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Astudillo-Defru, N., Cloutier, R., Wang, S. X., Teske, J., Brahm, R., Hellier, C., et al. (2020). A hot terrestrial planet orbiting the bright M dwarf L 168-9 unveiled by TESS. Astron. Astrophys., 636, 13 pp.
Abstract: We report the detection of a transiting super-Earth-sized planet (R = 1.39 +/- 0.09 R-circle plus) in a 1.4-day orbit around L 168-9 (TOI-134), a bright M1V dwarf (V = 11, K = 7.1) located at 25.15 +/- 0.02 pc. The host star was observed in the first sector of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. For confirmation and planet mass measurement purposes, this was followed up with ground-based photometry, seeing-limited and high-resolution imaging, and precise radial velocity (PRV) observations using the HARPS and Magellan/PFS spectrographs. By combining the TESS data and PRV observations, we find the mass of L 168-9 b to be 4.60 +/- 0.56 M-circle plus and thus the bulk density to be 1.74(-0.33)(+0.44) times higher than that of the Earth. The orbital eccentricity is smaller than 0.21 (95% confidence). This planet is a level one candidate for the TESS mission's scientific objective of measuring the masses of 50 small planets, and it is one of the most observationally accessible terrestrial planets for future atmospheric characterization.
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Bouma, L. G., Hartman, J. D., Brahm, R., Evans, P., Collins, K. A., Zhou, G., et al. (2020). Cluster Difference Imaging Photometric Survey. II. TOI 837: A Young Validated Planet in IC 2602. Astron. J., 160(5), 20 pp.
Abstract: We report the discovery of TOI 837b and its validation as a transiting planet. We characterize the system using data from the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission, the ESA Gaia mission, ground-based photometry from El Sauce and ASTEP400, and spectroscopy from CHIRON, FEROS, and Veloce. We find that TOI 837 is a T = 9.9 mag G0/F9 dwarf in the southern open cluster IC 2602. The star and planet are therefore 35(-5)(+11) million years old. Combining the transit photometry with a prior on the stellar parameters derived from the cluster color-magnitude diagram, we find that the planet has an orbital period of 8.3 days and is slightly smaller than Jupiter (R-p = 0.77(0.07)(+0.09) R-Jup). From radial velocity monitoring, we limit M-p sin i to less than 1.20 M-Jup (3 sigma). The transits either graze or nearly graze the stellar limb. Grazing transits are a cause for concern, as they are often indicative of astrophysical false-positive scenarios. Our follow-up data show that such scenarios are unlikely. Our combined multicolor photometry, high-resolution imaging, and radial velocities rule out hierarchical eclipsing binary scenarios. Background eclipsing binary scenarios, though limited by speckle imaging, remain a 0.2% possibility. TOI 837b is therefore a validated adolescent exoplanet. The planetary nature of the system can be confirmed or refuted through observations of the stellar obliquity and the planetary mass. Such observations may also improve our understanding of how the physical and orbital properties of exoplanets change in time.
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Brahm, R., Nielsen, L. D., Wittenmyer, R. A., Wang, S. H., Rodriguez, J. E., Espinoza, N., et al. (2020). TOI-481 b and TOI-892 b: Two Long-period Hot Jupiters from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. Astron. J., 160(5), 14 pp.
Abstract: We present the discovery of two new 10 day period giant planets from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission, whose masses were precisely determined using a wide diversity of ground-based facilities. TOI-481.b and TOI-892.b have similar radii (0.99.+/-.0.01 R-J and 1.07.+/-.0.02 R-J, respectively), and orbital periods (10.3311 days and 10.6266 days, respectively), but significantly different masses (1.53.+/-.0.03 MJ versus 0.95.+/-.0.07 MJ, respectively). Both planets orbit metal-rich stars ([Fe H] = + 0.26. 0.05 dex and [Fe H] = +0.24. 0.05 for TOI-481 and TOI-892, respectively) but at different evolutionary stages. TOI-481 is a M*=.1.14.+/-.0.02 M., R*=.1.66.+/-.0.02 R. G-type star (T-eff = 5735 +/- 72 K), that with an age of 6.7 Gyr, is in the turn-off point of the main sequence. TOI-892 on the other hand, is a F-type dwarf star (T-eff = 6261 +/- 80 K), which has a mass of M*=.1.28.+/-.0.03 M-circle dot and a radius of R*=.1.39.+/-.0.02 R-circle dot. TOI-481.b and TOI-892.b join the scarcely populated region of transiting gas giants with orbital periods longer than 10 days, which is important to constrain theories of the formation and structure of hot Jupiters.
