Search

Aims. We report the discovery as well as the orbital and physical characterizations of two new transiting giant exoplanets, CoRoT-30 b and CoRoT-31 b, with the CoRoT space telescope. Methods. We analyzed two complementary data sets: photometric transit light curves measured by CoRoT, and radial velocity curves measured by the HARPS spectrometer. To derive the absolute masses and radii of the planets, we modeled the stars from available magnitudes and spectra. Results. We find that CoRoT-30 b is a warm Jupiter on a close-to-circular 9.06-day orbit around a G3V star with a semi-major axis of about 0.08 AU. It has a radius of 1.01 ± 0.08 RJ, a mass of 2.90 ± 0.22 MJ, and therefore a mean density of 3.45 ± 0.65 g cm−3. The hot Jupiter CoRoT-31 b is on a close-to-circular 4.63-day orbit around a G2 IV star with a semi-major axis of about 0.05 AU. It has a radius of 1.46 ± 0.30 RJ, a mass of 0.84 ± 0.34 MJ, and therefore a mean density of 0.33 ± 0.18 g cm−3. Conclusions. Neither system seems to support the claim that stars hosting planets are more depleted in lithium. The radii of both planets are close to that of Jupiter, but they differ in mass; CoRoT-30 b is ten times denser than CoRoT-31 b. The core of CoRoT-30 b would weigh between 15 and 75 Earth masses, whereas relatively weak constraints favor no core for CoRoT-31 b. In terms of evolution, the characteristics of CoRoT-31 b appear to be compatible with the high-eccentricity migration scenario, which is not the case for CoRoT-30 b. The angular momentum of CoRoT-31 b is currently too low for the planet to evolve toward synchronization of its orbital revolution with stellar rotation, and the planet will slowly spiral-in while its host star becomes a red giant. CoRoT-30 b is not synchronized either: it looses angular momentum owing to stellar winds and is expected reach steady state in about 2 Gyr. CoRoT-30 and 31, as a pair, are a truly remarkable example of diversity in systems with hot Jupiters.

The CoRoT satellite has provided high-precision photometric light curves for more than 163 000 stars and found several hundreds of transiting systems compatible with a planetary scenario. If ground-based velocimetric observations are the best way to identify the actual planets among many possible configurations of eclipsing binary systems, recent transit surveys have shown that it is not always within reach of the radial-velocity detection limits. In this paper, we present a transiting exoplanet candidate discovered by CoRoT whose nature cannot be established from ground-based observations, and where extensive analyses are used to validate the planet scenario. They are based on observing constraints from radial-velocity spectroscopy, adaptive optics imaging and the CoRoT transit shape, as well as from priors on stellar populations, planet and multiple stellar systems frequency. We use the fully Bayesian approach developed in the PASTIS (Planet Analysis and Small Transit Investigation Software) analysis software, and conclude that the planet scenario is at least 1400 times more probable than any other false-positive scenario. The primary star is a metallic solar-like dwarf, with M-s = 1.099 +/- 0.049 M-circle dot and R-s = 1.136(-0.090)(+0.038) R-circle dot. The validated planet has a radius of R-p = 4.88(-0.39)(+0.17) R-circle plus and mass less than 49 M-circle plus. Its mean density is smaller than 2.56 g cm(-3) and orbital period is 9.7566 +/- 0.0012 d. This object, called CoRoT-22 b, adds to a large number of validated Kepler planets. These planets do not have a proper measurement of the mass but allow statistical characterization of exoplanets population.

The transiting planet CoRoT-1b is thought to belong to the pM-class of planets, in which the thermal emission dominates in the optical wavelengths. We present a detection of its secondary eclipse in the CoRoT white channel data, whose response function goes from ~400 to ~1000 nm. We used two different filtering approaches, and several methods to evaluate the significance of a detection of the secondary eclipse. We detect a secondary eclipse centered within 20 min at the expected times for a circular orbit, with a depth of 0.016+/-0.006%. The center of the eclipse is translated in a 1-sigma upper limit to the planet's eccentricity of ecosomega, 6 pages, to appear in A&A, submitted 18 march 2009, accepted 7 July 2009

