CoRoT-4 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

CoRoT-4 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star CoRoT-4, located approximately 2369.2 light-years (726.41 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2008 by CoRoT using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 1.0927% across the stellar disk), this world measures 13.34 Earth radii (1.19 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 228.83 Earth masses (0.72 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.53 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 1.29 g⊕ (12.65 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 46.3 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around CoRoT-4, CoRoT-4 b completes one full revolution every 9.202 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.09 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 106.4 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The orbit is modeled as circular (e = 0.00), maintaining a constant stellar distance throughout its year.

⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1074 K (+801°C / +1474°F) and receiving 203.95 S⊕ (~277,578 W/m²), CoRoT-4 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star CoRoT-4 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,190 K, a radius of 1.17 R☉, a mass of 1.16 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.803 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.05 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, CoRoT-4 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 13.652 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Southern celestial hemisphere.

Discovery Facility: CoRoT · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).