What asteroseismology can do for exoplanets: Kepler-410A b is a small Neptune around a bright star, in an eccentric orbit consistent with low obliquity

Journal Article · Mon Feb 10 04:00:00 EST 2014 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/782/1/14· OSTI ID:22348065

Van Eylen, V.; Lund, M. N.; Aguirre, V. Silva; Arentoft, T.; Kjeldsen, H.; Pedersen, M. G.; Jessen-Hansen, J.; Tingley, B.; Christensen-Dalsgaard, J. ^[1]; Albrecht, S. ^[2]; Chaplin, W. J.; Campante, T. L. ^[3]; Isaacson, H. ^[4]; Aerts, C. ^[5]

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1. Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark)
2. Department of Physics, and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)
3. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom)
4. Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94820 (United States)
5. Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 B, B-3001 Heverlee (Belgium)

We confirm the Kepler planet candidate Kepler-410A b (KOI-42b) as a Neptune-sized exoplanet on a 17.8 day, eccentric orbit around the bright (K {sub p} = 9.4) star Kepler-410A (KOI-42A). This is the third brightest confirmed planet host star in the Kepler field and one of the brightest hosts of all currently known transiting exoplanets. Kepler-410 consists of a blend between the fast rotating planet host star (Kepler-410A) and a fainter star (Kepler-410B), which has complicated the confirmation of the planetary candidate. Employing asteroseismology, using constraints from the transit light curve, adaptive optics and speckle images, and Spitzer transit observations, we demonstrate that the candidate can only be an exoplanet orbiting Kepler-410A. We determine via asteroseismology the following stellar and planetary parameters with high precision; M {sub *} = 1.214 ± 0.033 M {sub ☉}, R {sub *} = 1.352 ± 0.010 R {sub ☉}, age =2.76 ± 0.54 Gyr, planetary radius (2.838 ± 0.054 R {sub ⊕}), and orbital eccentricity (0.17{sub −0.06}{sup +0.07}). In addition, rotational splitting of the pulsation modes allows for a measurement of Kepler-410A's inclination and rotation rate. Our measurement of an inclination of 82.5{sub −2.5}{sup +7.5} [°] indicates a low obliquity in this system. Transit timing variations indicate the presence of at least one additional (non-transiting) planet (Kepler-410A c) in the system.

• OSTI ID: 22348065
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 782; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ACCURACY
INCLINATION
LIMITING VALUES
NEPTUNE PLANET
ORBITS
OSCILLATIONS
ROTATION
STARS
VISIBLE RADIATION