Aims. We study the possible atmospheric mass loss from 57 known transiting exoplanets around F, G, K, and M-type stars over evolutionary timescales. For stellar wind induced mass loss studies, we estimate the position of the pressure balance boundary between Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) and stellar wind ram pressures and the planetary ionosphere pressure for non- or weakly magnetized gas giants at close orbits. Methods. The thermal mass loss of atomic hydrogen is calculated by a mass loss equation where we consider a realistic heating efficiency, a radius-scaling law and a mass loss enhancement factor due to stellar tidal forces. The model takes into account the temporal evolution of the stellar EUV flux by applying power laws for F, G, K, and M-type stars. The planetary ionopause obstacle, which is an important factor for ion pick-up escape from non- or weakly magnetized gas giants is estimated by applying empirical power-laws. Results. By assuming a realistic heating efficiency of about 10–25% we found that WASP-12b may have lost about 6–12% of its mass during its lifetime. A few transiting low density gas giants at similar orbital location, like WASP-13b, WASP-15b, CoRoT-1b or CoRoT-5b may have lost up to 1–4% of their initial mass. All other transiting exoplanets in our sample experience negligible thermal loss (≤1%) during their lifetime. We found that the ionospheric pressure can balance the impinging dense stellar wind and average CME plasma flows at distances which are above the visual radius of “Hot Jupiters”, resulting in mass losses

Convection theories for star and planet formation studies have to be (1) simple, to allow a self-consistent solution with other relevant processes, (2) time-dependent, because convection often starts in collapse-flows, and (3) robust, i.e. physically well-behaved under a wide range of conditions ranging from the quiet protoplanetary nebula to supercritical protostellar accretion-shocks with Mach-numbers of a few hundred. I describe how the equations of radiation fluid-dynamics can be augmented by a one-equation convection model in order to construct a system of equations that contains the Sun, brown dwarfs and planets as well as their nearly isothermal parent-clouds. The system of equations is calibrated to the Sun and tested by the solar convection zone and the pulsations of RR-Lyrae stars. I discuss the following applications: (1) star formation as the collapse of Bonnor-Ebert spheres of masses ranging from the stellar domain to the brown dwarf region, (2) the approach to the main sequence, (3) companion mass determinations for direct imaging searches for exoplanets, with GQ Lupi as an example, and (4) the formation of Pegasi-planets, and the “large core” exoplanet, HD 149 026, in particular.

The formation process of ultra low-mass objects is some kind of extension of the star formation process. The physical changes towards lower mass are discussed by investigating the collapse of cloud cores that are modelled as Bonnor-Ebert spheres. Their collapse is followed by solving the equations of fluid dynamics with radiation and a model of time-dependent convection that has been calibrated to the Sun. For a sequence of cloud-cores with 1 to 0.01 solar masses, evolutionary tracks and isochrones are shown in the mass-radius diagram, the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram and the effective temperaturesurface gravity or Kiel diagram. The collapse and the early hydrostatic evolution to ages of few Ma are briefly discussed and compared to observations of objects in Upper Scorpius and the low-mass components of GG Tau. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

I01 NIR Imaging Spectroscopy of Extrasolar Planets I02 Eccentricity growth in protoplanetary disks with embedded planets I03 Brown dwarf atmospheres: the dust in the L – T transition region I04 Model Atmospheres of Substellar Atmospheres at a Young Age:Influence of Gravity and Dust I05 Detection of Planetary Transits using Wavelet Analysis and Genetic Algorithms I06 Automated Difference Imaging for Extrasolar Planet Searches I07 The formation of planets around stars with various masses I08 The Multiplicity of exoplanet host stars I09 Direct imaging of planets around young stars, the case of GQ Lup b I10 On the Nucleation of NH3 under the Atmospheric Conditions of Jovian-like Planets I11 Unveiling a new low-mass star formation site in NGC 1333 with SCUBA I12 Linear analysis of the stability of protoplanets: Possible planetary evolutions and comparisons to the Jeans-analysis I13 Triggered planet formation in young stellar clusters I14 Convective Radiation Fluid-Dynamics: Formation and Early Evolution at the Substellar Limit and Beyond

