Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XVI. CoRoT-14b: an unusually dense very hot Jupiter

In this paper, the CoRoT Exoplanet Science Team announces its 14th discovery. Herein, we discuss the observations and analyses that allowed us to derive the parameters of this system: a hot Jupiter with a mass of 7.6 +/- 0.6 Jupiter masses orbiting a solar-type star (F9V) with a period of only 1.5 d, less than 5 stellar radii from its parent star. It is unusual for such a massive planet to have such a small orbit: only one other known higher mass exoplanet orbits with a shorter period.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XVIII. CoRoT-18b: a massive hot Jupiter on a prograde, nearly aligned orbit

We report the detection of CoRoT-18b, a massive hot Jupiter transiting in front of its host star with a period of 1.9000693 +/- 0.0000028 days. This planet was discovered thanks to photometric data secured with the CoRoT satellite combined with spectroscopic and photometric ground-based follow-up observations. The planet has a mass M(p) = 3.47 +/- 0.38 M(Jup), a radius R(p) = 1.31 +/- 0.18 R(Jup), and a density rho(p) = 2.2 +/- 0.8 g cm(-3). It orbits a G9V star with a mass M(*) = 0.95 +/- 0.15 M(circle dot), a radius R(*) = 1.00 +/- 0.13 R(circle dot), and a rotation period P(rot) = 5.4 +/- 0.4 days. The age of the system remains uncertain, with stellar evolution models pointing either to a few tens Ma or several Ga, while gyrochronology and lithium abundance point towards ages of a few hundred Ma. This mismatch potentially points to a problem in our understanding of the evolution of young stars, with possibly significant implications for stellar physics and the interpretation of inferred sizes of exoplanets around young stars. We detected the RossiterMcLaughlin anomaly in the CoRoT-18 system thanks to the spectroscopic observation of a transit. We measured the obliquity psi = 20 degrees +/- 20 degrees +/- (sky-projected value lambda = -10 degrees +/- 20 degrees), indicating that the planet orbits in the same way as the star is rotating and that this prograde orbit is nearly aligned with the stellar equator.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XV. CoRoT-15b: a brown-dwarf transiting companion

We report the discovery by the CoRoT space mission of a transiting brown dwarf orbiting a F7V star with an orbital period of 3.06 days. CoRoT-15b has a radius of 1.12(-0.15)(+0.30) R(Jup) and a mass of 63.3 +/- 4.1 M(Jup), and is thus the second transiting companion lying in the theoretical mass domain of brown dwarfs. CoRoT-15b is either very young or inflated compared to standard evolution models, a situation similar to that of M-dwarf stars orbiting close to solar-type stars. Spectroscopic constraints and an analysis of the lightcurve imply a spin period in the range 2.9-3.1 days for the central star, which is compatible with a double-synchronisation of the system.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XIV. CoRoT-11b: a transiting massive ""hot-Jupiter"" in a prograde orbit around a rapidly rotating F-type star

The CoRoT exoplanet science team announces the discovery of CoRoT-11b, a fairly massive hot-Jupiter transiting a V = 12.9 mag F6 dwarf star (M(*) = 1.27 +/- 0.05 M(circle dot), R(*) = 1.37 +/- 0.03 R(circle dot), T(eff) = 6440 +/- 120 K), with an orbital period of P = 2.994329 +/- 0.000011 days and semi-major axis a = 0.0436 +/- 0.005 AU. The detection of part of the radial velocity anomaly caused by the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect shows that the transit-like events detected by CoRoT are caused by a planet-sized transiting object in a prograde orbit. The relatively high projected rotational velocity of the star (upsilon sin i(star) = 40 +/- 5 km s(-1)) places CoRoT-11 among the most rapidly rotating planet host stars discovered so far. With a planetary mass of M(p) = 2.33 +/- 0.34 M(Jup) and radius R(p) = 1.43 +/- 0.03 R(Jup), the resulting mean density of CoRoT-11b (rho(p) = 0.99 +/- 0.15 g/cm(3)) can be explained with a model for an inflated hydrogen-planet with a solar composition and a high level of energy dissipation in its interior.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XIII. CoRoT-13b: a dense hot Jupiter in transit around a star with solar metallicity and super-solar lithium content

