The K2-ESPRINT Project IV: A Hot Jupiter in a Prograde Orbit with a Possible Stellar Companion

We report on the detection and early characterization of a hot Jupiter in a 3-day orbit around K2-34 (EPIC~212110888), a metal-rich F-type star located in the K2 Cycle 5 field. Our follow-up campaign involves precise radial velocity (RV) measurements and high-contrast imaging using multiple facilities. The absence of a bright nearby source in our high-contrast data suggests that the transit-like signals are not due to light variations from such a companion star. Our intensive RV measurements show that K2-34b has a mass of $1.773\pm0.086M_J$, confirming its status as a planet. We also detect the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect for K2-34b and show that the system has a good spin-orbit alignment ($λ=-1_{-9}^{+10}$ degrees). High-contrast images obtained by the HiCIAO camera on the Subaru 8.2-m telescope reveal a faint companion candidate ($Δm_H=6.19\pm 0.11$ mag) at a separation of $0\farcs36$. Follow-up observations are needed to confirm that the companion candidate is physically associated with K2-34. K2-34b appears to be an example of a typical "hot Jupiter," albeit one which can be precisely characterized using a combination of K2 photometry and ground-based follow-up.

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