Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2009-10-22
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Accepted in ApJ; 17 pages, 3 figures, 6 tables (emulateapj format); expanded explanatory text
Scientific paper
In order to explain the inflated radii of some transiting extrasolar giant planets, we investigate a tidal heating scenario for the inflated planets WASP-4b, WASP-6b, WASP-12b, WASP-15b, and TrES-4. To do so, we assume that they retain a nonzero eccentricity, possibly by dint of continuing interaction with a third body. We calculate the amount of extra heating in the envelope that is then required to fit the radius of each planet, and we explore how this additional power depends on the planetary atmospheric opacity and on the mass of a heavy-element central core. There is a degeneracy between the core mass $M_{\rm core}$ and the heating $\dot{E}_{\rm heating}$. Therefore, in the case of tidal heating, there is for each planet a range of the couple $\{M_{\rm core},e^2/Q'_p\}$ that can lead to the same radius, where $Q'_p$ is the tidal dissipation factor and $e$ is the eccentricity. With this in mind, we also investigate the case of the non-inflated planet HAT-P-12b, which can admit solutions combining a heavy-element core and tidal heating. A substantial improvement of the measured eccentricities of such planetary systems could simplify this degeneracy by linking the two unknown parameters $\{M_{\rm core},Q'_p\}$. Further independent constraints on either of these parameters would, through our calculations, constrain the other.
Burrows Adam
Ibgui Laurent
Spiegel David S.
No associations
LandOfFree
Tidal Heating Models for the Radii of the Inflated Transiting Giant Planets WASP-4b, WASP-6b, WASP-12b, and TrES-4 does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Tidal Heating Models for the Radii of the Inflated Transiting Giant Planets WASP-4b, WASP-6b, WASP-12b, and TrES-4, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tidal Heating Models for the Radii of the Inflated Transiting Giant Planets WASP-4b, WASP-6b, WASP-12b, and TrES-4 will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-422942