A01 Modeling the Resonant Planetary System GJ 876 A02 First Classification of Dusty Protoplanets A03 IDL-Models of Infrared Emission from Dust Objects (Applied to Dust in Comets) A04 Theoretical Predicitions and Observational Tests of the Migration Hypothesis A05 Towards Characterization of Exoplanetary Spectra with the VLT Interferometer A06 Strongly Variable Cosmic Ray Particle Environments at Planets during the History of the Solar System A07 Rotational Evolution of Very Low Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs A08 Rotation and Excitation Properties of Jets from Young Stellar Objects A09 BS Indi: An Enigmatic Binary in the Horologium Association A10 Disc Encounters – The Low- and High-Mass Case

Low mass circumstellar disks are a result of the star formation process. The growth of dust and solid planets in such pre-planetary disks determines many properties of our solar system. Models of the Solar System giant planets indicate an enrichment of heavy elements and imply heavy element cores. Detailed models therefore describe giant planet formation as a consequence of the formation of solid planets that have grown sufficiently large to permanently bind gas from the protoplanetary nebula. The diversity of Solar System and extrasolar giant planets is explained by variations in the core growth rates caused by a coupling of the dynamics of planetesimals and the contraction of the massive envelopes they dive into, as well as by changes in the hydrodynamical accretion behavior of the envelopes resulting from differences in nebula density, temperature and orbital distance. Detailed formation models are able to determine observables as luminosities, radii and effective temperatures of young giant planets. Present observational techniques do now allow to probe star formation regions at ages covering all evolutionary stages of the giant planet formation process.

E01 The Formation and Early Evolution of Very Low Mass Objects E02 Rotation of Young Very Low Mass Objects E03 Planets of Young Stars E04 Triggered Planet Formation in Stellar Clusters E05 Dynamical Masses for Young and Low-mass Stars from Visual Binary Orbits E06 The Stellar Content of OMC 2 and 3 E07 Re-analysis of Published Radial Velocity Follow-up Data of Planetary Transit Candidates from the OGLE Experiment E08 The UMa Group – A Promising Sample for the Search for Sub-stellar Objects E09 Deeply Embedded Sources in Small Groups: Continuum Imaging and Modelling of Class 0 Sources E10 Multiplicity of T Tauri Stars E11 The Massive Multiple Stars in the Orion Trapezium: Orbital Motion, Physical Properties, and Implications on Star Formation Scenarios E12 Circumbinary Disk Evolution E13 A Multiplicity Survey of the ρ Oph Dark Cloud

A01 The Tautenburg Radial-velocity Survey for Extrasolar Planets A02 A Planetary Companion to the Binary Star γ Cephei A03 Spectral Types of Planetary Host Star Candidates: New Transiting Planets? A04 Direct Imaging of Extra-solar Planets Around Young Nearby Stars – a Progress Report A05 A Direct Imaging Search for Wide (Sub-)stellar Companions to Radial Velocity Planet Candidate Host Stars – First Results A06 The Star Formation Process in the Upper Scorpius OB Association and Implications for Planet Formation A07 Searching for Terrestrial Planets in the Habitable Zone of M Dwarfs with the VLT+UVES A08 A Groundbased Search for Transits of Jupiter-sized Exoplanets A09 Giant Planet Formation: A First Classification of Isothermal Protoplanetary Equilibria A10 Planets versus Brown Dwarfs – The First 20 Million Years A11 The Interaction of the Solar System with Dense Interstellar Clouds A12 The Early Evolution and Eonic Variation of the Primordial Heliosphere A13 The First Substellar Companion to a K Giant Star A14 The Formation of Brown Dwarfs: Constraints from a Survey in Southern Star Forming Regions A15 Rotation and Accretion of Brown Dwarfs in the σ Ori Cluster A16 Dust in the Atmospheres of Ultra Cool Dwarfs A17 Time-dependent Dust Scenario in the Atmospheres of Brown Dwarfs A18 Evolution of Dust in Protoplanetary Discs A19 KH 15D: Detection of Significant Structure in the Circumstellar Disk of a Pre-Main Sequence Star A20 Tenuous Disks Around Young Solar-type Stars A21 Ultra-high-resolution Spectroscopy of Circumstellar Disks around A-type Stars A22 New Observational Constraints for the Unified Model of Class 0 Objects and their Associated Outflows A23 Looking at the Earliest Stages of the Formation of Stars: SCUBA Observations of Deeply Embedded Sources A24 HST/STIS Observations of the Bipolar Jet from RW Aurigae A25 Direct Detection of the 0.15 M⊙ Companion to χ1 Orionis A26 Stellar Rotation in Young Open Clusters: The Case of NGC 2264 A27 Collapse of Turbulent Cloud Cores

