arXiv subjects

C. Villarreal D'Angelo

Publications and source records attributed to C. Villarreal D'Angelo.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Planetary atmospheric escape and disk formation around WDJ0914+1914

The spectrum of the white dwarf WD J091405.30+191412.25 displays the absorption and double-peaked emission lines of the volatiles hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. This unique characteristic has been interpreted as evidence of this white dwarf accreting mass from a circumstellar disk that had formed from atmospheric material evaporating off a close-in Neptune-like or super-puff mass planet. Thus far, however, the orbital separation of the planet and its mass-loss rate have only been estimated using simple analytical approximations. We investigate this scenario using 3D radiative-hydrodynamic simulations of irradiated hydrogen atmospheres together with 1D viscous disk evolution models. We compute atmospheric escape from Neptune-like and super-puff planets exposed to extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation of the white dwarf at different orbital separations and follow the evolution of the escaping gas after it forms a circumstellar disk. The simulations yield planetary mass-loss rates of $(1.8-4)x10^{12}$ g/s. The injected material forms a gaseous disk that reaches a quasi-steady state in less than $10^5$ through the balance between continuous mass supply and viscous accretion onto the white dwarf. The resulting accretion rates are consistent with observational estimates. In contrast to previous interpretations, our models predict that the disk extends beyond the planetary orbit. We conclude that a gas-rich planet orbiting at 15 solar radii undergoes sustained photoevaporation and naturally produces a circumstellar disk capable of reproducing the observed accretion rates and spectral signatures of WD J0914+1914. These results provide strong support for the evaporating-planet scenario and offer new constraints on the structure and extent of the circumstellar disk.

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arXiv2022

The young HD 73583 (TOI-560) planetary system: Two 10-M$_\oplus$ mini-Neptunes transiting a 500-Myr-old, bright, and active K dwarf

We present the discovery and characterisation of two transiting planets observed by \textit{TESS} in the light curves of the young and bright (V=9.67) star HD73583 (TOI-560). We perform an intensive spectroscopic and photometric space- and ground-based follow-up in order to confirm and characterise the system. We found that HD73583 is a young ($\sim 500$~Myr) active star with a rotational period of $12.08 \pm 0.11 $\,d, and a mass and radius of $ 0.73 \pm 0.02 M_\odot$ and $0.65 \pm 0.02 R_\odot$, respectively. HD73583 b ($P_b=6.3980420 _{ - 0.0000062 }^{+0.0000067}$ d) has a mass and radius of $10.2 _{-3.1}^{+3.4} M_\oplus$ and$2.79 \pm 0.10 R_\oplus$, respectively, that gives a density of $2.58 _{-0.81}^{ 0.95} {\rm g\,cm^{-3}}$. HD73583 c ($P_c= 18.87974 _{-0.00074 }^{+0.00086}$) has a mass and radius of $9.7_{-1.7} ^ {+1.8} M_\oplus$ and $2.39_{-0.09}^{+0.10} R_\oplus$, respectively, this translates to a density of $3.88 _{-0.80}^{+0.91} {\rm g\,cm^{-3}}$. Both planets are consistent with worlds made of a solid core surrounded by a volatile envelope. Because of their youth and host star brightness, they both are excellent candidates to perform transmission spectroscopy studies. We expect ongoing atmospheric mass-loss for both planets caused by stellar irradiation. We estimate that the detection of evaporating signatures on H and He would be challenging, but doable with present and future instruments.

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arXiv2021

The Effects of Magnetic Fields on Observational Signatures of Atmospheric Escape in Exoplanets: Double Tail Structures

Using 3D radiative MHD simulations and Lyman-$α$ transit calculations, we investigate the effect of magnetic fields on the observational signatures of atmospheric escape in exoplanets. Using the same stellar wind, we vary the planet's dipole field strength ($B_p$) from 0 to 10G. For $B_p<3$G, the structure of the escaping atmosphere begins to break away from a comet-like tail following the planet ($B_p=0$), as we see more absorbing material above and below the orbital plane. For $B_p\geq3$G, we find a ``dead-zone'' around the equator, where low velocity material is trapped in the closed magnetic field lines. The dead-zone separates two polar outflows where absorbing material escapes along open field lines, leading to a double tail structure, above and below the orbital plane. We demonstrate that atmospheric escape in magnetised planets occurs through polar outflows, as opposed to the predominantly night-side escape in non-magnetised models. We find a small increase in escape rate with $B_p$, though this should not affect the timescale of atmospheric loss. As the size of the dead-zone increases with $B_p$, so does the line centre absorption in Lyman-$α$, as more low-velocity neutral hydrogen covers the stellar disc during transit. For $B_p<3$G the absorption in the blue wing decreases, as the escaping atmosphere is less funnelled along the line of sight by the stellar wind. In the red wing (and for $B_p>3$G in the blue wing) the absorption increases caused by the growing volume of the magnetosphere. Finally we show that transits below and above the mid-disc differ caused by the asymmetry of the double tail structure.

