Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission IX. CoRoT-6b: a transiting `hot Jupiter' planet in an 8.9d orbit around a low-metallicity star

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and characterization of CoRoT-6b, a hot Jupiter exoplanet orbiting a low-metallicity, solar-type star, based on space and ground-based observations, highlighting its physical parameters and stellar activity.

Contribution

First detailed analysis of CoRoT-6b, a hot Jupiter in an 8.9-day orbit around a low-metallicity star, combining satellite and ground-based data for comprehensive characterization.

Findings

Planet mass close to 3 Jupiter masses

Orbit period of 8.9 days and 0.08 AU distance

Host star has lower metallicity and high activity level

Abstract

The CoRoT satellite exoplanetary team announces its sixth transiting planet in this paper. We describe and discuss the satellite observations as well as the complementary ground-based observations - photometric and spectroscopic - carried out to assess the planetary nature of the object and determine its specific physical parameters. The discovery reported here is a `hot Jupiter' planet in an 8.9d orbit, 18 stellar radii, or 0.08 AU, away from its primary star, which is a solar-type star (F9V) with an estimated age of 3.0 Gyr. The planet mass is close to 3 times that of Jupiter. The star has a metallicity of 0.2 dex lower than the Sun, and a relatively high $^7$Li abundance. While thelightcurveindicatesamuchhigherlevelof activity than, e.g., the Sun, there is no sign of activity spectroscopically in e.g., the [Ca ] H&K lines.