We report the discovery of a massive and dense transiting planet CoRoT-27b on a 3.58 day orbit around a 4.2 Gyr-old G2 star. The planet candidate was identified from the CoRoT photometry, and was confirmed as a planet with ground-based spectroscopy. The confirmation of the planet candidate is based on radial velocity observations combined with imaging to rule out blends. The characterisation of the planet and its host star is carried out using a Bayesian approach where all the data (CoRoT photometry, radial velocities, and spectroscopic characterisation of the star) are used jointly. The Bayesian analysis includes a study whether the assumption of white normally distributed noise holds for the CoRoT photometry, and whether the use of a non-normal noise distribution offers advantages in parameter estimation and model selection. CoRoT-27b has a mass of $10.39 \pm 0.55$ $\mathrm{M}_{\rm Jup}$, a radius of $1.01 \pm 0.04$ $\mathrm{R}_{\rm Jup}$, a mean density of $12.6_{-1.67}^{+1.92}$ $\mathrm{g\,cm^{-3}}$, and an effective temperature of $1500 \pm 130$ K. The planet orbits around its host star, a 4.2 Gyr-old G2-star with a mass $M_{\star}=1.06$ $M_{\odot}$, and a radius $R_{\star}=1.05$ $R_{\odot}$, on a $0.048 \pm 0.007$ AU orbit every 3.58 days. The radial velocity observations allow us to exclude highly eccentric orbits, namely, $e, Accepted to A&A

Based on the theory of stellar structure and evolution combined with the theory of stellar atmospheres theoretical properties of young stars can be calculated. These calculations of pre-main sequence evolution have been refined over the last decades and do now provide theoretical spectra and colours even for very cool objects like young stars brown dwarfs and planets. Two of their key assumptions must become invalid towards the formation phases: (1) the hydrostatic equilibrium of pressure forces and gravity that assumes stellar matter to be at rest and (2) the non-dependence on the initial thermal structure. The former (1) is violated by accretion- and collapse flows, the latter (2) because a new born young star is observed with the specific thermal structure produced by the cloud collapse. I discuss changes in the theoretical properties of young stars that follow from calculating the pre-main sequence evolution as the consequence of the collapse of Bonnor-Ebert spheres.

A method for calculating energy transfer due to turbulent convection in self-gravitating radiating spherical flows of general, non-ideal media is described. A model for time-dependent turbulent convection in stars due to Kuhfus in its simplest version is discretized on a self-adaptive grid.

CoRoT-21, a F8IV star of magnitude V = 16 mag, was observed by the space telescope CoRoT during the Long Run 01 (LRa01) in the first winter field (constellation Monoceros) from October 2007 to March 2008. Transits were discovered during the light curve processing. Radial velocity follow-up observations, however, were performed mainly by the 10-m Keck telescope in January 2010. The companion CoRoT-21b is a Jupiter-like planet of 2.26 ± 0.33 Jupiter masses and 1.30 ± 0.14 Jupiter radii in an circular orbit of semi-major axis 0.0417 ± 0.0011 AU and an orbital period of 2.72474 ± 0.00014 days. The planetary bulk density is (1.36 ± 0.48) × 103 kg m-3, very similar to the bulk density of Jupiter, and follows an M1/3 − R relation like Jupiter. The F8IV star is a sub-giant star of 1.29 ± 0.09 solar masses and 1.95 ± 0.2 solar radii. The star and the planet exchange extremetidal forces that will lead to orbital decay and extreme spin-up of the stellar rotation within 800 Myr if the stellar dissipation is Q∗/k2∗ ≤ 107. CoRoT-21, a F8IV star of magnitude V = 16 mag, was observed by the space telescope CoRoT during the Long Run 01 (LRa01) in the first winter field (constellation Monoceros) from October 2007 to March 2008. Transits were discovered during the light curve processing. Radial velocity follow-up observations, however, were performed mainly by the 10-m Keck telescope in January 2010. The companion CoRoT-21b is a Jupiter-like planet of 2.26 ± 0.33 Jupiter masses and 1.30 ± 0.14 Jupiter radii in an circular orbit of semi-major axis 0.0417 ± 0.0011 AU and an orbital period of 2.72474 ± 0.00014 days. The planetary bulk density is (1.36 ± 0.48) × 103 kg m-3, very similar to the bulk density of Jupiter, and follows an M1/3 - R relation like Jupiter. The F8IV star is a sub-giant star of 1.29 ± 0.09 solar masses and 1.95 ± 0.2 solar radii. The star and the planet exchange extremetidal forces that will lead to orbital decay and extreme spin-up of the stellar rotation within 800 Myr if the stellar dissipation is Q∗/k2∗ ≤ 107. The CoRoT space mission, launched on December 27th 2006, has been developed and is operated by CNES, with the contribution of Austria, Belgium, Brazil, ESA (RSSD and Science Programme), Germany and Spain.