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Carleo, I., Gandolfi, D., Barragan, O., Livingston, J. H., Persson, C. M., Lam, K. W. F., et al. (2020). The Multiplanet System TOI-421*. Astron. J., 160(3), 23 pp.
Abstract: We report the discovery of a warm Neptune and a hot sub-Neptune transiting TOI-421 (BD-14 1137, TIC 94986319), a bright (V = 9.9) G9 dwarf star in a visual binary system observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) space mission in Sectors 5 and 6. We performed ground-based follow-up observations-comprised of Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope transit photometry, NIRC2 adaptive optics imaging, and FIbre-fed Echelle Spectrograph, CORALIE, High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, High Resolution echelle Spectrometer, and Planet Finder Spectrograph high-precision Doppler measurements-and confirmed the planetary nature of the 16 day transiting candidate announced by the TESS team. We discovered an additional radial velocity signal with a period of five days induced by the presence of a second planet in the system, which we also found to transit its host star. We found that the inner mini-Neptune, TOI-421 b, has an orbital period of P-b = 5.19672 +/- 0.00049 days, a mass of M-b = 7.17 +/- 0.66 M-circle plus, and a radius of R-b = R-circle plus, whereas the outer warm Neptune, TOI-421 c, has a period of P-c = 16.06819 +/- 0.00035 days, a mass of M-c = 16.42(-1.04)(+1.06)M(circle plus), a radius of R-c = 5.09(-0.15)(+0.16)R(circle plus), and a density of rho(c) = 0.685(-0.072)(+0.080) cm(-3). With its characteristics, the outer planet (rho(c) = 0.685(-0.0072)(+0.080) cm(-3)) is placed in the intriguing class of the super-puffy mini-Neptunes. TOI-421 b and TOI-421 c are found to be well-suited for atmospheric characterization. Our atmospheric simulations predict significant Ly alpha transit absorption, due to strong hydrogen escape in both planets, as well as the presence of detectable CH4 in the atmosphere of TOI-421 c if equilibrium chemistry is assumed.
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Carmichael, T. W., Quinn, S. N., Mustill, A. J., Huang, C., Zhou, G., Persson, C. M., et al. (2020). Two Intermediate-mass Transiting Brown Dwarfs from the TESS Mission. Astron. J., 160(1), 15 pp.
Abstract: We report the discovery of two intermediate-mass transiting brown dwarfs (BDs), TOI-569b and TOI-1406b, from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission. TOI-569b has an orbital period of P = 6.55604 0.00016 days, a mass of M-b = 64.1 1.9 , and a radius of R-b = 0.75 0.02 . Its host star, TOI-569, has a mass of M-star = 1.21 0.05, a radius of R-star = 1.47 0.03 dex, and an effective temperature of T-eff = 5768 110 K. TOI-1406b has an orbital period of P = 10.57415 0.00063 days, a mass of M-b = 46.0 2.7 , and a radius of R-b = 0.86 0.03 . The host star for this BD has a mass of M-star = 1.18 0.09 a radius of R-star = 1.35 0.03 dex, and an effective temperature of T-eff = 6290 100 K. Both BDs are in circular orbits around their host stars and are older than 3 Gyr based on stellar isochrone models of the stars. TOI-569 is one of two slightly evolved stars known to host a transiting BD (the other being KOI-415). TOI-1406b is one of three known transiting BDs to occupy the mass range of 40-50 and one of two to have a circular orbit at a period near 10 days (with the first being KOI-205b). Both BDs have reliable ages from stellar isochrones, in addition to their well-constrained masses and radii, making them particularly valuable as tests for substellar isochrones in the BD mass-radius diagram.
