Benjamin J. Fulton, Andrew W. Howard, Lauren M. Weiss, Evan Sinukoff, Erik A. Petigura, Howard Isaacson, Lea Hirsch, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Gregory W. Henry, Samuel… 展开作者
Benjamin J. Fulton, Andrew W. Howard, Lauren M. Weiss, Evan Sinukoff, Erik A. Petigura, Howard Isaacson, Lea Hirsch, Geoffrey W. Marcy, Gregory W. Henry, Samuel K. Grunblatt, Daniel Huber, Kaspar von Braun, Tabetha S. Boyajian, Stephen R. Kane, Justin Wittrock, Elliott P. Horch, David R. Ciardi, Steve B. Howell, Jason T. Wright, Eric B. Ford
We present the discovery of three modestly-irradiated, roughly Neptune-mass planets orbiting three nearby Solar-type stars. HD 42618 b has a minimum mass of $15.4 \pm 2.4$ M$_{\oplus}$, a semi-major axis of 0.55 AU, an equilibrium temperature of 337 K, and is the first planet discovered to orbit the solar analogue host star, HD 42618. We also discover new planets orbiting the known exoplanet host stars HD 164922 and HD 143761 ($ρ$ CrB). The new planet orbiting HD 164922 has a minimum mass of $12.9 \pm 1.6$ M$_{\oplus}$ and orbits interior to the previously known Jovian mass planet orbiting at 2.1 AU. HD 164922 c has a semi-major axis of 0.34 AU and an equilibrium temperature of 418 K. HD 143761 c orbits with a semi-major axis of 0.44 AU, has a minimum mass of $25 \pm 2$ M$_{\oplus}$, and is the warmest of the three new planets with an equilibrium temperature of 445 K. It orbits exterior to the previously known warm Jupiter in the system. A transit search using space-based CoRoT data and ground-based photometry from the Automated Photometric Telescopes (APTs) at Fairborn Observatory failed to detect any transits, but the precise, high-cadence APT photometry helped to disentangle planetary-reflex motion from stellar activity. These planets were discovered as part of an ongoing radial velocity survey of bright, nearby, chromospherically-inactive stars using the Automated Planet Finder (APF) telescope at Lick Observatory. The high-cadence APF data combined with nearly two decades of radial velocity data from Keck Observatory and gives unprecedented sensitivity to both short-period low-mass, and long-period intermediate-mass planets.
Transmission Spectrum of the Benchmark Temperate Exo-Neptune TOI-1231 b
School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University（卡迪夫大学物理与天文学学院）；Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge（剑桥大学天文研究所）；Space Telescope Science Institute（太空望远镜科学研究所）；Space Science Institute（空间科学研究所）
Sub-Neptunes (planets with radii between 2 and 4 R$_{\oplus}$) are abundant around M-dwarf stars, yet the atmospheric dynamics of these planets is relatively unexplored. In this paper, we aim to provide a basic underpinning of the dry dynamics of general low mean molecular weight, temperate sub-Neptune atmospheres. We use the ExoFMS GCM with an idealised grey gas radiation scheme to simulate planetary atmospheres with different levels of instellation and rotation rates, using the atmosphere of K2-18b as our control. We find that the atmospheres of tidally-locked, temperate sub-Neptunes have we…
The upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) promises a generational shift in the study of temperate mini-Neptune atmospheres using transit spectroscopy. High-altitude clouds however threaten to impede their atmospheric characterisation by muting spectral features. In this study, we systematically investigate JWST instrument configurations for characterising cloudy mini-Neptune atmospheres, assessing the importance of instrument choice and wavelength coverage, focusing on NIRISS and NIRSpec. We consider two temperate mini-Neptunes orbiting nearby M dwarfs, K2-18 b and TOI-732 c, with equilib…
Three outstanding physical questions for K2-18 b and other temperate sub-Neptunes
Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Academia Sinica（中央研究院天文及天文物理研究所）；HFML-FELIX（高频磁场设施-费利克斯实验室）；JHU Applied Physics Laboratory（约翰斯·霍普金斯大学应用物理实验室）；ETH Zurich, Institute for Particle Physics & Astrophysics（苏黎世联邦理工学院粒子物理与天体物理研究所）；Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY（德国电子同步加速器中心）；Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside（加州大学河滨分校地球与行星科学系）；Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington（华盛顿大学虚拟行星实验室）；Blue Marble Space Institute of Science（蓝大理石空间科学研究所）；Department of Astrophysics, IMAPP, Radboud University（拉德堡德大学IMAPP天体物理学系）；SRON Leiden（莱顿荷兰太空研究所）
