Star-planet interactions and selection effects from planet detection methods

Star-Planet Interactions

Much effort has been invested in recent years, both observationally and theoretically, to understand the interacting processes taking place in planetary systems consisting of a hot Jupiter orbiting its star within 10 stellar radii. Several independent studies have converged on the same scenario: that a short-period planet can induce activity on the photosphere and upper atmosphere of its host s...

Bayesian Model Selection and Extrasolar Planet Detection

The discovery of nearly 200 extrasolar planets during the last decade has revitalized scientific interest in the physics of planet formation and ushered in a new era for astronomy. Astronomers searching for the small signals induced by planets inevitably face significant statistical challenges. For example, radial velocity (RV) planet searches (that have discovered most of the known planets) ar...

SALT observations of the Chromospheric Activity of Transiting Planet Hosts: Mass Loss and Star Planet Interactions

We measured the chromospheric activity of the four hot Jupiter hosts WASP-43, WASP-51/HAT-P-30, WASP-72 & WASP-103 to search for anomalous values caused by the close-in companions. The Mount Wilson Ca ii H&K S -index was calculated for each star using observations taken with the Robert Stobie Spectrograph at the Southern African Large Telescope. The activity level of WASP-43 is anomalously high...

Neither Star nor Planet

Disk-Planet Interactions During Planet Formation

The discovery of close orbiting extrasolar giant planets led to extensive studies of disk planet interactions and the forms of migration that can result as a means of accounting for their location. Early work established the type I and type II migration regimes for low mass embedded planets and high mass gap forming planets respectively. While providing an attractive means of accounting for clo...