An analysis of the transit times of CoRoT-Exo-1b

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  • 10 March 2009
Abstract
I report the results from a study of the transit times for CoRoT-Exo-1b, which was one of the first planets discovered by the CoRoT satellite. Analysis of the pipeline reduced CoRoT light curve yields a new determination of the physical and orbital parameters of planet and star, along with 35 individual transit times at a typical precision of 36 s. I estimate a planet-to-star radii ratio of 0.1433 +/- 0.0010, a ratio of the planet's orbital semimajor axis to the host star radius of 4.751 +/- 0.045, and an orbital inclination for the planet of 83.88 +/- 0.29 deg. The observed transit times are consistent with CoRoT-Exo-1b having a constant period and there is no evidence of an additional planet in the system. I use the observed constancy of the transit times to set limits on the mass of a hypothetical additional planet in a nearby, stable orbit. I ascertain that the most stringent limits can be placed on planets residing in or near low-order mean motion resonances with the transiting planet. For example, masses greater than 1 M_Earth and 0.3 M_Jup are ruled out for planets in or near the 2:1 and 3:1 outer mean motion resonances respectively. In addition, I simulate what limits to additional planets could be obtained from analysis of data for a similar system obtained during a CoRoT long run (100 sequential transit times). I find that for this scenario, planets with masses greater than that of Mars (0.1 M_Earth) in the 2:1 outer mean motion resonance would cause high-significance transit time deviations. Therefore, such planets could be detected or ruled out using CoRoT long run data. I conclude that CoRoT data will indeed be very useful for searching for additional planets to discovered transiting planets with the transit timing method. (Abridged)

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