Search for rings and satellites around the exoplanet CoRoT-9b using Spitzer photometry

Lecavelier des Etangs, A.; Hébrard, G.; Blandin, S.; Cassier, J.; Deeg, H. J.; Bonomo, A. S.; Bouchy, F.; Désert, J.-M.; Ehrenreich, D.; Deleuil, M.; Díaz, R. F.; Moutou, C.; Vidal-Madjar, A.
Bibliographical reference

Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 603, id.A115, 8 pp.

Advertised on:
7
2017
Number of authors
13
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
16
Refereed citations
13
Description
Using Spitzer photometry at 4.5 microns, we search for rings and satellites around the long period transiting planet CoRoT-9b. We observed two transits in 2010 and 2011. From their non-detection, we derive upper limits on the plausible physical characteristics of these objects in the planet environment. We show that a satellite larger than about 2.5 Earth radii is excluded at 3σ for a wide range of elongations at the two epochs of observations. Combining the two observations, we conclude that rings are excluded for a wide variety of sizes and inclination. We find that for a ring extending up to the Roche limit, its inclination angle from the edge-on configuration as seen from the Earth must be lower than 13° in the case of silicate composition and lower than 3° in the case of material with water ice density.
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