KEPLER-21b: A 1.6 R-Earth PLANET TRANSITING THE BRIGHT OSCILLATING F SUBGIANT STAR HD 179070
| Title | KEPLER-21b: A 1.6 R-Earth PLANET TRANSITING THE BRIGHT OSCILLATING F SUBGIANT STAR HD 179070 |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2012 |
| Authors | Howell, SB, Rowe, JF, Bryson, ST, Quinn, SN, Marcy, GW, Isaacson, H, Ciardi, DR, Chaplin, WJ, Metcalfe, TS, Monteiro, M, Appourchaux, T, Basu, S, Creevey, OL, Gilliland, RL, Quirion, PO, Stello, D, Kjeldsen, H, Christensen-Dalsgaard, J, Elsworth, Y, Garcia, RA, Houdek, G, Karoff, C, Molenda-Zakowicz, J, Thompson, MJ, Verner, GA, Torres, G, Fressin, F, Crepp, JR, Adams, E, Dupree, A, Sasselov, DD, Dressing, CD, Borucki, WJ, Koch, DG, Lissauer, JJ, Latham, DW, Buchhave, LA, Gautier, TN, Everett, M, Horch, E, Batalha, NM, Dunham, EW, Szkody, P, Silva, DR, Mighell, K, Holberg, J, Ballot, J, Bedding, TR, Bruntt, H, Campante, TL, Handberg, R, Hekker, S, Huber, D, Mathur, S, Mosser, B, Regulo, C, White, TR, Christiansen, JL, Middour, CK, Haas, MR, Hall, JR, Jenkins, JM, McCaulif, S, Fanelli, MN, Kulesa, C, McCarthy, D, Henze, CE |
| Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
| Volume | 746 |
| Date Published | Feb |
| ISBN Number | 0004-637X |
| Accession Number | WOS:000300406300009 |
| Abstract | We present Kepler observations of the bright (V = 8.3), oscillating star HD 179070. The observations show transit-like events which reveal that the star is orbited every 2.8 days by a small, 1.6 R-Earth object. Seismic studies of HD 179070 using short cadence Kepler observations show that HD 179070 has a frequency-power spectrum consistent with solar-like oscillations that are acoustic p-modes. Asteroseismic analysis provides robust values for the mass and radius of HD 179070, 1.34 +/- 0.06 M-circle dot and 1.86 +/- 0.04 R-circle dot, respectively, as well as yielding an age of 2.84 +/- 0.34 Gyr for this F5 subgiant. Together with ground-based follow-up observations, analysis of the Kepler light curves and image data, and blend scenario models, we conservatively show at the >99.7% confidence level (3 sigma) that the transit event is caused by a 1.64 +/- 0.04 R-Earth exoplanet in a 2.785755 +/- 0.000032 day orbit. The exoplanet is only 0.04 AU away from the star and our spectroscopic observations provide an upper limit to its mass of similar to 10 M-Earth (2 sigma). HD 179070 is the brightest exoplanet host star yet discovered by Kepler. |