The search for signs of life on other worlds has largely focused on terrestrial planets. Recent work, however, argues that life could exist in the atmospheres of temperate sub-Neptunes. Here, we evaluate the usefulness of carbon dioxide isotopologues as evidence of aerial life. Carbon isotopes are of particular interest as metabolic processes preferentially use the lighter $^{12}$C over $^{13}$C. In principle, the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be able to spectrally resolve the $^{12}$C and $^{13}$C isotopologues of CO$_{2}$, but not CO and CH$_{4}$. We simulated observations …
The recent discovery and initial characterization of sub-Neptune-sized exoplanets that receive stellar irradiance of approximately Earth's raised the prospect of finding habitable planets in the coming decade, because some of these temperate planets may support liquid water oceans if they do not have massive H2/He envelopes and are thus not too hot at the bottom of the envelopes. For planets larger than Earth, and especially planets in the 1.7-3.5 R_Earth population, the mass of the H2/He envelope is typically not sufficiently constrained to assess the potential habitability. Here we show that…
The search for signs of life through the detection of exoplanet atmosphere biosignature gases is gaining momentum. Yet, only a handful of rocky exoplanet atmospheres are suitable for observation with planned next-generation telescopes. To broaden prospects, we describe the possibilities for an aerial, liquid water cloud-based biosphere in the atmospheres of sub Neptune-sized temperate exoplanets, those receiving Earth-like irradiation from their host stars. One such planet is known (K2-18b) and other candidates are being followed up. Sub Neptunes are common and easier to study observationally …
Three-dimensional transport-induced chemistry on temperate sub-Neptune K2-18b, Part II: the combined effects of atmospheric dynamics and chemical reactions
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy（马克斯·普朗克天文学研究所）；Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University（北京大学物理学院大气与海洋科学系）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter（埃克塞特大学环境、科学与经济学院物理与天文系）
Atmospheric observations of mini-Neptunes orbiting M-dwarfs are beginning to provide constraints on their chemical and thermal properties, while also providing clues about their interiors and potential surfaces. With their relatively large scale heights and large planet-star contrasts, mini-Neptunes are currently ideal targets towards the goal of characterising temperate low-mass exoplanets. Understanding the thermal structures and spectral appearances of mini-Neptunes is important to understand various aspects of their atmospheres, including radiative/convective energy transport, boundary con…
Hubble (HST) spectroscopic transit observations of the temperate sub-Neptune K2-18b were interpreted as the presence of water vapour with potential water clouds. 1D modelling studies also predict the formation of water clouds at some conditions. However, such models cannot predict the cloud cover, driven by atmospheric dynamics and thermal contrasts, and thus their real impact on spectra. The main goal of this study is to understand the formation, distribution and observational consequences of water clouds on K2-18b and other temperate sub-Neptunes. We simulated the atmospheric dynamics, water…
TOI-270d is a temperate sub-Neptune discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) around a bright (J=9.1mag) M3V host star. With an approximate radius of 2RE and equilibrium temperature of 350K, TOI-270d is one of the most promising small exoplanets for atmospheric characterisation using transit spectroscopy. Here we present a primary transit observation of TOI-270d made with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) spectrograph across the 1.126-1.644 micron wavelength range, and a 95% credible upper limit of $8.2 \times 10^{-14}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ A$^{…
Hydrocarbon Hazes on Temperate sub-Neptune K2-18b supported by data from the James Webb Space Telescope
University College London（伦敦大学学院）；Universite de Reims Champagne Ardenne（兰斯香槟阿登大学）；King’s College London（伦敦国王学院）；Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo（巴勒莫天文台）
The Mid-Infrared Transmission Spectrum of the Temperate Sub-Neptune TOI-270 d
Space Telescope Science Institute（太空望远镜科学研究所）；Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge（剑桥大学天文研究所）；School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University（卡迪夫大学物理与天文学学院）；Space Science Institute（太空科学研究所）