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Carone, L., Molliere, P., Zhou, Y. F., Bouwman, J., Yan, F., Baeyens, R., et al. (2021). Indications for very high metallicity and absence of methane in the eccentric exo-Saturn WASP-117b. Astron. Astrophys., 646, A168.
Abstract: Aims. We investigate the atmospheric composition of the long-period (P-orb = 10 days) eccentric exo-Saturn WASP-117b. WASP-117b could be similar in atmospheric temperature and chemistry to WASP-107b. In mass and radius, WASP-117b is similar to WASP-39b, which allows a comparative study of these planets.Methods. We analyzed a near-infrared transmission spectrum of WASP-117b taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3 G141, which was reduced with two independent pipelines. High-resolution measurements were taken with VLT/ESPRESSO in the optical.Results. We report the robust (3 sigma) detection of a water spectral feature. In a 1D atmosphere model with isothermal temperature, uniform cloud deck, and equilibrium chemistry, the Bayesian evidence of a retrieval analysis of the transmission spectrum indicates a preference for a high atmospheric metallicity
[Fe/H] = 2.58(-0.37)(+0.26) [Fe/H]=2.58-0.37+0.26 and clear skies. The data are also consistent with a lower metallicity composition [Fe/H] < 1.75 and a cloud deck between 10(-2.2) and 10(-5.1) bar, but with weaker Bayesian preference. We retrieve a low CH4 abundance of <10(-4) volume fraction within 1 sigma and <2 x 10(-1) volume fraction within 3<sigma>. We cannot constrain the equilibrium temperature between theoretically imposed limits of 700 and 1000 K. Further observations are needed to confirm quenching of CH4 with K-zz >= 10(8) cm(2) s(-1). We report indications of Na and K in the VLT/ESPRESSO high-resolution spectrum with substantial Bayesian evidence in combination with HST data. |
Espinoza, N., Brahm, R., Henning, T., Jordan, A., Dorn, C., Rojas, F., et al. (2020). HD 213885b: a transiting 1-d-period super-Earth with an Earth-like composition around a bright (V=7.9) star unveiled by TESS. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 491(2), 2982–2999.
Abstract: We report the discovery of the 1.008-d, ultrashort period (USP) super-EarthHD213885b (TOI141b) orbiting the bright (V= 7.9) star HD 213885 (TOI-141, TIC 403224672), detected using photometry from the recently launched TESS mission. Using FEROS, HARPS, and CORALIE radial velocities, we measure a precise mass of 8.8 +/- 0.6M. for this 1.74 +/- 0.05 R. exoplanet, which provides enough information to constrain its bulk composition – similar to Earth's but enriched in iron. The radius, mass, and stellar irradiation of HD 213885b are, given our data, very similar to 55 Cancri e, making this exoplanet a good target to perform comparative exoplanetology of short period, highly irradiated super-Earths. Our precise radial velocities reveal an additional 4.78-d signal which we interpret as arising from a second, non-transiting planet in the system, HD 213885c, whoseminimum mass of 19.9 +/- 1.4M. makes it consistent with being a Neptune-mass exoplanet. The HD 213885 system is very interesting from the perspective of future atmospheric characterization, being the second brightest star to host an USP transiting super-Earth (with the brightest star being, in fact, 55 Cancri). Prospects for characterization with present and future observatories are discussed.
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Gill, S., Wheatley, P. J., Cooke, B. F., Jordan, A., Nielsen, L. D., Bayliss, D., et al. (2020). NGTS-11 b (TOI-1847 b): A Transiting Warm Saturn Recovered from a TESS Single-transit Event. Astrophys. J. Lett., 898(1), 6 pp.
Abstract: We report the discovery of NGTS-11 b (=TOI-1847b), a transiting Saturn in a 35.46 day orbit around a mid K-type star (T-eff = 5050 +/- 80 K). We initially identified the system from a single-transit event in a TESS full-frame image light curve. Following 79 nights of photometric monitoring with an NGTS telescope, we observed a second full transit of NGTS-11 b approximately one year after the TESS single-transit event. The NGTS transit confirmed the parameters of the transit signal and restricted the orbital period to a set of 13 discrete periods. We combined our transit detections with precise radial-velocity measurements to determine the true orbital period and measure the mass of the planet. We find NGTS-11 b has a radius of 0.817 +/-(0.028)(0.032) R-Jup, a mass of 0.344 +/-(0.092)(0.073) M-Jup, and an equilibrium temperature of just 435 +/-(34)(32) K, making it one of the coolest known transiting gas giants. NGTS-11 b is the first exoplanet to be discovered after being initially identified as a TESS single-transit event, and its discovery highlights the power of intense photometric monitoring in recovering longer-period transiting exoplanets from single-transit events.
