2009/04/21 by Isabella Pagano, I. Pagano, A. F. Lanza +8 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s11038-009-9301-3
Accepted for Earth Moon and Planets (DOI: 10.1007/s11038-009-9301-3)
openalex publication_date 2009/04/21 · arxiv created 2009/05/22 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
CoRoT-2a is a young (about 0.5 Gyr) G7V star accompanied by a transiting hot-Jupiter, discovered by the CoRoT satellite (Alonso et al. 2008; Bouchy et al. 2008). An analysis of its photospheric activity, based on spot modelling techniques previously developed by our group for the analysis of the Sun as a star, shows that the active regions on CoRoT-2a arised within two active longitudes separated by about 180 degrees and rotating with periods of 4.5221 and 4.5543 days, respectively, at epoch of CoRoT observations (112 continous days centered at 2007.6). We show that the total spotted area oscillates with a period of about about 8.9 days, a value close to 10 times the synodic period of the planet with respect to the active longitude pattern rotating in 4.5221 days. Moreover, the variance of the stellar flux is modulated in phase with the planet orbital period. This suggests a possible star-planet magnetic interaction, a phenomenon already seen in other extrasolar planetary systems hosting hot-Jupiters.