Spin-orbit resonance, transit duration variation and possible secular perturbations in KOI-13

TL;DR

This study detects a spin-orbit resonance in KOI-13, linking stellar rotation to transit variations, and suggests secular orbital changes due to stellar oblateness from rapid rotation.

Contribution

First detection of a spin-orbit resonance in a star with a substellar companion and analysis of its impact on transit duration variations.

Findings

Detected stellar rotation period in exact 5:3 resonance with orbit

Observed gradual increase in transit duration over time

Secular perturbations consistent with stellar oblateness effects

Abstract

KOI-13 is the first known transiting system exhibiting light curve distortions due to gravity darkening of the rapidly rotating host star. In this paper we analyze publicly available Kepler Q2--Q3 short-cadence observations, detecting a continuous light variation with a period of Prot = 25.43 +- 0.05 hour and a half-amplitude of 21 ppm, which is linked to stellar rotation. This period is in exact 5:3 resonance with the orbit of KOI-13.01, which is the first detection of a spin-orbit resonance in a host of a substellar companion. The stellar rotation leads to stellar oblateness, which is expected to cause secular variations in the orbital elements. We indeed detect the gradual increment of the transit duration with a rate of (1.14 +- 0.30) * 10^{-6} day/cycle. The confidence of this trend is 3.85-sigma, the two-sided false alarm probability is 0.012%. We suggest that the reason for this variation is the expected change of the impact parameter, with a rate of db/dt = -0.016 +- 0.004/yr. Assuming b~0.25, KOI-13.01 may become a nontransiting object in 75--100 years. The observed rate is compatible with the expected secular perturbations due to the stellar oblateness yielded by the fast rotation.