The orbital motion, absolute mass and high-altitude winds of exoplanet HD 209458b

Ignas A. G. Snellen (), Remco J. de Kok, Ernst J. W. de Mooij and Simon Albrecht
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Ignas A. G. Snellen: Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
Remco J. de Kok: SRON, Sorbonnelaan 2, 3584 CA Utrecht, The Netherlands
Ernst J. W. de Mooij: Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
Simon Albrecht: Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

Nature, 2010, vol. 465, issue 7301, 1049-1051

Abstract: An exoplanet's mass Most of the known exoplanets were discovered using the radial velocity method, measuring the 'wobble' induced in the host stars by their orbiting companions. If the orbital velocity of the planet can also be determined, it becomes possible to calculate the masses of both the star and its exoplanet without the need for further assumptions or model dependencies. That has now been achieved for the well-studied 'hot Jupiter' HD 209458b, based on spectroscopic measurements of the changing Doppler shift of molecular absorption lines of carbon monoxide, observed as the planet passed between its host star and the Earth. The masses of the star and planet are 1.00±0.22 solar masses and 0.64±0.09 jovian masses respectively. Also revealed — as blueshift of the carbon monoxide signal with respect to host star velocity — a strong wind flowing at high altitude from the irradiated dayside to the non-irradiated nightside of the planet.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09111

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