spin-orbit alignment of exoplanet systems: analysis of an ensemble of asteroseismic observations

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2015

Authors

Campante, TL (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

Vol. 11

Pages: 636-641

ISSN: 1743-9213

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-403

DOI: 10.1017/s1743921316006232

Abstract (EN): <jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Measuring the obliquities of exoplanet-host stars provides invaluable diagnostic information for theories of planetary formation and migration. Most of these results have so far been obtained by measuring the Rossiter¿McLaughlin effect, clearly favoring systems that harbor hot Jupiters. While it would be extremely helpful to extend these measurements to long-period and multiple-planet systems, it is also true that the latter systems tend to involve smaller planets, making it ever so difficult to apply such techniques. Asteroseismology provides a powerful method of determining the inclination of the stellar spin axis ¿ from an analysis of the rotationally-induced splittings of the oscillation modes ¿ whose applicability is ultimately determined by the stellar parameters and not by the signal-to-noise ratio of the transit data. Here we present the first statistical analysis of an ensemble of asteroseismic obliquity measurements obtained for solar-type stars with transiting planets. The sample consists of 25 <jats:italic>Kepler</jats:italic> planet-candidate host stars, 14 of which are multi-transiting systems. We seek empirical constraints on the spin-orbit alignment of exoplanet systems and discuss the implications for theories of planetary formation and migration.</jats:p>

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific