Transit observations of the Hot Jupiter HD 189733b at X-ray wavelengths. (arXiv:1306.2311v1 [astro-ph.SR])

Transit observations of the Hot Jupiter HD 189733b at X-ray wavelengths. (arXiv:1306.2311v1 [astro-ph.SR]):
We present new X-ray observations obtained with Chandra ACIS-S of the HD
189733 system, consisting of a K-type star orbited by a transiting Hot Jupiter
and an M-type stellar companion. We report a detection of the planetary transit
in soft X-rays with a significantly larger transit depth than observed in the
optical. The X-ray data favor a transit depth of 6-8%, versus a broadband
optical transit depth of 2.41%. While we are able to exclude several possible
stellar origins for this deep transit, additional observations will be
necessary to fully exclude the possibility that coronal inhomogeneities
influence the result. From the available data, we interpret the deep X-ray
transit to be caused by a thin outer planetary atmosphere which is transparent
at optical wavelengths, but dense enough to be opaque to X-rays. The X-ray
radius appears to be larger than the radius observed at far-UV wavelengths,
most likely due to high temperatures in the outer atmosphere at which hydrogen
is mostly ionized. We furthermore detect the stellar companion HD 189733B in
X-rays for the first time with an X-ray luminosity of log LX = 26.67 erg/s. We
show that the magnetic activity level of the companion is at odds with the
activity level observed for the planet-hosting primary. The discrepancy may be
caused by tidal interaction between the Hot Jupiter and its host star.