SIMBAD references

2026ApJ...997..297S - Astrophys. J., 997, 297 (2026/February-1)

Polka-dotted Stars. II. Starspots and Obliquities of Kepler-17 and Kepler-63.

SAGYNBAYEVA S. and FARR W.M.

Abstract (from CDS):

Starspots trace stellar magnetic activity and affect both stellar evolution and exoplanet characterization. While occultation-based spot studies have been applied to individual systems, comparative analyses remain limited. We apply the StarryStarryProcess Bayesian surface mapping framework to archival Kepler light curves of two planet hosts-Kepler-63 and Kepler-17-extending the validation established on TOI-3884 (Paper I). Across both systems, we infer characteristic spot radii of <10∘. The latitudinal distributions of both G-dwarfs exhibit active latitudes (Kepler-63 at ±30∘, Kepler-17 at ±15∘). Our analysis yields stellar obliquity measurements in excellent agreement with previous studies for both systems. This validates our methodology and demonstrates that transit-based surface mapping can simultaneously recover planetary parameters, stellar orientations, and magnetic morphologies. The analysis of the systems inferred nearly aligned (Kepler-17) to highly misaligned (Kepler-63) geometries.

Abstract Copyright: © 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): Exoplanet astronomy - Starspots - Orbits - Gaussian Processes regression - Astronomy data analysis

Simbad objects: 6

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