We announce the discovery of the transiting planet CoRoT-13b. Ground-based follow-up in CFHT and IAC80 confirmed CoRoT's observations. The mass of the planet was measured with the HARPS spectrograph and the properties of the host star were obtained analyzing HIRES spectra from the Keck telescope. It is a hot Jupiter-like planet with an orbital period of 4.04 days, 1.3 Jupiter masses, 0.9 Jupiter radii, and a density of 2.34 g cm(-3). It orbits a G0V star with T(eff) = 5 945 K, M(*) = 1.09 M(circle dot), R(*) = 1.01 R(circle dot), solar metallicity, a lithium content of +1.45 dex, and an estimated age of between 0.12 and 3.15 Gyr. The lithium abundance of the star is consistent with its effective temperature, activity level, and age range derived from the stellar analysis. The density of the planet is extreme for its mass, implies that heavy elements are present with a mass of between about 140 and 300 M(circle plus).

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission X. CoRoT-10b: a giant planet in a 13.24 day eccentric orbit

Context. The space telescope CoRoT searches for transiting extrasolar planets by continuously monitoring the optical flux of thousands of stars in several fields of view. Aims. We report the discovery of CoRoT-10b, a giant planet on a highly eccentric orbit (e = 0.53 +/- 0.04) revolving in 13.24 days around a faint (V = 15.22) metal-rich K1V star. Methods. We used CoRoT photometry, radial velocity observations taken with the HARPS spectrograph, and UVES spectra of the parent star to derive the orbital, stellar, and planetary parameters. Results. We derive a radius of the planet of 0.97 +/- 0.07 R(Jup) and a mass of 2.75 +/- 0.16 M(Jup). The bulk density,rho(p) = 3.70 +/- 0.83 g cm(-3), is similar to 2.8 that of Jupiter. The core of CoRoT-10b could contain up to 240 M(circle plus) of heavy elements. Moving along its eccentric orbit, the planet experiences a 10.6-fold variation in insolation. Owing to the long circularisation time, tau(circ) > 7 Gyr, a resonant perturber is not required to excite and maintain the high eccentricity of CoRoT-10b.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XI. CoRoT-8b: a hot and dense sub-Saturn around a K1 dwarf

Aims. We report the discovery of CoRoT-8b, a dense small Saturn-class exoplanet that orbits a K1 dwarf in 6.2 days, and we derive its orbital parameters, mass, and radius. Methods. We analyzed two complementary data sets: the photometric transit curve of CoRoT-8b as measured by CoRoT and the radial velocity curve of CoRoT-8 as measured by the HARPS spectrometer**. Results. We find that CoRoT-8b is on a circular orbit with a semi-major axis of 0.063 +/- 0.001 AU. It has a radius of 0.57 +/- 0.02 R(J), a mass of 0.22 +/- 0.03 M(J), and therefore a mean density of 1.6 +/- 0.1 g cm(-3). Conclusions. With 67% of the size of Saturn and 72% of its mass, CoRoT-8b has a density comparable to that of Neptune (1.76 g cm(-3)). We estimate its content in heavy elements to be 47-63 M(circle plus), and the mass of its hydrogen-helium envelope to be 7-23 M(circle plus). At 0.063 AU, the thermal loss of hydrogen of CoRoT-8b should be no more than similar to 0.1% over an assumed integrated lifetime of 3 Ga.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XII. CoRoT-12b: a short-period low-density planet transiting a solar analog star

We report the discovery by the CoRoT satellite of a new transiting giant planet in a 2.83 days orbit about a V = 15.5 solar analog star (M(*) = 1.08 +/- 0.08 M(circle dot), R(*) = 1.1 +/- 0.1 R(circle dot), T(eff) = 5675 +/- 80 K). This new planet, CoRoT-12b, has a mass of 0.92 +/- 0.07 M(Jup) and a radius of 1.44 +/- 0.13 R(Jup). Its low density can be explained by standard models for irradiated planets.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission IX. CoRoT-6b: a transiting ""hot Jupiter"" planet in an 8.9d orbit around a low-metallicity star

