Tau Boötis b

τ Bootis b ( Tau Bootis b, sometimes referred to as Tau Bootis Ab) is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star Tau Bootis A. Due to its mass is assumed that it is a gas planet. Tau Bootis b was one of the first known planet around a Sun-like star and is still one of the hottest exoplanets.

Discovery

Tau Bootis b was discovered using the radial velocity method. The discovery was made by Geoffrey Marcy and R. Paul Butler along with 55 Cancri b and published Upsilon Andromedae b in 1997. These three formed after the 1995 discovered 51 Pegasi b, the next has become known members of the genus of " hot Jupiters ," massive planets with very tight and almost circular orbits. 1999, the direct detection was announced, however it could be disproved later.

Web properties

The planet orbits its star at a distance of only 0.046 astronomical units at an eccentricity of 0.018 every 3.31 days.

Physical Properties

The minimum mass of Tau Bootis b was given as 3.9 Jupiter masses. The true mass varies depending on the inclination of the orbital plane of proposed line of sight and is probably 6-8 Jupiter masses. It is understood from a predominantly composed of light elements gas giant that has probably formed externally much further in the planetary system and the star gradually approaches. The temperature at the surface is at least 1,500 Kelvin and makes Tau Bootis b one of the hottest planet. This extremely high temperature suggests that clouds could form from silicates on one of vapors of alkali metals dominated atmosphere, but these hypotheses are speculative and not currently verifiable. The albedo is obviously smaller than 0.37, because otherwise you could show reflected light from the star.

Swell

• R. Butler et al.: Three New 51 Pegasi -type planet. (1997) The Astrophysical Journal 474: L115 - L118. doi: 10.1086/310444. Abstract