The star HIP 41378 potentially misaligned with its cohort of long-period planets

TL;DR

This paper reports the first measurement of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect for a long-period, temperate giant planet, revealing a significant spin-orbit misalignment that informs planetary formation theories.

Contribution

It presents the first RM effect detection for a non-eccentric long-period planet, providing new insights into stellar obliquities at large orbital distances.

Findings

Measured a projected obliquity of 21 ± 8 degrees.

Determined a 3D spin-orbit angle of 52 ± 6 degrees.

Suggests primordial tilt as the cause of misalignment.

Abstract

The obliquity between the stellar spin axis and the planetary orbit, detected via the Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) effect, is a tracer of the formation history of planetary systems. While obliquity measurements have been extensively applied to hot Jupiters and short-period planets, they remain rare for cold and long-period planets due to observational challenges, particularly their long transit durations. We report the detection of the RM effect for the 19-hour-long transit of HIP 41378 f, a temperate giant planet on a 542-day orbit, observed through a worldwide spectroscopic campaign. We measure a slight projected obliquity of 21 $\pm$ 8 degrees and a significant 3D spin-orbit angle of 52 $\pm$ 6 degrees, based on the measurement of the stellar rotation period. HIP 41378 f is part of a 5-transiting planetary system with planets close to mean motion resonances. The observed misalignment likely reflects a primordial tilt of the stellar spin axis relative to the protoplanetary disk, rather than dynamical interactions. HIP 41378 f is the first non-eccentric long-period (P>100 days) planet observed with the RM effect, opening new constraints on planetary formation theories. This observation should motivate the exploration of planetary obliquities across a longer range of orbital distances through international collaboration.