The CoRoT satellite exoplanetary team announces its sixth transiting planet in this paper. We describe and discuss the satellite observations as well as the complementary ground-based observations - photometric and spectroscopic - carried out to assess the planetary nature of the object and determine its specific physical parameters. The discovery reported here is a ""hot Jupiter"" planet in an 8.9d orbit, 18 stellar radii, or 0.08 AU, away from its primary star, which is a solar-type star (F9V) with an estimated age of 3.0 Gyr. The planet mass is close to 3 times that of Jupiter. The star has a metallicity of 0.2 dex lower than the Sun, and a relatively high (7)Li abundance. While the light curve indicates a much higher level of activity than, e. g., the Sun, there is no sign of activity spectroscopically in e. g., the [Ca II] H&K lines.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission VIII. CoRoT-7b: the first super-Earth with measured radius

Aims. We report the discovery of very shallow (Delta F/F approximate to 3.4 x 10(-4)), periodic dips in the light curve of an active V = 11.7 G9V star observed by the CoRoT satellite, which we interpret as caused by a transiting companion. We describe the 3-colour CoRoT data and complementary ground-based observations that support the planetary nature of the companion. Methods. We used CoRoT colours information, good angular resolution ground-based photometric observations in- and out- of transit, adaptive optics imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy, and preliminary results from radial velocity measurements, to test the diluted eclipsing binary scenarios. The parameters of the host star were derived from optical spectra, which were then combined with the CoRoT light curve to derive parameters of the companion. Results. We examined all conceivable cases of false positives carefully, and all the tests support the planetary hypothesis. Blends with separation >0.40 '' or triple systems are almost excluded with a 8 x 10(-4) risk left. We conclude that, inasmuch we have been exhaustive, we have discovered a planetary companion, named CoRoT-7b, for which we derive a period of 0.853 59 +/- 3 x 10(-5) day and a radius of R(p) = 1.68 +/- 0.09 R(Earth). Analysis of preliminary radial velocity data yields an upper limit of 21 M(Earth) for the companion mass, supporting the finding. Conclusions. CoRoT-7b is very likely the first Super-Earth with a measured radius. This object illustrates what will probably become a common situation with missions such as Kepler, namely the need to establish the planetary origin of transits in the absence of a firm radial velocity detection and mass measurement. The composition of CoRoT-7b remains loosely constrained without a precise mass. A very high surface temperature on its irradiated face, approximate to 1800-2600 K at the substellar point, and a very low one, approximate to 50 K, on its dark face assuming no atmosphere, have been derived.

The CoRoT-7 planetary system: two orbiting super-Earths

We report on an intensive observational campaign carried out with HARPS at the 3.6 m telescope at La Silla on the star CoRoT-7. Additional simultaneous photometric measurements carried out with the Euler Swiss telescope have demonstrated that the observed radial velocity variations are dominated by rotational modulation from cool spots on the stellar surface. Several approaches were used to extract the radial velocity signal of the planet(s) from the stellar activity signal. First, a simple pre-whitening procedure was employed to find and subsequently remove periodic signals from the complex frequency structure of the radial velocity data. The dominant frequency in the power spectrum was found at 23 days, which corresponds to the rotation period of CoRoT-7. The 0.8535 day period of CoRoT-7b planetary candidate was detected with an amplitude of 3.3 m s(-1). Most other frequencies, some with amplitudes larger than the CoRoT-7b signal, are most likely associated with activity. A second approach used harmonic decomposition of the rotational period and up to the first three harmonics to filter out the activity signal from radial velocity variations caused by orbiting planets. After correcting the radial velocity data for activity, two periodic signals are detected: the CoRoT-7b transit period and a second one with a period of 3.69 days and an amplitude of 4 m s(-1). This second signal was also found in the pre-whitening analysis. We attribute the second signal to a second, more remote planet CoRoT-7c. The orbital solution of both planets is compatible with circular orbits. The mass of CoRoT-7b is 4.8 +/- 0.8 (M(circle plus)) and that of CoRoT-7c is 8.4 +/- 0.9 (M(circle plus)), assuming both planets are on coplanar orbits. We also investigated the false positive scenario of a blend by a faint stellar binary, and this may be rejected by the stability of the bisector on a nightly scale. According to their masses both planets belong to the super-Earth planet category. The average density of CoRoT-7b is rho = 5.6 +/- 1.3 g cm(-3), similar to the Earth. The CoRoT-7 planetary system provides us with the first insight into the physical nature of short period super-Earth planets recently detected by radial velocity surveys. These planets may be denser than Neptune and therefore likely made of rocks like the Earth, or a mix of water ice and rocks.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XVII. The hot Jupiter CoRoT-17b: a very old planet

