Detection of period variations in extrasolar transiting planet OGLE-TR-111b

DÍAZ, R. F.; ROJO, P.; MELITA, M.; HOYER, S.; MINNITI, D.; MAUAS, P.J.D.; RUIZ, M.T.

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL

University of Chicago

Lugar: Chicago; Año: 2008 vol. 682 p. 49 - 52

0004-637X

Two consecutive transits of planetary companion OGLE-TR-111b were observed in the I band. Combining these observations with data from the literature, we find that the timing of the transits cannot be explained by a constant period, and that the observed variations cannot be originated by the presence of a satellite. However, a perturbing planet with the mass of the Earth in an exterior orbit could explain the observations if the orbit of OGLE-TR-111b is eccentric. We also show that the eccentricity needed to explain the observations is not ruled out by the radial velocity data found in the literature.