Rossiter--McLaughlin models and their effect on estimates of stellar rotation, illustrated using six WASP systems

Abstract

We present new measurements of the projected spin--orbit angle $λ$ for six WASP hot Jupiters, four of which are new to the literature (WASP-61, -62, -76, and -78), and two of which are new analyses of previously measured systems using new data (WASP-71, and -79). We use three different models based on two different techniques: radial velocity measurements of the Rossiter--McLaughlin effect, and Doppler tomography. Our comparison of the different models reveals that they produce projected stellar rotation velocities ($v \sin I_{\rm s}$) measurements often in disagreement with each other and with estimates obtained from spectral line broadening. The Boué model for the Rossiter--McLaughlin effect consistently underestimates the value of $v\sin I_{\rm s}$ compared to the Hirano model. Although $v \sin I_s$ differed, the effect on $λ$ was small for our sample, with all three methods producing values in agreement with each other. Using Doppler tomography, we find that WASP-61\,b ($λ=4^\circ.0^{+17.1}_{-18.4}$), WASP-71\,b ($λ=-1^\circ.9^{+7.1}_{-7.5}$), and WASP-78\,b ($λ=-6^\circ.4\pm5.9$) are aligned. WASP-62\,b ($λ=19^\circ.4^{+5.1}_{-4.9}$) is found to be slightly misaligned, while WASP-79\,b ($λ=-95^\circ.2^{+0.9}_{-1.0}$) is confirmed to be strongly misaligned and has a retrograde orbit. We explore a range of possibilities for the orbit of WASP-76\,b, finding that the orbit is likely to be strongly misaligned in the positive $λ$ direction.

33 pages. Accepted for publication in MNRAS