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arXiv · 2610.09954

The GAPS Programme at TNG. LXXX. Characterisation of the 400 Myr old multi-planet system K2-233

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Abstract

Understanding exoplanet physical properties is crucial for characterising their atmospheres and internal composition. Precise planetary masses are essential for constraining bulk densities and interiors, particularly in young systems hosting planets within or near the radius valley, where atmospheric mass loss may strongly shape their evolution. Here we revise the masses of the three transiting planets orbiting K2-233, a young ($\sim 400$ Myr) active K-type star. We combine 70 HARPS-N observations from the GAPS/ArMS Large Programme with 124 archival HARPS observations, K2 light curves, and TESS photometry obtained during our radial-velocity monitoring. We explore several Multi-GP configurations to mitigate the strong stellar activity and find that the inferred planetary masses depend significantly on the adopted activity-modelling strategy, yielding several physically viable solutions rather than a uniquely preferred one. We model the long-term atmospheric evolution of K2-233 d and find significant atmospheric mass loss. Depending on its internal composition and atmospheric properties, the planet is expected to evolve towards either a low-mass sub-Neptune retaining a thin envelope ($R_p \sim 1.71$-$1.84\ R_{\oplus}$) or a bare-core super-Earth ($R_p \sim 1.95\ R_{\oplus}$) on Gyr timescales. Our interior-structure models suggest that K2-233 b and c are likely iron-dominated, while K2-233 d retains a substantial H/He atmosphere.

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V. Fardella, S. Benatti, R. Spinelli, D. Locci, G. King, M. Baratella, K. Biazzo, S. Desidera, D. Barbato, M. C. D'Arpa, L. Naponiello, A. Petralia, M. Damasso, O. Barragán, C. Di Maio, A. Maggio, G. Piccinini, A. Bonomo, I. Carleo, R. Claudi, M. Gonzales, A. Harutyunyan, A. F. Lanza, L. Malavolta, L. Mancini, G. Mantovan, D. Nardiello, M. Rainer, T. Zingales. 2026-10-07. The GAPS Programme at TNG. LXXX. Characterisation of the 400 Myr old multi-planet system K2-233. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.09954

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