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Hartman, J. D., Jordan, A., Bayliss, D., Bakos, G. A., Bento, J., Bhatti, W., et al. (2020). HATS-47b, HATS-48Ab, HATS-49b, and HATS-72b: Four Warm Giant Planets Transiting K Dwarfs. Astron. J., 159(4), 23 pp.
Abstract: We report the discovery of four transiting giant planets around K dwarfs. The planets HATS-47b, HATS-48Ab, HATS49b, and HATS-72b have masses of 0.369+ 0.0210.031MJ, 0.243+ 0.0300.022 MJ, 0.353+ 0.0270.038 MJ, and 0.1254. 0.0039 MJ, respectively, and radii of 1.117. 0.014 RJ, 0.800. 0.015 RJ, 0.765. 0.013 RJ, and 0.7224. 0.0032 RJ, respectively. The planets orbit close to their host stars with orbital periods of 3.9228 days, 3.1317 days, 4.1480 days, and 7.3279 days, respectively. The hosts are main-sequence K dwarfs with masses of 0.674+ 0.0120.016.M, 0.7279. 0.0066.M, 0.7133. 0.0075.M, and 0.7311. 0.0028, and with V-band magnitudes of V = 14.829. 0.010, 14.35. 0.11, 14.998. 0.040 and 12.469. 0.010. The super-Neptune HATS-72b (a.k.a. WASP-191b and TOI 294.01) was independently identified as a transiting planet candidate by the HATSouth, WASP, and TESS surveys, and we present a combined analysis of all of the data gathered by each of these projects (and their follow-up programs). An exceptionally precise mass is measured for HATS-72b thanks to high-precision radial velocity (RV) measurements obtained with VLT/ESPRESSO, FEROS, HARPS, and Magellan/PFS. We also incorporate TESS observations of the warm Saturn-hosting systems HATS-47 (a.k.a. TOI.1073.01), HATS-48A, and HATS-49. HATS-47 was independently identified as a candidate by the TESS team, while the other two systems were not previously identified from the TESS data. The RV orbital variations are measured for these systems using Magellan/PFS. HATS-48A has a resolved 5.. 4 neighbor in Gaia.DR2, which is a common-proper-motion binary star companion to HATS-48A with a mass of 0.22.M and a current projected physical separation of similar to 1400 au.
Keywords: Exoplanets; Extrasolar gas giants; Hot Jupiters; Transits
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Jenkins, J. S., Diaz, M. R., Kurtovic, N. T., Espinoza, N., Vines, J. I., Rojas, P. A. P., et al. (2020). An ultrahot Neptune in the Neptune desert. Nat. Astron., 4(12), 1148–1157.
Abstract: About 1 out of 200 Sun-like stars has a planet with an orbital period shorter than one day: an ultrashort-period planet(1,2). All of the previously known ultrashort-period planets are either hot Jupiters, with sizes above 10 Earth radii (R-circle plus), or apparently rocky planets smaller than 2 R-circle plus. Such lack of planets of intermediate size (the `hot Neptune desert') has been interpreted as the inability of low-mass planets to retain any hydrogen/ helium (H/He) envelope in the face of strong stellar irradiation. Here we report the discovery of an ultrashort-period planet with a radius of 4.6 R-circle plus and a mass of 29 M-circle plus, firmly in the hot Neptune desert. Data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(3) revealed transits of the bright Sun-like star LTT 9779 every 0.79 days. The planet's mean density is similar to that of Neptune, and according to thermal evolution models, it has a H/He-rich envelope constituting 9.0(-2.9)(+2.7) % of the total mass. With an equilibrium temperature around 2,000 K, it is unclear how this `ultrahot Neptune' managed to retain such an envelope. Follow-up observations of the planet's atmosphere to better understand its origin and physical nature will be facilitated by the star's brightness (V-mag = 9.8).
