Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21812809w&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #218, #128.09; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The effect of stellar X-rays on their nearby gas-giant planets appear to be significant. The X-rays have been cited at the cause of excess heating of the planet which can induce mass loss. Further, several lines of argument indicate that the magnetic fields of the two bodies can interact. We report on XMM-Newton observations of the planetary host star HD 189733. The system has a close-in planet and it can potentially affect the coronal structure via interactions with the magnetosphere. We have obtained X-ray spectra and light curves during the primary transit and secondary eclipse. During transit, only variability due to weak flares is recognized. During the eclipse, we observed a significant softening of the X-ray spectrum at a level of 3σ. Furthermore, we observed the most intense flare recorded at either epoch. This flare occurred 3 ks after the end of the eclipse. The flare decay shows several minor ignitions perhaps linked to the main event and hinting at secondary loops that are triggered by the main loop. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations show that the magnetic interaction between planet and star enhances the density and the magnetic field in a region between the planet and the star because of their relative orbital/rotation motion. X-ray observations and model predictions are globally found in agreement, despite the quite simple MHD model and the lack of precise estimate of parameters including the alignment and the intensity of stellar and planetary magnetic fields. We discuss the significance of higher area and high spectral resolution on such observations.
Cohen Ofer
Drake Jeremy J.
Kashyap Vinay
Lisse Carey Michael
Pillitteri Ignazio
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