We report the discovery by the CoRoT space mission of a new giant planet, CoRoT-20b. The planet has a mass of 4.24 +/- 0.23 MJ and a radius of 0.84 +/- 0.04 RJ. With a mean density of 8.87 +/- 1.10 g/cm^3, it is among the most compact planets known so far. Evolution models for the planet suggest a mass of heavy elements of the order of 800 ME if embedded in a central core, requiring a revision either of the planet formation models or of planet evolution and structure models. We note however that smaller amounts of heavy elements are expected from more realistic models in which they are mixed throughout the envelope. The planet orbits a G-type star with an orbital period of 9.24 days and an eccentricity of 0.56. The star's projected rotational velocity is vsini = 4.5 +/- 1.0 km/s, corresponding to a spin period of 11.5 +/- 3.1 days if its axis of rotation is perpendicular to the orbital plane. In the framework of Darwinian theories and neglecting stellar magnetic breaking, we calculate the tidal evolution of the system and show that CoRoT-20b is presently one of the very few Darwin-stable planets that is evolving towards a triple synchronous state with equality of the orbital, planetary and stellar spin periods.

Aims. We report the discovery of CoRoT-16b, a low density hot jupiter that orbits a faint G5V star (mV = 15.63) in 5.3523 ± 0.0002 days with slight eccentricity. A fit of the data with no a priori assumptions on the orbit leads to an eccentricity of 0.33 ± 0.1. We discuss this value and also derive the mass and radius of the planet.Methods. We analyse the photometric transit curve of CoRoT-16 given by the CoRoT satellite, and radial velocity data from the HARPS and HIRES spectrometers. A combined analysis using a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is used to get the system parameters.Results. CoRoT-16b is a 0.535 −0.083/+0.085 MJ, 1.17 −0.14/+0.16 RJ hot Jupiter with a density of 0.44 −0.14/+0.21 g cm-3. Despite its short orbital distance (0.0618 ± 0.0015 AU) and the age of the parent star (6.73 ± 2.8 Gyr), the planet orbit exhibits significantly non-zero eccentricity. This is very uncommon for this type of objects as tidal effects tend to circularise the orbit. This value is discussed taking into account the characteristics of the star and the observation accuracy. Aims: We report the discovery of CoRoT-16b, a low density hot jupiter that orbits a faint G5V star (mV = 15.63) in 5.3523 ± 0.0002 days with slight eccentricity. A fit of the data with no a priori assumptions on the orbit leads to an eccentricity of 0.33 ± 0.1. We discuss this value and also derive the mass and radius of the planet. Methods: We analyse the photometric transit curve of CoRoT-16 given by the CoRoT satellite, and radial velocity data from the HARPS and HIRES spectrometers. A combined analysis using a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is used to get the system parameters. Results: CoRoT-16b is a 0.535 -0.083/+0.085 MJ, 1.17 -0.14/+0.16 RJ hot Jupiter with a density of 0.44 -0.14/+0.21 g cm-3. Despite its short orbital distance (0.0618 ± 0.0015 AU) and the age of the parent star (6.73 ± 2.8 Gyr), the planet orbit exhibits significantly non-zero eccentricity. This is very uncommon for this type of objects as tidal effects tend to circularise the orbit. This value is discussed taking into account the characteristics of the star and the observation accuracy. The CoRoT space mission, launched on December 27, 2006, has been developed and is operated by the CNES with the contribution of Austria, Belgium, Brasil, ESA, Germany, and Spain.Observations made with the HARPS spectrograph at ESO La Silla Observatory (HARPS programs 083.C-0186 and 184.C-0639) and the HIRES spectrograph at the Keck Observatory (NASA-Keck programs N035Hr, N143Hr and N095Hr).