Keywords: PLANETS; ATMOSPHERE; EXOPLANETS; ALGORITHM; EFFICIENT; DWARFS; STARS; TOOL
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Jordan, A., Bakos, G. A., Bayliss, D., Bento, J., Bhatti, W., Brahm, R., et al. (2020). HATS-37Ab and HATS-38b: Two Transiting Hot Neptunes in the Desert*. Astron. J., 160(5), 14 pp.
Abstract: We report the discovery of two transiting Neptunes by the HATSouth survey. The planet HATS-37Ab has a mass of 0.099 +/- 0.042 MJ (31.5.+/-.13.4M(circle dot)) and a radius of 0.606 +/- 0.016 R-J, and is on a P = 4.3315 day orbit around a V = 12.266 +/- 0.030 mag, 0.843(-0.012)(+0.017)M(circle dot) star with a radius of 0.877(-0.012)(+0.019) R-circle dot We also present evidence that the star HATS-37A has an unresolved stellar companion HATS-37B, with a photometrically estimated mass of 0.654 +/- 0.033.M-circle dot The planet HATS-38b has a mass of 0.074. 0.011MJ (23.5 +/- 3.5M(circle dot)) and a radius of 0.614 +/- 0.017 R-J, and is on a P = 4.3750 day orbit around a V = 12.411 +/- 0.030 mag, 0.890(-0.012)(+0.016) M-circle dot star with a radius of 1.105 +/- 0.016.R-circle dot Both systems appear to be old, with isochrone-based ages of 11.46(-1.45)(+0.79) Gyr, and 11.89 +/- 0.60 Gyr, respectively. Both HATS-37Ab and HATS-38b lie in the Neptune desert and are thus examples of a population with a low occurrence rate. They are also among the lowest-mass planets found from ground-based wide-field surveys to date.
Keywords: Exoplanets; Hot Neptunes
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Jordan, A., Brahm, R., Espinoza, N., Henning, T., Jones, M. I., Kossakowski, D., et al. (2020). TOI-677b: A Warm Jupiter (P=11.2 days) on an Eccentric Orbit Transiting a Late F-type Star. Astron. J., 159(4), 10 pp.
Abstract: We report the discovery of TOI-677.b, first identified as a candidate in light curves obtained within Sectors 9 and 10 of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission and confirmed with radial velocities. TOI-677.b has a mass of M-p = 1.236(-0.067)(+0.069) M-J, a radius of R-P = 1.170 +/- 0.03 R-J, and orbits its bright host star (V=.9.8 mag) with an orbital period of 11.23660 +/- 0.00011 d, on an eccentric orbit with e = 0.435 +/- 0.024. The host star has a mass of M-star = 1.181 +/- 0.058 M-circle dot, a radius of R. = 1.28(-0.03)(+0.03) R-circle dot, an age of 2.92(-0.73)(+0.80) Gyr and solar metallicity, properties consistent with a main-sequence late-F star with T-eff = 6295 +/- 77 K. We find evidence in the radial velocity measurements of a secondary long-term signal, which could be due to an outer companion. The TOI-677.b system is a well-suited target for Rossiter-Mclaughlin observations that can constrain migration mechanisms of close-in giant planets.
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Kossakowski, D., Espinoza, N., Brahm, R., Jordan, A., Henning, T., Rojas, F., et al. (2019). TOI-150b and TOI-163b: two transiting hot Jupiters, one eccentric and one inflated, revealed by TESS near and at the edge of the JWST CVZ. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 490(1), 1094–1110.
