Kepler and Ground-based Transits of the Exo-Neptune HAT-P-11b

TL;DR

This study refines the physical parameters of exo-Neptune HAT-P-11b using Kepler and ground-based transits, revealing a smaller planet and star, analyzing star spots, and suggesting potential for magnetic activity studies.

Contribution

It provides a more accurate measurement of HAT-P-11b's size and star's activity, and develops a method to correct for star spot effects in transit data.

Findings

HAT-P-11b's radius is about 3-sigma smaller than previous estimates.

Ground-based data confirm Kepler-derived system parameters.

Star spot crossings are concentrated at specific phases, indicating active latitudes.

Abstract

We analyze 26 archival Kepler transits of the exo-Neptune HAT-P-11b, supplemented by ground-based transits observed in the blue (B-band) and near-IR (J-band). Both the planet and host star are smaller than previously believed; our analysis yields Rp=4.31 +/-0.06 Earth-radii, and Rs = 0.683 +/-0.009 solar radii, both about 3-sigma smaller than the discovery values. Our ground-based transit data at wavelengths bracketing the Kepler bandpass serve to check the wavelength dependence of stellar limb darkening, and the J-band transit provides a precise and independent constraint on the transit duration. Both the limb darkening and transit duration from our ground-based data are consistent with the new Kepler values for the system parameters. Our smaller radius for the planet implies that its gaseous envelope can be less extensive than previously believed, being very similar to the H-He envelope of GJ436b and Kepler-4b. HAT-P-11 is an active star, and signatures of star spot crossings are ubiquitous in the Kepler transit data. We develop and apply a methodology to correct the planetary radius for the presence of both crossed and uncrossed star spots. Star spot crossings are concentrated at phases -0.002 and +0.006. This is consistent with inferences from Rossiter-McLaughlin measurements that the planet transits nearly perpendicular to the stellar equator. We identify the dominant phases of star spot crossings with active latitudes on the star, and we infer that the stellar rotational pole is inclined at about 12 +/-5 degrees to the plane of the sky. We point out that precise transit measurements over long durations could in principle allow us to construct a stellar Butterfly diagram, to probe the cyclic evolution of magnetic activity on this active K-dwarf star.