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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Grieves, N., Bouchy, F., Lendl, M., Carmichael, T., Mireles, I., Shporer, A., et al. (2021). Populating the brown dwarf and stellar boundary: Five stars with transiting companions near the hydrogen-burning mass limit. Astron. Astrophys., 652.
Abstract: We report the discovery of five transiting companions near the hydrogen-burning mass limit in close orbits around main sequence stars originally identified by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) as TESS objects of interest (TOIs): TOI-148, TOI-587, TOI-681, TOI-746, and TOI-1213. Using TESS and ground-based photometry as well as radial velocities from the CORALIE, CHIRON, TRES, and FEROS spectrographs, we found the companions have orbital periods between 4.8 and 27.2 days, masses between 77 and 98 M-Jup , and radii between 0.81 and 1.66 R-Jup . These targets have masses near the uncertain lower limit of hydrogen core fusion (similar to 73-96 M-Jup ), which separates brown dwarfs and low-mass stars. We constrained young ages for TOI-587 (0.2 +/- 0.1 Gyr) and TOI-681 (0.17 +/- 0.03 Gyr) and found them to have relatively larger radii compared to other transiting companions of a similar mass. Conversely we estimated older ages for TOI-148 and TOI-746 and found them to have relatively smaller companion radii. With an effective temperature of 9800 +/- 200 K, TOI-587 is the hottest known main-sequence star to host a transiting brown dwarf or very low-mass star. We found evidence of spin-orbit synchronization for TOI-148 and TOI-746 as well as tidal circularization for TOI-148. These companions add to the population of brown dwarfs and very low-mass stars with well measured parameters ideal to test formation models of these rare objects, the origin of the brown dwarf desert, and the distinction between brown dwarfs and hydrogen-burning main sequence stars.
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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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Mireles, I., Shporer, A., Grieves, N., Zhou, G., Gunther, M. N., Brahm, R., et al. (2020). TOI 694b and TIC 220568520b: Two Low-mass Companions near the Hydrogen-burning Mass Limit Orbiting Sun-like Stars. Astron. J., 160(3), 13 pp.
Abstract: We report the discovery of TOI 694 b and TIC 220568520 b, two low-mass stellar companions in eccentric orbits around metal-rich Sun-like stars, first detected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TOI 694 b has an orbital period of 48.05131 +/- 0.00019 days and eccentricity of 0.51946 +/- 0.00081, and we derive a mass of 89.0 +/- 5.3 M-Jup (0.0849 +/- 0.0051 M-circle dot) and radius of 1.111 +/- 0.017 R-Jup (0.1142 +/- 0.0017 R-circle dot). TIC 220568520 b has an orbital period of 18.55769 +/- 0.00039 days and eccentricity of 0.0964 +/- 0.0032, and we derive a mass of 107.2 +/- 5.2 M-Jup (0.1023 +/- 0.0050 M-circle dot) and radius of 1.248 +/- 0.018 R-Jup (0.1282 +/- 0.0019 R-circle dot). Both binary companions lie close to and above the hydrogen-burning mass threshold that separates brown dwarfs and the lowest-mass stars, with TOI 694 b being 2s above the canonical mass threshold of 0.075 M-circle dot. The relatively long periods of the systems mean that the magnetic fields of the low-mass companions are not expected to inhibit convection and inflate the radius, which according to one leading theory is common in similar objects residing in short-period tidally synchronized binary systems. Indeed we do not find radius inflation for these two objects when compared to theoretical isochrones. These two new objects add to the short but growing list of low-mass stars with well-measured masses and radii, and highlight the potential of the TESS mission for detecting such rare objects orbiting bright stars.
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