Abstract: We present the discovery of TYC9191-519-1b (TOI-150b, TIC 271893367) and HD271181b (TOI-163b, TIC 179317684), two hot Jupiters initially detected using 30-min cadence Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) photometry from Sector 1 and thoroughly characterized through follow-up photometry (CHAT, Hazelwood, LCO/CTIO, El Sauce, TRAPPIST-S), high-resolution spectroscopy (FEROS, CORALIE), and speckle imaging (Gemini/DSSI), confirming the planetary nature of the two signals. A simultaneous joint fit of photometry and radial velocity using a new fitting package JULIET reveals that TOI-150b is a 1.254 +/- 0.016 R-J, massive (2.61(-0.12)(+0.19) M-J) hot Jupiter in a 5.857-d orbit, while TOI-163b is an inflated (R-P = 1.478(-0.029)(+0.022) R-J, M-P = 1.219 +/- 0.11 M-J) hot Jupiter on a P = 4.231-d orbit; both planets orbit F-type stars. A particularly interesting result is that TOI-150b shows an eccentric orbit (e = 0.262(-0.037)(+0.045)), which is quite uncommon among hot Jupiters. We estimate that this is consistent, however, with the circularization time-scale, which is slightly larger than the age of the system. These two hot Jupiters are both prime candidates for further characterization – in particular, both are excellent candidates for determining spin-orbit alignments via the Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) effect and for characterizing atmospheric thermal structures using secondary eclipse observations considering they are both located closely to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Continuous Viewing Zone (CVZ).
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Lendl, M., Bouchy, F., Gill, S., Nielsen, L. D., Turner, O., Stassun, K., et al. (2020). TOI-222: a single-transit TESS candidate revealed to be a 34-d eclipsing binary with CORALIE, EulerCam, and NGTS. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 492(2), 1761–1769.
Abstract: We report the period, eccentricity, and mass determination for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) single-transit event candidate TOI-222, which displayed a single 3000 ppm transit in the TESS 2-min cadence data from Sector 2. We determine the orbital period via radial velocity measurements (P = 33.9 d), which allowed for ground-based photometric detection of two subsequent transits. Our data show that the companion to TOI-222 is a low-mass star, with a radius of 0.18(-0.10)(+0.39) R-circle dot and a mass of 0.23 +/- 0.01 M-circle dot. This discovery showcases the ability to efficiently discover long-period systems from TESS single-transit events using a combination of radial velocity monitoring coupled with high-precision ground-based photometry.
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Mancini, L., Sarkis, P., Henning, T., Bakos, G. A., Bayliss, D., Bento, J., et al. (2020). The highly inflated giant planet WASP-174b. Astron. Astrophys., 633, 12 pp.
Abstract: Context. The transiting exoplanetary system WASP-174 was reported to be composed by a main-sequence F star (V = 11.8 mag) and a giant planet, WASP-174b (orbital period P-orb = 4.23 days). However only an upper limit was placed on the planet mass (<1.3 M-Jup), and a highly uncertain planetary radius (0.7-1.7 R-Jup) was determined.Aims. We aim to better characterise both the star and the planet and precisely measure their orbital and physical parameters.Methods. In order to constrain the mass of the planet, we obtained new measurements of the radial velocity of the star and joined them with those from the discovery paper. Photometric data from the HATSouth survey and new multi-band, high-quality (precision reached up to 0.37 mmag) photometric follow-up observations of transit events were acquired and analysed for getting accurate photometric parameters. We fit the model to all the observations, including data from the TESS space telescope, in two different modes: incorporating the stellar isochrones into the fit, and using an empirical method to get the stellar parameters. The two modes resulted to be consistent with each other to within 2<sigma>.Results. We confirm the grazing nature of the WASP-174b transits with a confidence level greater than 5 sigma, which is also corroborated by simultaneously observing the transit through four optical bands and noting how the transit depth changes due to the limb-darkening effect. We estimate that approximate to 76% of the disk of the planet actually eclipses the parent star at mid-transit of its transit events. We find that WASP-174b is a highly-inflated hot giant planet with a mass of M-p = 0.330 +/- 0.091 M-Jup and a radius of R-p = 1.435 +/- 0.050 R-Jup, and is therefore a good target for transmission-spectroscopy observations. With a density of rho (p) = 0.135 +/- 0.042 g cm(-3), it is amongst the lowest-density planets ever discovered with precisely measured mass and radius.
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McGruder, C. D., Lopez-Morales, M., Espinoza, N., Rackham, B. V., Apai, D., Jordan, A., et al. (2020). ACCESS: Confirmation of No Potassium in the Atmosphere of WASP-31b. Astron. J., 160(5), 22 pp.
