WASP-94 A and B planets: hot-Jupiter cousins in a twin-star system

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of two hot-Jupiter exoplanets orbiting each star in a wide binary system, providing new insights into planetary formation in stellar multiples and the dynamics of such systems.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed characterization of hot Jupiters in a twin-star system, including their orbital orientations and relative inclinations, highlighting the impact of stellar multiplicity on planet formation.

Findings

One planet has a retrograde orbit with a 3.95-day period.

The other planet has a 2.008-day period with a minimum mass of 0.618 M_Jup.

The planets' orbital planes are inclined relative to each other.

Abstract

We report the discovery of two hot-Jupiter planets, each orbiting one of the stars of a wide binary system. WASP-94A (2MASS 20550794-3408079) is an F8 type star hosting a transiting planet with a radius of 1.72 +/- 0.06 R_Jup, a mass of 0.452 +/- 0.034 M_Jup, and an orbital period of 3.95 days. The Rossiter-McLaughlin effect is clearly detected, and the measured projected spin-orbit angle indicates that the planet occupies a retrograde orbit. WASP-94B (2MASS 20550915-3408078) is an F9 stellar companion at an angular separation of 15" (projected separation 2700 au), hosting a gas giant with a minimum mass of 0.618 +/- 0.028 M_Jup with a period of 2.008 days, detected by Doppler measurements. The orbital planes of the two planets are inclined relative to each other, indicating that at least one of them is inclined relative to the plane of the stellar binary. These hot Jupiters in a binary system bring new insights into the formation of close-in giant planets and the role of stellar multiplicity.