We report on the discovery of a hot Jupiter-type exoplanet, CoRoT-17b, detected by the CoRoT satellite. It has a mass of 2.43 +/- 0.30 M(Jup) and a radius of 1.02 +/- 0.07 R(Jup), while its mean density is 2.82 +/- 0.38 g/cm(3). CoRoT-17b is in a circular orbit with a period of 3.7681 +/- 0.0003 days. The host star is an old (10.7 +/- 1.0 Gyr) main-sequence star, which makes it an intriguing object for planetary evolution studies. The planet's internal composition is not well constrained and can range from pure H/He to one that can contain similar to 380 earth masses of heavier elements.

Fatores gravimétricos no Brasil para um modelo anelástico de Terra

Geodetic observations are affected by the disturbing potential of the luni-solar tide. Among those observations, the value of g obtained from gravimetric survey needs correction by the gravimetric factor. This correction is derived from the Numbers of Love, which depend on the adopted model of Earth. Because of this, it is necessary to update the correction since the gravimetric factor widely used in Brazil as delta = 1.20 does not consider local rheological variations and they are latitude dependent. A discrepancy of about 1% between the observed tidal gravimetric factors d of the ""Trans World Tidal Gravity Profiles"" (TWTGP), related to Brussels fundamental station, and those obtained by recent observations reported by Freitas and Ducarme ( 1991). Experiments based on inertial force effects also reveal a variation of about 0.5% in the observed d. A same order of magnitude difference is obtained for an anelastic Earth model when compared with a viscous-elastic model and even when different frequencies of tidal perturbations are considered. In this paper regression models are presented for gravimetric factors for the lunar components O(1) and M(2) in Brazil. These models were obtained from observations performed at stations belonging to the Brazilian segment of the TWTGP.

Human fallopian tube: a new source of multipotent adult mesenchymal stem cells discarded in surgical procedures

Background: The possibility of using stem cells for regenerative medicine has opened a new field of investigation. The search for sources to obtain multipotent stem cells from discarded tissues or through non-invasive procedures is of great interest. It has been shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from umbilical cords, dental pulp and adipose tissue, which are all biological discards, are able to differentiate into muscle, fat, bone and cartilage cell lineages. The aim of this study was to isolate, expand, characterize and assess the differentiation potential of MSCs from human fallopian tubes (hFTs). Methods: Lineages of hFTs were expanded, had their karyotype analyzed, were characterized by flow cytometry and underwent in vitro adipogenic, chondrogenic, osteogenic, and myogenic differentiation. Results: Here we show for the first time that hFTs, which are discarded after some gynecological procedures, are a rich additional source of MSCs, which we designated as human tube MSCs (htMSCs). Conclusion: Human tube MSCs can be easily isolated, expanded in vitro, present a mesenchymal profile and are able to differentiate into muscle, fat, cartilage and bone in vitro.

Multistability and Self-Similarity in the Parameter-Space of a Vibro-Impact System

The dynamics of a dissipative vibro-impact system called impact-pair is investigated. This system is similar to Fermi-Ulam accelerator model and consists of an oscillating one-dimensional box containing a point mass moving freely between successive inelastic collisions with the rigid walls of the box. In our numerical simulations, we observed multistable regimes, for which the corresponding basins of attraction present a quite complicated structure with smooth boundary. In addition, we characterize the system in a two-dimensional parameter space by using the largest Lyapunov exponents, identifying self-similar periodic sets. Copyright (C) 2009 Silvio L.T. de Souza et al.