55 Cancri e's occultation captured with CHEOPS
Journal article, 2023

Past occultation and phase-curve observations of the ultra-short period super-Earth 55 Cnc e obtained at visible and infrared wavelengths have been challenging to reconcile with a planetary reflection and emission model. In this study, we analyse a set of 41 occultations obtained over a two-year timespan with the CHEOPS satellite. We report the detection of 55 Cnc e's occultation with an average depth of 12 ± 3 ppm. We derive a corresponding 2Ïà  upper limit on the geometric albedo of Ag < 0.55 once decontaminated from the thermal emission measured by Spitzer at 4.5 μm. CHEOPSâà €à ™ s photometric performance enables, for the first time, the detection of individual occultations of this super-Earth in the visible and identifies short-timescale photometric corrugations likely induced by stellar granulation. We also find a clear 47.3-day sinusoidal pattern in the time-dependent occultation depths that we are unable to relate to stellar noise, nor instrumental systematics, but whose planetary origin could be tested with upcoming JWST occultation observations of this iconic super-Earth.

Techniques: photometric

Methods: observational

Planets and satellites: individual: 55 Cnc e

Author

B.O. Demory

University of Bern

S. Sulis

Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille

E. Meier Valdes

University of Bern

L. Delrez

University of Liège

A. Brandeker

Stockholm University

N. Billot

University of Geneva

A. Fortier

University of Bern

S. Hoyer

University of Bern

S. G. Sousa

University of Porto

Kevin Heng

University of Bern

The University of Warwick

M. Lendl

Stockholm University

A. Krenn

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

University of Geneva

B. M. Morris

University of Bern

J. A. Patel

Stockholm University

Y. Alibert

University of Bern

R. Alonso

University of La Laguna

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

G. Anglada

Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)

Institute of Space Sciences (ICE) - CSIC

T. Bárczy

Admatis

D. Barrado

European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC)

S. C.C. Barros

University of Porto

W. Baumjohann

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

M. Beck

University of Geneva

T. Beck

University of Bern

W. Benz

University of Bern

X. Bonfils

Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG)

C. Broeg

University of Bern

M. Buder

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

J. Cabrera

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

S. Charnoz

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

A. Collier Cameron

University of St Andrews

H. Cottard

ALMATECH SA

Szilard Csizmadia

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

M. B. Davies

Lund University

M. Deleuil

University of Bern

O. Demangeon

University of Porto

D. Ehrenreich

University of Geneva

Anders Erikson

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

L. Fossati

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

Malcolm Fridlund

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics

Leiden University

D. Gandolfi

University of Turin

Michaël Gillon

University of Liège

M. Gudel

University of Vienna

K. Isaak

European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)

L.L. Kiss

Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)

Hungarian Academy of Sciences

J. Laskar

Paris Observatory

A. L. des Etangs

Institut d 'Astrophysique de Paris

C. Lovis

University of Geneva

A. Luntzer

University of Vienna

D. Magrin

Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova

L. Marafatto

Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova

P. Maxted

Keele University

Valerio Nascimbeni

Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova

G. Olofsson

Stockholm University

R. Ottensamer

University of Vienna

I. Pagano

Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania

E. Palle

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

G. Peter

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Giampaolo P. Piotto

Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova

University of Padua

D. Pollacco

The University of Warwick

D. Queloz

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH)

University of Cambridge

Roberto Ragazzoni

Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova

University of Padua

N. Rando

European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)

F. Ratti

European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)

H. Rauer

Technische Universität Berlin

Freie Universität Berlin

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

I. Ribas

Institute of Space Sciences (ICE) - CSIC

Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)

N. C. Santos

University of Porto

Gaetano Scandariato

Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania

D. Segransan

University of Geneva

A.E. Simon

University of Bern

A. M.S. Smith

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Manfred B. Steller

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

Gy M. Szabó

Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)

N. Thomas

University of Bern

S. Udry

University of Geneva

V. Van Grootel

University of Liège

N. A. Walton

University of Cambridge

Astronomy and Astrophysics

0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)

Vol. 669 A64

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

DOI

10.1051/0004-6361/202244894

More information

Latest update

1/27/2023