CoRoT-10b: a giant planet in a 13.24 day eccentric orbit

TL;DR

CoRoT-10b is a giant exoplanet with a highly eccentric 13.24-day orbit around a faint star, characterized by detailed measurements of its physical and orbital parameters, and insights into its orbital dynamics.

Contribution

This study reports the discovery and detailed characterization of CoRoT-10b, including its eccentric orbit, physical properties, and implications for orbital evolution without requiring a resonant perturber.

Findings

Planet has a radius of 0.97 R_Jup and mass of 2.75 M_Jup.

Orbit exhibits a high eccentricity of 0.53 with a 13.24-day period.

Planet experiences significant insolation variation and has a long circularization time.

Abstract

The space telescope CoRoT searches for transiting extrasolar planets by continuously monitoring the optical flux of thousands of stars in several fields of view. We report the discovery of CoRoT-10b, a giant planet on a highly eccentric orbit (e=0.53 +/- 0.04) revolving in 13.24 days around a faint (V=15.22) metal-rich K1V star. We use CoRoT photometry, radial velocity observations taken with the HARPS spectrograph, and UVES spectra of the parent star to derive the orbital, stellar and planetary parameters. We derive a radius of the planet of 0.97 +/- 0.07 R_Jup and a mass of 2.75 +/- 0.16 M_Jup. The bulk density, rho_pl=3.70 +/- 0.83 g/cm^3, is ~2.8 that of Jupiter. The core of CoRoT-10b could contain up to 240 M_Earth of heavy elements. Moving along its eccentric orbit, the planet experiences a 10.6-fold variation in insolation. Owing to the long circularisation time, tau_circ > 7 Gyr, a resonant perturber is not required to excite and maintain the high eccentricity of CoRoT-10b.