Studies of the atmospheres of hot Jupiters reveal a diversity of atmospheric composition and haze properties. Similar studies on individual smaller, temperate planets are rare due to the inherent difficulty of the observations and also to the average faintness of their host stars. To investigate their ensemble atmospheric properties, we construct a sample of 28 similar planets, all possess equilibrium temperature within 300-500K, have similar size (1-3 R_e), and orbit early M dwarfs and late K dwarfs with effective temperatures within a few hundred Kelvin of one another. In addition, NASA's Ke…
We report the discovery of planets orbiting two bright, nearby early K dwarf stars, HD 97658 and Gl 785. These planets were detected by Keplerian modelling of radial velocities measured with Keck-HIRES for the NASA-UC Eta-Earth Survey. HD 97658 b is a close-in super-Earth with minimum mass Msini = 8.2 +/- 1.2 M_Earth, orbital period P = 9.494 +/- 0.005 d, and an orbit that is consistent with circular. Gl 785 b is a Neptune-mass planet with Msini = 21.6 +/- 2.0 M_Earth, P = 74.39 +/- 0.12 d, and orbital eccentricity 0.30 +/- 0.09. Photometric observations with the T12 0.8 m automatic photometri…
In current theories of planet formation, close-orbiting planets as massive as Neptune are expected to be very rare around low-mass stars. We report the discovery of a Neptune-mass planet orbiting the `ultracool' star LHS 3154, which is nine times less massive than the Sun. The planet's orbital period is 3.7 days and its minimum mass is 13.2 Earth masses, giving it the largest known planet-to-star mass ratio among short-period planets ($<$\,100 days) orbiting ultracool stars. Both the core accretion and gravitational instability theories for planet formation struggle to account for this system.…
We present follow-up observations of the K2-133 multi-planet system. Previously, we announced that K2-133 contained three super-Earths orbiting an M1.5V host star - with tentative evidence of a fourth outer-planet orbiting at the edge of the temperate zone. Here we report on the validation of the presence of the fourth planet, determining a radius of $1.73_{-0.13}^{+0.14}$ R$_{\oplus}$. The four planets span the radius gap of the exoplanet population, meaning further follow-up would be worthwhile to obtain masses and test theories of the origin of the gap. In particular, the trend of increasin…
The atmospheric composition of exoplanets with masses between 2 and 10 M$_\oplus$ is poorly understood. In that regard, the sub-Neptune K2-18b, which is subject to Earth-like stellar irradiation, offers a valuable opportunity for the characterisation of such atmospheres. Previous analyses of its transmission spectrum from the Kepler, Hubble (HST), and Spitzer space telescopes data using both retrieval algorithms and forward-modelling suggest the presence of H$_2$O and an H$_2$--He atmosphere, but have not detected other gases, such as CH$_4$. We present simulations of the atmosphere of K2-18 b…
We report the discovery and characterization of TOI-1759~b, a temperate (400 K) sub-Neptune-sized exoplanet orbiting the M~dwarf TOI-1759 (TIC 408636441). TOI-1759 b was observed by TESS to transit on sectors 16, 17 and 24, with only one transit observed per sector, creating an ambiguity on the orbital period of the planet candidate. Ground-based photometric observations, combined with radial-velocity measurements obtained with the CARMENES spectrograph, confirm an actual period of $18.85019 \pm 0.00014$ d. A joint analysis of all available photometry and radial velocities reveal a radius of $…
We report the discovery of a transiting, temperate, Neptune-sized exoplanet orbiting the nearby ($d$ = 27.5 pc), M3V star TOI-1231 (NLTT 24399, L 248-27, 2MASS J10265947-5228099). The planet was detected using photometric data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and followed up with observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory and the Antarctica Search for Transiting ExoPlanets program. Combining the photometric data sets, we find that the newly discovered planet has a radius of 3.65$^{+0.16}_{-0.15}$ R$_{\oplus}$, and an orbital period of 24.246 days. Radial velocity measurements …
Terrestrial planets in temperate orbits around very low mass stars are likely to have evolved in a very different way than solar system planets, and in particular Earth. However, because these are the first planets that are and will be accessible for in-depth atmosphere, clouds and surface characterizations with existing and forthcoming telescopes, we need to develop the best possible observational strategies to maximize the scientific return from these characterizations. Here I discuss and expand on the recent works of Bean et al. (2017) and Turbet et al. (2019) to show that terrestrial plane…