In this paper, the CoRoT Exoplanet Science Team announces its 14th discovery. Herein, we discuss the observations and analyses that allowed us to derive the parameters of this system: a hot Jupiter with a mass of $7.6 \pm 0.6$ Jupiter masses orbiting a solar-type star (F9V) with a period of only 1.5 d, less than 5 stellar radii from its parent star. It is unusual for such a massive planet to have such a small orbit: only one other known exoplanet with a higher mass orbits with a shorter period., 7 pages, 10 figures, accepted to Astronomy and Astrophysics

The CoRoT space observatory is a project which is led by the French space agency CNES and leading space research institutes in Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Germany and Spain and also the European Space Agency ESA. CoRoT observed since its launch in December 27, 2006 about 100 000 stars for the exoplanet channel, during 150 days uninterrupted high-precision photometry. Since the The CoRoT-team has several exoplanet candidates which are currently analyzed under its study, we report here the discoveries of nine exoplanets which were observed by CoRoT. Discovered exoplanets such as CoRoT-3b populate the brown dwarf desert and close the gap of measured physical properties between usual gas giants and very low mass stars. CoRoT discoveries extended the known range of planet masses down to about 4.8 Earth-masses (CoRoT-7b) and up to 21 Jupiter masses (CoRoT-3b), the radii to about 1.68 × 0.09 REarth (CoRoT-7b) and up to the most inflated hot Jupiter with 1.49 × 0.09 REarth found so far (CoRoT-1b), and the transiting exoplanet with the longest period of 95.274 days (CoRoT-9b). Giant exoplanets have been detected at low metallicity, rapidly rotating and active, spotted stars. Two CoRoT planets have host stars with the lowest content of heavy elements known to show a transit hinting towards a different planethost-star-metallicity relation then the one found by radial-velocity search programs. Finally the properties of the CoRoT-7b prove that rocky planets with a density close to Earth exist outside the Solar System. Finally the detection of the secondary transit of CoRoT-1b at a sensitivity level of 10-5 and the very clear detection of the "super-Earth" CoRoT-7b at 3.5 × 10-4 relative flux are promising evidence that the space observatory is being able to detect even smaller exoplanets with the size of the Earth. © 2010 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Of the over 400 known1 exoplanets, there are about 70 planets that transit their central star, a situation that permits the derivation of their basic parameters and facilitates investigations of their atmospheres. Some short-period planets2, including the first terrestrial exoplanet3,4 (CoRoT-7b), have been discovered using a space mission5 designed to find smaller and more distant planets than can be seen from the ground. Here we report transit observations of CoRoT-9b, which orbits with a period of 95.274 days on a low eccentricity of 0.11 ± 0.04 around a solar-like star. Its periastron distance of 0.36 astronomical units is by far the largest of all transiting planets, yielding a ‘temperate’ photospheric temperature estimated to be between 250 and 430 K. Unlike previously known transiting planets, the present size of CoRoT-9b should not have been affected by tidal heat dissipation processes. Indeed, the planet is found to be well described by standard evolution models6 with an inferred interior composition consistent with that of Jupiter and Saturn.

The space telescope CoRoT searches for transiting extrasolar planets by continuously monitoring the optical flux of thousands of stars in several fields of view. We report the discovery of CoRoT-10b, a giant planet on a highly eccentric orbit (e=0.53 +/- 0.04) revolving in 13.24 days around a faint (V=15.22) metal-rich K1V star. We use CoRoT photometry, radial velocity observations taken with the HARPS spectrograph, and UVES spectra of the parent star to derive the orbital, stellar and planetary parameters. We derive a radius of the planet of 0.97 +/- 0.07 R_Jup and a mass of 2.75 +/- 0.16 M_Jup. The bulk density, rho_pl=3.70 +/- 0.83 g/cm^3, is ~2.8 that of Jupiter. The core of CoRoT-10b could contain up to 240 M_Earth of heavy elements. Moving along its eccentric orbit, the planet experiences a 10.6-fold variation in insolation. Owing to the long circularisation time, tau_circ > 7 Gyr, a resonant perturber is not required to excite and maintain the high eccentricity of CoRoT-10b.