Abstract: We present a new optical (400-950 nm) transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-31b (M = 0.48 M-J; R = 1.54 R-J; P = 3.41 days), obtained by combining four transit observations. These transits were observed with IMACS on the Magellan Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory as part of the ACCESS project. We investigate the presence of clouds/hazes in the upper atmosphere of this planet, as well as the contribution of stellar activity on the observed features. In addition, we search for absorption features of the alkali elements Na i and K i, with particular focus on K i, for which there have been two previously published disagreeing results. Observations with Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/STIS detected K i, whereas ground-based low- and high-resolution observations did not. We use equilibrium and nonequilibrium chemistry retrievals to explore the planetary and stellar parameter space of the system with our optical data combined with existing near-IR observations. Our best-fit model is that with a scattering slope consistent with a Rayleigh slope (alpha = 5(-3.1)(+2.9)), high-altitude clouds at a log cloud top pressure of -3.6(-2.1)(+2.7) bars, and possible muted H2O features. We find that our observations support other ground-based claims of no K I. Clouds are likely why signals like H2O are extremely muted and Na or K cannot be detected. We then juxtapose our Magellan/IMACS transmission spectrum with existing VLT/FORS2, HST/WFC3, HST/STIS, and Spitzer observations to further constrain the optical-to-infrared atmospheric features of the planet. We find that a steeper scattering slope (alpha = 8.3 +/- 1.5) is anchored by STIS wavelengths blueward of 400 nm and only the original STIS observations show significant potassium signal.
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Nielsen, L. D., Brahm, R., Bouchy, F., Espinoza, N., Turner, O., Rappaport, S., et al. (2020). Three short-period Jupiters from TESS: HIP 65Ab, TOI-157b, and TOI-169b. Astron. Astrophys., 639, 17 pp.
Abstract: We report the confirmation and mass determination of three hot Jupiters discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission: HIP 65Ab (TOI-129, TIC-201248411) is an ultra-short-period Jupiter orbiting a bright (V = 11.1 mag) K4-dwarf every 0.98 days. It is a massive 3.213 +/- 0.078 M-J planet in a grazing transit configuration with an impact parameter of b = 1.17(-0.08)(+0.10) b=1.17-0.08+0.10 . As a result the radius is poorly constrained, 2.03(-0.49)(+0.61)R(J) 2.03-0.49+0.61 RJ . The planet's distance to its host star is less than twice the separation at which it would be destroyed by Roche lobe overflow. It is expected to spiral into HIP 65A on a timescale ranging from 80 Myr to a few gigayears, assuming a reduced tidal dissipation quality factor of Q(s)(') = 10(7) – 10(9) Qs ' =107-109 . We performed a full phase-curve analysis of the TESS data and detected both illumination- and ellipsoidal variations as well as Doppler boosting. HIP 65A is part of a binary stellar system, with HIP 65B separated by 269 AU (3.95 arcsec on sky). TOI-157b (TIC 140691463) is a typical hot Jupiter with a mass of 1.18 +/- 0.13 M-J and a radius of 1.29 +/- 0.02 R-J. It has a period of 2.08 days, which corresponds to a separation of just 0.03 AU. This makes TOI-157 an interesting system, as the host star is an evolved G9 sub-giant star (V = 12.7). TOI-169b (TIC 183120439) is a bloated Jupiter orbiting a V = 12.4 G-type star. It has a mass of 0.79 +/- 0.06 M-J and a radius of 1.09(-0.05)(+0.08)R(J) 1.09-0.05+0.08<mml:msub>RJ . Despite having the longest orbital period (P = 2.26 days) of the three planets, TOI-169b receives the most irradiation and is situated on the edge of the Neptune desert. All three host stars are metal rich with [Fe / H] ranging from 0.18 to0.24.
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Nowak, G., Palle, E., Gandolfi, D., Deeg, H. J., Hirano, T., Barragan, O., et al. (2020). K2-280 b – a low density warm sub-Saturn around a mildly evolved star. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 497(4), 4423–4435.