Very little experimental work has been done to explore the properties of photochemical hazes formed in atmospheres with very different compositions or temperatures than that of the outer solar system or of early Earth. With extrasolar planet discoveries now numbering thousands, this untapped phase space merits exploration. This study presents measured chemical properties of haze particles produced in laboratory analogues of exoplanet atmospheres. We used very high resolution mass spectrometry to measure the chemical components of solid particles produced in atmospheric chamber experiments. Man…
TESS is expected to discover dozens of temperate terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarfs whose atmospheres could be followed up with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Currently, the TRAPPIST-1 system serves as a benchmark to determine the feasibility and resources required to yield atmospheric constraints. We assess these questions and leverage an information content analysis to determine observing strategies for yielding high precision spectroscopy in transmission and emission. Our goal is to guide observing strategies of temperate terrestrial planets in preparation for the early JWST cycl…
L-type and T-type dwarfs span the boundaries between main-sequence stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary-mass objects. For these reasons, L and T dwarfs are the perfect laboratories for exploring the relationship between planet formation and moon formation, and evidence suggests they may be swarming with close-in rocky satellites, though none have been found to date. The discovery of satellites orbiting L or T dwarfs will have transformative implications for the nature of planets, moons and even life in the Universe. These transiting satellites will be prime targets for characterization with NASA…
High-precision radial velocity surveys explore the population of low-mass exoplanets orbiting bright stars. This allows accurately deriving their orbital parameters such as their occurrence rate and the statistical distribution of their properties. Based on this, models of planetary formation and evolution can be constrained. The SOPHIE spectrograph has been continuously improved in past years, and thanks to an appropriate correction of systematic instrumental drift, it is now reaching 2 m/s precision in radial velocity measurements on all timescales. As part of a dedicated radial velocity sur…
Very little is known about the young planet population because the detection of small planets orbiting young stars is obscured by the effects of stellar activity and fast rotation which mask planets within radial velocity and transit data sets. The few planets that have been discovered in young clusters generally orbit stars too faint for any detailed follow-up analysis. Here we present the characterization of a new mini-Neptune planet orbiting the bright (V=9) and nearby K2 dwarf star, HD 18599. The planet candidate was originally detected in TESS light curves from Sectors 2, 3, 29, and 30, w…
We report the discovery and validation of two TESS exoplanets orbiting faint M dwarfs: TOI-4479b and TOI-2081b. We have jointly analyzed space (TESS mission) and ground based (MuSCAT2, MuSCAT3 and SINISTRO instruments) lightcurves using our multi-color photometry transit analysis pipeline. This allowed us to compute contamination limits for both candidates and validate them as planet-sized companions. We found TOI-4479b to be a sub-Neptune-sized planet ($R_{p}=2.82^{+0.65}_{-0.63}~\rm R_{\oplus}$) and TOI-2081b to be a super-Earth-sized planet ($R_{p}=2.04^{+0.50}_{-0.54}~\rm R_{\oplus}$). Fur…
Theories of the formation and early evolution of planetary systems postulate that planets are born in circumstellar disks, and undergo radial migration during and after dissipation of the dust and gas disk from which they formed. The precise ages of meteorites indicate that planetesimals - the building blocks of planets - are produced within the first million years of a star's life. A prominent question is: how early can one find fully formed planets like those frequently detected on short orbital periods around mature stars? Some theories suggest the in situ formation of planets close to thei…