We report on an intensive observational campaign carried out with HARPS at the 3.6 m telescope at La Silla on the star CoRoT-7. Additional simultaneous photometric measurements carried out with the Euler Swiss telescope have demonstrated that the observed radial velocity variations are dominated by rotational modulation from cool spots on the stellar surface. Several approaches were used to extract the radial velocity signal of the planet(s) from the stellar activity signal. First, a simple pre-whitening procedure was employed to find and subsequently remove periodic signals from the complex frequency structure of the radial velocity data. The dominant frequency in the power spectrum was found at 23 days, which corresponds to the rotation period of CoRoT-7. The 0.8535 day period of CoRoT-7b planetary candidate was detected with an amplitude of 3.3 m s −1 . Most other frequencies, some with amplitudes larger than the CoRoT-7b signal, are most likely associated with activity. A second approach used harmonic decomposition of the rotational period and up to the first three harmonics to filter out the activity signal from radial velocity variations caused by orbiting planets. After correcting the radial velocity data for activity, two periodic signals are detected: the CoRoT-7b transit period and a second one with a period of 3.69 days and an amplitude of 4 m s −1 . This second signal was also found in the pre-whitening analysis. We attribute the second signal to a second, more remote planet CoRoT-7c . The orbital solution of both planets is compatible with circular orbits. The mass of CoRoT-7b is 4.8 ± 0. 8( M⊕) and that of CoRoT-7c is 8.4 ± 0. 9( M⊕), assuming both planets are on coplanar orbits. We also investigated the false positive scenario of a blend by a faint stellar binary, and this may be rejected by the stability of the bisector on a nightly scale. According to their masses both planets belong to the super-Earth planet category. The average density of CoRoT-7b is ρ = 5.6 ± 1. 3gc m −3 , similar to the Earth. The CoRoT-7 planetary system provides us with the first insight into the physical nature of short period super-Earth planets recently detected by radial velocity surveys. These planets may be denser than Neptune and therefore likely made of rocks like the Earth, or a mix of water ice and rocks.

In this series of articles the formation of giant planets is investigated using a spherically symmetric protoplanetary model consisting of a growing rigid core and a solar composition, gaseous envelope. The protoplanet is located at Jupiter's distance from the Sun in the “Kyoto” solar nebula. In the previous article in this series G. Wuchterl (1991, Icarus 91, 39–52), the model equations were discussed and the evolution of a static envelope was followed up to the “critical core mass,” confirming H. Mizuno's (1980, Prog. Theor. Phys. 64, 544–557) results. In this article, the critical model is used as an initial condition for a radiation hydrodynamical calculation of the nucleated instability and the phases following. After a very short quasi-hydrostatic contraction immediately following the critical mass, nonlinear hydrodynamical waves were excited by a κ mechanism and an outflow was driven. After the ejection of a large part of the envelope mass the activity faded and a new quasi-static state of the protoplanet was found. This remnant object had a pulsating envelope of 1.4 M ⊕ around a core of 13.1 M ⊕ , i.e., similar in mass to Uranus and Neptune. No collapse or (rapid) contraction of the envelope and no onset of accretion up to the present mass of Jupiter was found. The integral equations of radiation hydrodynamics, in conservation form, were solved on a self-adaptive grid with an implicit finite difference technique.

The discovery of more than hundred extrasolar planet candidates challenges our understanding of star and planet formation. Do we have to modify the theories that were mostly developed for the solar system in order to understand giant planets orbiting their host stars with periods of a few days? Or do we have to assume particular circumstances for the formation of the Sun to understand the special properties of the solar system planets? I will review the theories of star and planet formation and outline processes that may be responsible for the diversity of planetary systems in general. I will discuss two questions raised by extrasolar planets: (1) the formation of Pegasi-planets and (2) the relation between discovered extrasolar planets and the metallicity of their host stars. Finally I will discuss the role of migration in planet formation and describe three tests in order to distinguish whether planets migrated long distances or formed near

