Kepler-7b: A Transiting Planet with Unusually Low Density

Jan, 2010
19 pages
Published in:
  • Astrophys.J.Lett. 713 (2010) L140
e-Print:

Citations per year

20102011201220132014051015
Abstract: (arXiv)
We report the discovery and confirmation of Kepler-7b, a transiting planet with unusually low density. The mass is less than half that of Jupiter, Mp = 0.43 Mj, but the radius is fifty percent larger, Rp = 1.48 Rj. The resulting density, 0.17 g/cc, is the second lowest reported so far for an extrasolar planet. The orbital period is fairly long, P = 4.886 days, and the host star is not much hotter than the Sun, Teff = 6000 K. However, it is more massive and considerably larger than the sun, Mstar = 1.35 Msun and Rstar = 1.84 Rsun, and must be near the end of its life on the Main Sequence.
Note:
  • 19 pages, 3 figures