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Transit timing variations in the WASP-4 planetary system

Southworth, John; Dominik, M; Jørgensen, U G; Andersen, M I; Bozza, V; Burgdorf, M J; D’Ago, G; Dib, S; Figuera Jaimes, R; Fujii, Y I; Gill, S; Haikala, L K; Hinse, T C; Hundertmark, M; Khalouei, E; Korhonen, H; Longa-Peña, P; Mancini, L; Peixinho, N; Rabus, M; Rahvar, S; Sajadian, S; Skottfelt, J; Snodgrass, C; Spyratos, P; Tregloan-Reed, J; Unda-Sanzana, E; von Essen, C

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Authors

M Dominik

U G Jørgensen

M I Andersen

V Bozza

M J Burgdorf

G D’Ago

S Dib

R Figuera Jaimes

Y I Fujii

S Gill

L K Haikala

T C Hinse

M Hundertmark

E Khalouei

H Korhonen

P Longa-Peña

L Mancini

N Peixinho

M Rabus

S Rahvar

S Sajadian

J Skottfelt

C Snodgrass

P Spyratos

J Tregloan-Reed

E Unda-Sanzana

C von Essen



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.

Citation

Southworth, J., Dominik, M., Jørgensen, U. G., Andersen, M. I., Bozza, V., Burgdorf, M. J., …von Essen, C. (2019). Transit timing variations in the WASP-4 planetary system. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 490(3), 4230 - 4236. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2602

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Sep 11, 2019
Online Publication Date Sep 19, 2019
Publication Date 2019-12
Publicly Available Date May 26, 2023
Journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Print ISSN 0035-8711
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 490
Issue 3
Pages 4230 - 4236
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2602
Keywords stars, activity, fundamental parameters, individual, WASP-4
Publisher URL https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2602

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