We report the discovery of WASP-103b, a new ultra-short-period planet (P=22.2 hr) transiting a 12.1 V-magnitude F8-type main-sequence star (1.22+-0.04 Msun, 1.44-0.03+0.05 Rsun, Teff = 6110+-160 K). WASP-103b is significantly more massive (1.49+-0.09 Mjup) and larger (1.53-0.07+0.05 Rjup) than Jupiter. Its large size and extreme irradiation (around 9 10^9 erg/s/cm^2) make it an exquisite target for a thorough atmospheric characterization with existing facilities. Furthermore, its orbital distance is less than 20% larger than its Roche radius, meaning that it might be significantly distorted by tides and might experience mass loss through Roche-lobe overflow. It thus represents a new key object for understanding the last stage of the tidal evolution of hot Jupiters.
@article{arxiv.1401.2784,
title = {WASP-103b: a new planet at the edge of tidal disruption},
author = {M. Gillon and D. R. Anderson and A. Collier-Cameron and L. Delrez and C. Hellier and E. Jehin and M. Lendl and P. F. L. Maxted and F. Pepe and D. Pollacco and D. Queloz and D. Segransan and A. M. S. Smith and B. Smalley and J. Southworth and A. H. M. J. Triaud and S. Udry and V. Van Grootel and R. G. West},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1401.2784},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
5 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication as Letter in Astronomy and Astrophysics on 09/01/2014