Precision radial velocities from the Automated Planet Finder and Keck/HIRES reveal an M*sin(i) =18 +/- 2 Earth mass planet orbiting the nearby M3V star GJ 687. This planet has an orbital period, P = 38.14 days, and a low orbital eccentricity. Our Stromgren b and y photometry of the host star suggests a stellar rotation signature with a period of P = 60 days. The star is somewhat chromospherically active, with a spot filling factor estimated to be several percent. The rotationally{induced 60-day signal, however, is well-separated from the period of the radial velocity variations, instilling co…
We report on the validation of two planets orbiting the nearby (36pc) M2 dwarf TOI-1266 observed by the TESS mission. The inner planet is sub-Neptune-sized ($R=2.46 \pm 0.08 R_\oplus$) with an orbital period of 10.9 days. The outer planet has a radius of $1.67_{-0.11}^{+0.09} R_\oplus$ and resides in the exoplanet Radius Valley---the transition region between rocky and gaseous planets. With an orbital period of 18.8 days, the outer planet receives an insolation flux of 2.4 times that of Earth, similar to the insolation of Venus. Using precision near-infrared radial velocities with the Habitabl…
We present Spitzer/IRAC 4.5-micron transit photometry of GJ3470b, a Neptune-size planet orbiting a M1.5 dwarf star with a 3.3-day period recently discovered in the course of the HARPS M-dwarf survey. We refine the stellar parameters by employing purely empirical mass-luminosity and surface brightness relations constrained by our updated value for the mean stellar density, and additional information from new near-infrared spectroscopic observations. We derive a stellar mass of M_star = 0.539+0.047-0.043 M_sun and a radius of R_star = 0.568+0.037-0.031 R_sun. We determine the host star of GJ3470…
Using radial velocity measurements from four instruments, we report the mass and density of a $2.043\pm0.069 ~\rm{R}_{\oplus}$ sub-Neptune orbiting the quiet K-dwarf Wolf 503 (HIP 67285). In addition, we present improved orbital and transit parameters by analyzing previously unused short-cadence $K2$ campaign 17 photometry and conduct a joint radial velocity-transit fit to constrain the eccentricity at $0.41\pm0.05$. The addition of a transit observation by $Spitzer$ also allows us to refine the orbital ephemeris in anticipation of further follow-up. Our mass determination, $6.26^{+0.69}_{-0.7…
The Hot Neptune Initiative (HONEI) III. An ultra-hot super Neptune orbiting the metal-rich subgiant star TOI-5646: the largest host for a desert dweller
University of Rome “Tor Vergata”（罗马第二大学）；INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory（意大利国家天体物理研究所都灵天文台）；Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences（奥地利科学院空间研究所）；University of Bern（伯尔尼大学）；Leiden University（莱顿大学）；INAF – Astronomical Observatory of Rome（意大利国家天体物理研究所罗马天文台）
We present precision radial velocity (RV) data that reveal a multiple exoplanet system orbiting the bright nearby G5V star 61 Virginis. Our 4.6 years of combined Keck/HIRES and Anglo-Australian Telescope precision RVs indicate the hitherto unknown presence of at least three planets orbiting this well-studied star. These planets are all on low-eccentricity orbits with periods of 4.2, 38.0, and 124.0 days, and projected masses (M sini) of 5.1, 18.2, and 24.0 M_Earth, respectively. Test integrations of systems consistent with the RV data suggest that the configuration is dynamically stable. Depen…
Context. The presence of a small-mass planet (M$_p<$0.1\,M$_{Jup}$) seems, to date, not to depend on metallicity, however, theoretical simulations have shown that stars with subsolar metallicities may be favoured for harbouring smaller planets. A large, dedicated survey of metal-poor stars with the HARPS spectrograph has thus been carried out to search for Neptunes and super-Earths. Aims. In this paper, we present the analysis of \object{HD175607}, an old G6 star with metallicity [Fe/H] = -0.62. We gathered 119 radial velocity measurements in 110 nights over a time span of more than nine years…
Characterizing planetary systems with SPIRou: a temperate sub-Neptune exoplanet orbiting the nearby fully-convective star GJ 1289 and a candidate around GJ 3378
We report the discovery of a low mass-ratio planet $(q = 1.3\times10^{-4})$, i.e., 2.5 times higher than the Neptune/Sun ratio. The planetary system was discovered from the analysis of the KMT-2017-BLG-0165 microlensing event, which has an obvious short-term deviation from the underlying light curve produced by the host of the planet. Although the fit improvement with the microlens parallax effect is relatively low, one component of the parallax vector is strongly constrained from the light curve, making it possible to narrow down the uncertainties of the lens physical properties. A Bayesian a…
