CoRoT-3b
Transit method | |
Orbital characteristics | |
---|---|
0.057 ± 0.003 AU (8,530,000 ± 450,000 km)[1] | |
Eccentricity | 0[2] |
4.25680 ± 0.000005[2] d | |
Inclination | 85.9 ± 0.8[2] |
Star | CoRoT-3 |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean radius | 1.01 ± 0.07[2] RJ |
Mass | 21.66 ± 1.0[2] MJ |
Mean density | 26,400 ± 5,600 kg/m3 (44,500 ± 9,400 lb/cu yd)[2] |
525 ± 85 m/s2 (1,720 ± 280 ft/s2)[2] 53.6 ± 8.7 g | |
CoRoT-3b (formerly known as CoRoT-Exo-3b
Physical properties
The mass of CoRoT-3b was determined by the
As CoRoT-3b is a transiting object, its radius can be calculated from the amount of light blocked when it passes in front of the star and an estimate of the stellar radius. When CoRoT-3b was originally discovered, it was believed to have a radius significantly smaller than that of Jupiter.[5] This would have implied it had properties intermediate between those of planets and brown dwarfs.[6] Later more detailed analysis revealed that the object's radius is similar to that of Jupiter, which fits with the expected properties of a brown dwarf with the mass of CoRoT-3b.[2]
The mean density of CoRoT-3b is 26,400 kg/m3, greater than that of osmium under standard conditions. This high density is reached because of the extreme compression of matter in the object's interior: in fact, the radius of CoRoT-3b is in agreement with predictions for an object composed mainly of hydrogen.[7] The surface gravity is correspondingly high, over 50 times the gravity felt at the surface of the Earth.[2]
A later study called this density into question using data from
The study in 2012, utilizing a Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, have determined the planetary orbit is mildly misaligned with the rotational axis of the star, misalignment equal to 37.6+10
−22.3°.[9]
Classification
The issue of whether CoRoT-3b is a planet or a brown dwarf depends on the definition chosen for these terms. According to one definition, a brown dwarf is an object capable of
References
- ^ Schneider, J. "Notes for star CoRoT-3". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. Archived from the original on 2012-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ S2CID 8944836.
- ^ Schneider, J. (2009-03-10). "Change in CoRoT planets names". Exoplanets (Mailing list). Archived from the original on 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
- ESA. 2008-05-28. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- ^ Schneider, J. (2008-05-19). "3 CoRoT transiting objects". Exoplanets (Mailing list). Retrieved 2009-03-27.[permanent dead link]
- ESA. 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- S2CID 15838318.
- S2CID 119503072.
- S2CID 17174530
- ^ "Definition of a "Planet"". Working Group on Extrasolar Planets (WGESP) of the International Astronomical Union. Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
- arXiv:0710.5667v1 [astro-ph].
External links
Media related to COROT-3b at Wikimedia Commons