Abstract: We present an independent discovery and detailed characterization of K2-280 b, a transiting low density warm sub-Saturn in a 19.9-d moderately eccentric orbit (e = 0.35(-0.04)(+0.05)) from K2 campaign 7. A joint analysis of high precision HARPS, HARPS-N, and FIES radial velocity measurements and K2 photometric data indicates that K2-280 b has a radius of R-b = 7.50 +/- 0.44 R-circle plus and a mass of M-b = 37.1 +/- 5.6 M-circle plus, yielding a mean density of rho(b) = 0.48(-0.10)(+0.13) g cm(-3). The host star is a mildly evolved G7 star with an effective temperature of T-eff = 5500 +/- 100 K, a surface gravity of log g(star) = 4.21 +/- 0.05 (cgs), and an iron abundance of [Fe/H] = 0.33 +/- 0.08 dex, and with an inferred mass of M-star = 1.03 +/- 0.03 M-circle dot and a radius of R-star = 1.28 +/- 0.07 R-circle dot. We discuss the importance of K2-280 b for testing formation scenarios of sub-Saturn planets and the current sample of this intriguing group of planets that are absent in the Solar system.
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Rodriguez, J. E., Quinn, S. N., Zhou, G., Vanderburg, A., Nielsen, L. D., Wittenmyer, R. A., et al. (2021). TESS Delivers Five New Hot Giant Planets Orbiting Bright Stars from the Full-frame Images. Astron. J., 161(4), 194.
Abstract: We present the discovery and characterization of five hot and warm Jupiters-TOI-628 b (TIC 281408474; HD 288842), TOI-640 b (TIC 147977348), TOI-1333 b (TIC 395171208, BD+47 3521A), TOI-1478 b (TIC 409794137), and TOI-1601 b ( TIC 139375960)-based on data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The five planets were identified from the full-frame images and were confirmed through a series of photometric and spectroscopic follow-up observations by the TESS Follow-up Observing Program Working Group. The planets are all Jovian size (R-P = 1.01-1.77 R-J) and have masses that range from 0.85 to 6.33 M-J. The host stars of these systems have F and G spectral types (5595 <= T-eff <= 6460 K) and are all relatively bright (9.5 < V < 10.8, 8.2 < K < 9.3), making them well suited for future detailed characterization efforts. Three of the systems in our sample (TOI-640 b, TOI-1333 b, and TOI-1601 b) orbit subgiant host stars (log g < 4.1). TOI-640 b is one of only three known hot Jupiters to have a highly inflated radius (R-P > 1.7 R-J, possibly a result of its host star's evolution) and resides on an orbit with a period longer than 5 days. TOI-628 b is the most massive, hot Jupiter discovered to date by TESS with a measured mass of 6.31(-0.30)(+) (0.28) M-J and a statistically significant, nonzero orbital eccentricity of e = 0.074(-0.022)(+) (0.021). This planet would not have had enough time to circularize through tidal forces from our analysis, suggesting that it might be remnant eccentricity from its migration. The longest-period planet in this sample, TOI-1478 b (P = 10.18 days), is a warm Jupiter in a circular orbit around a near-solar analog. NASA's TESS mission is continuing to increase the sample of well-characterized hot and warm Jupiters, complementing its primary mission goals.
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Sandford, E., Espinoza, N., Brahm, R., & Jordan, A. (2019). Estimation of singly transiting K2 planet periods with Gaia parallaxes. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 489(3), 3149–3161.
Abstract: When a planet is only observed to transit once, direct measurement of its period is impossible. It is possible, however, to constrain the periods of single transiters, and this is desirable as they are likely to represent the cold and far extremes of the planet population observed by any particular survey. Improving the accuracy with which the period of single transiters can be constrained is therefore critical to enhance the long-period planet yield of surveys. Here, we combine Gaia parallaxes with stellar models and broad-band photometry to estimate the stellar densities of K2 planet host stars, then use that stellar density information to model individual planet transits and infer the posterior period distribution. We show that the densities we infer are reliable by comparing with densities derived through asteroseismology, and apply our method to 27 validation planets of known (directly measured) period, treating each transit as if it were the only one, as well as to 12 true single transiters. When we treat eccentricity as a free parameter, we achieve a fractional period uncertainty over the true single transits of 94(-58)(+87) per cent, and when we fix e = 0, we achieve fractional period uncertainty 15(-6)(+30) per cent, a roughly threefold improvement over typical period uncertainties of previous studies.
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