Search for rings and satellites around the exoplanet CoRoT-9b using Spitzer photometry

BLANDIN, S.; BONOMO, A.S.; LECAVELIER DES ETANGS, A.; EHRENREICH, D.; CASSIER, J.; MOUTOU, C.; BOUCHY, F.; DELEUIL, M.; VIDAL-MADJAR, A.; HÉBRARD, G.; DEEG, H.J.; DÉSERT, J.-M.; DÍAZ, R.F.

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

EDP SCIENCES S A

Año: 2017 vol. 603

0004-6361

Using Spitzer photometry at 4.5 microns, we search for rings and satellites around the long period transiting planet CoRoT-9b. We observed two transits in 2010 and 2011. From their non-detection, we derive upper limits on the plausible physical characteristics of these objects in the planet environment. We show that a satellite larger than about 2.5 Earth radii is excluded at 3σ for a wide range of elongations at the two epochs of observations. Combining the two observations, we conclude that rings are excluded for a wide variety of sizes and inclination. We find that for a ring extending up to the Roche limit, its inclination angle from the edge-on configuration as seen from the Earth must be lower than 13° in the case of silicate composition and lower than 3° in the case of material with water ice density.