Abstract
ABSTRACT We report the discovery of four new hot Jupiters with the Next-Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). NGTS-15b, NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b are short-period (P < 5 d) planets orbiting G-type main-sequence stars, with radii and masses between 1.10 and 1.30RJ and 0.41 and 0.76MJ, respectively. By considering the host star luminosities and the planets’ small orbital separations (0.039–0.052 au), we find that all four hot Jupiters are highly irradiated and therefore occupy a region of parameter space in which planetary inflation mechanisms become effective. Comparison with statistical studies and a consideration of the planets’ high incident fluxes reveal that NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b are indeed likely inflated, although some disparities arise upon analysis with current Bayesian inflationary models. However, the underlying relationships that govern radius inflation remain poorly understood. We postulate that the inclusion of additional hyperparameters to describe latent factors such as heavy element fraction, as well as the addition of an updated catalogue of hot Jupiters, would refine inflationary models, thus furthering our understanding of the physical processes that give rise to inflated planets.
Highlights
The field of exoplanet discovery has uncovered a cosmic zoo of planetary types which extends far beyond those of our Solar System
We report the discovery of four new hot Jupiters with the Generation Transit Survey (NGTS)
We report the discovery of four hot Jupiter planets: Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS)-15b, NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b
Summary
Mayor & Queloz 1995; Charbonneau et al 2000; Henry et al 2000) In spite of their apparent rarity, comprising only
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have