For detection of massive close-in exo-planets around other stars, a contrast of ~ 0.3 % is sufficient and can be achieved with state-of-the-art single-mode fibers as spatial filter. For lower-mass planets, much higher accuracy is neccessary. Apart from the atmosphere, there are several sources of noise which degrade the phase stability of interferometers based on bulk optics by changes in the optical path.For direct detection of low-mass exo-planetsand for direct observation of convection on giant stars, our two main science goals, as well as for secondary science goals such as lower-mass faint circumstellar disks aroundboth nearby low-mass stars as well as more distant high-mass stars and for the direct detection of close spectroscopic binary (T Tauri) stars and to follow their orbits for direct dynamical mass determination, we need more than two apertures to fill the uv-plane, again very complicated with bulk-optics. Integrated optics allows to solve these problems and to minimize the components. We have experiences in the development and fabrication of integrated-optical circuits and modulators in various wavelength ranges, i.e. from visible to the telecommunication band, as well as integrated-optical sensor systems like interferometers. Starting from two channel interferometers for the J-band at 1.55 μ m based on Lithiumniobat, we will develop multi-channel-interferometer systems for longer wavelengths. Such systems with new materials and fibers for the near- and thermal infrared can then be used, e.g., for 2nd Gen VLTI instrumentation.

Using NACO on the VLT in the imaging mode we have detected an object at a distance of only 0.7 arcsec from GQ Lup. The object turns out to be co-moving. We have taken two K-band spectra with a resolution of lambda /Delta lambda=700. In here, we analyze the spectra in detail. We show that the shape of spectrum is not spoiled by differences in the Strehl ratio in the blue and in the red part, as well as differential refraction. We reanalyze the spectra and derive the spectral type of the companion using classical methods. We find that the object has a spectral type between M9V and L4V, which corresponds to a Teff between 1600 and 2500 K. Using GAIA-dusty models, we find that the spectral type derivation is robust against different log(g)-values. The Teff derived from the models is again in the range between 1800 and 2400 K. While the models reproduce nicely the general shape of the spectrum, the 12CO-lines in the spectrum have about half the depth as those in the model. We speculate that this difference might be caused by veiling, like in other objects of similar age, and spectral class. We also find that the absolute brightness of the companion matches that of other low-mass free-floating objects of similar age and spectral type. A comparison with the objects in USco observed by Mohanty et al. (2004) shows that the companion of GQ Lup has a lower mass than any of these, as it is of later spectral type, and younger. The same is as true, for the companion of AB Pic. To have a first estimate of the mass of the object we compare the derived Teff and luminosity with those calculated from evolutionary tracks. We also point out that future instruments, like NAHUAL, will finally allow us to derive the masses of such objects more precisely., 6 figures, proceeding of the workshop on Ultralow-mass star formation and evolution held in La Palama June 28 to July 1, 2005

Differential astrometry with the VLTI promises the measurement of the reflex motion of nearby stars around the barycenter of the star-planetary systems for possible planets downto Uranus’ and Neptune’s masses. I review the theory of planet formation with and emphasis on the resulting masses of the giant planets. It is argued, that planets with Uranus/Neptune-masses are the standard outcome of the giant planet formation process, while Jupiter-type planets require special protoplanetary nebula conditions. Finally, a hydrodynamical calculation of the formation of a giant planet at an orbital distance of 0.05 AU is presented.

A further discovery of a planet in a binary star system — this time close in — could prove a problem for accepted theories of planetary formation. The implication is that there are more planets out there than we thought. When extrasolar planets were first detected, many were found to be ‘hot Jupiters’, giant planets orbiting much closer to their host star than predicted. They are now thought to have migrated inwards from their starting points. A newly discovered hot Jupiter poses more problems for theorists. This planet is a little bigger than Jupiter and is orbiting close to the primary star of a triple-star system. But the secondary pair of stars is so close to the primary as to limit the radius of a circumstellar dust disk — raw material for planets — to just half of the present orbital radius of this hot Jupiter. And the temperature that close to a star would have been too high for giant plant formation. This one will take some explaining.

We report on the discovery of a hot Jupiter-type exoplanet, CoRoT-17b, detected by the CoRoT satellite. It has a mass of $2.43\pm0.30$\Mjup and a radius of $1.02\pm0.07$\Rjup, while its mean density is $2.82\pm0.38$ g/cm$^3$. CoRoT-17b is in a circular orbit with a period of $3.7681\pm0.0003$ days. The host star is an old ($10.7\pm1.0$ Gyr) main-sequence star, which makes it an intriguing object for planetary evolution studies. The planet's internal composition is not well constrained and can range from pure H/He to one that can contain $\sim$380 earth masses of heavier elements., Published (A&A 531, A41, 2011)