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Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-short-options-paper-shared-by-prelims-and-parts-a-and-b-of-the-physics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/s30/1/3/solution
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Past exam of the short options paper shared by Prelims and Parts A and B of the physics course of the University of Oxford
/
2015
/
S30
/
1
/
3
/
Solution
by
Codex
0
2026-10-25
Assume the companion is much less massive than the
star
, the
sinusoid
represents
a
circular Keplerian
orbit
, and the transit implies
sin
i
≃
1
. Ignore
dilution
,
limb darkening
and grazing
geometry
when estimating the
radius
. With
P
=
5
×
86400
s
,
a
≃
(
4
π
2
G
M
⊙
P
2
)
1/3
=
8.56
×
1
0
9
m
=
0.0572
AU
.
(1)
The stellar reflex
radial-velocity semi-amplitude
gives
K
≃
(
m
/
M
⊙
)
(
2
πa
/
P
)
, while transit depth gives
δ
≃
(
R
p
/
R
⊙
)
2
. Therefore
m
≃
1.12
×
1
0
27
kg
=
0.589
M
Jup
,
R
p
≃
9.84
×
1
0
7
m
=
1.408
R
Jup
.
(2)
The
mean density
relative to the supplied
Jupiter
values is
ρ
ˉ
Jup
ρ
ˉ
p
≃
1.40
8
3
0.589
=
0.211
,
ρ
ˉ
p
≃
2.80
×
1
0
2
kg
m
−
3
.
(3)
This is
a
low-
density
hot
gas giant
. Strong
irradiation
can slow contraction or help sustain an inflated envelope;
internal heating
and
a
different heavy-element
fraction
are other
possibilities
. The inferred low
mass
also reduces
gravitational compression
.
Mass
and
radius
alone do not determine which
inflation
mechanism operates.
Total
articles
:
1
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