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arXiv2020

GJ 436b and the stellar wind interaction: simulations constraints using Ly$α$ and H$α$ transits

The GJ 436 planetary system is an extraordinary system. The Neptune-size planet that orbits the M3 dwarf revealed in the Ly$α$ line an extended neutral hydrogen atmosphere. This material fills a comet-like tail that obscures the stellar disc for more than 10 hours after the planetary transit. Here, we carry out a series of 3D radiation hydrodynamic simulations to model the interaction of the stellar wind with the escaping planetary atmosphere. With these models, we seek to reproduce the $\sim56\%$ absorption found in Ly$α$ transits, simultaneously with the lack of absorption in H$α$ transit. Varying the stellar wind strength and the EUV stellar luminosity, we search for a set of parameters that best fit the observational data. Based on Ly$α$ observations, we found a stellar wind velocity at the position of the planet to be around [250-460] km s$^{-1}$ with a temperature of $[3-4]\times10^5$ K. The stellar and planetary mass loss rates are found to be $2\times 10^{-15}$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ and $\sim[6-10]\times10^9$ g s$^{-1}$, respectively, for a stellar EUV luminosity of $[0.8-1.6]\times10^{27}$ erg s$^{-1}$. For the parameters explored in our simulations, none of our models present any significant absorption in the H$α$ line in agreement with the observations.

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arXiv2020

Effects of the stellar wind on the Ly-alpha transit of close-in planets

We use 3D hydrodynamics simulations followed by synthetic line profile calculations to examine the effect increasing the strength of the stellar wind has on observed Ly-$α$ transits of a Hot Jupiter (HJ) and a Warm Neptune (WN). We find that increasing the stellar wind mass-loss rate from 0 (no wind) to 100 times the solar mass-loss rate value causes reduced atmospheric escape in both planets (a reduction of 65\% and 40\% for the HJ and WN, respectively, compared to the "no wind" case). For weaker stellar winds (lower ram pressure), the reduction in planetary escape rate is very small. However, as the stellar wind becomes stronger, the interaction happens deeper in the planetary atmosphere and, once this interaction occurs below the sonic surface of the planetary outflow, further reduction in evaporation rates is seen. We classify these regimes in terms of the geometry of the planetary sonic surface. "Closed" refers to scenarios where the sonic surface is undisturbed, while "open" refers to those where the surface is disrupted. We find that the change in stellar wind strength affects the Ly-$α$ transit in a non-linear way. Although little change is seen in planetary escape rates ($\simeq 5.5\times 10^{11}$g/s) in the closed to partially open regimes, the Ly-$α$ absorption (sum of the blue [-300, -40 km/s] \& red [40, 300 km/s] wings) changes from 21\% to 6\% as the stellar wind mass-loss rate is increased in the HJ set of simulations. For the WN simulations, escape rates of $\simeq 6.5\times 10^{10}$g/s can cause transit absorptions that vary from 8.8\% to 3.7\%, depending on the stellar wind strength. We conclude that the same atmospheric escape rate can produce a range of absorptions depending on the stellar wind and that neglecting this in the interpretation of Ly-$α$ transits can lead to underestimation of planetary escape rates.

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arXiv2020

Magnetic field and prominences of the young, solar-like, ultra-rapid rotator V530 Per

We investigate signatures of magnetic fields and activity at the surface and in the prominence system of the ultra-rapid rotator V530 Per, a G-type solar-like member of the young open cluster $α$~Persei. This object has a rotation period shorter than all stars with available magnetic maps. With a time-series of spectropolarimetric observations gathered with ESPaDOnS over 2 nights on the CFHT, we reconstruct the surface brightness and large-scale magnetic field of V530 Per using the Zeeman-Doppler imaging method, assuming an oblate stellar surface. We also estimate the short term evolution of the brightness distribution through latitudinal differential rotation. Using the same data set, we finally map the spatial distribution of prominences through tomography of the Hαemission. The brightness map is dominated by a large, dark spot near the pole, accompanied by a complex distribution of bright and dark features at lower latitudes. The magnetic field map is reconstructed as well, most of the large-scale magnetic field energy is stored in the toroidal field component. The main radial field structure is a positive region of about 500 G, at the location of the dark polar spot. The brightness map of V530 Per is sheared by solar-like differential rotation, with a roughly solar value for the difference in rotation rate between the pole and equator. \halpha~is observed in emission, and is mostly modulated by the stellar rotation period. The prominence system is organized in a ring at the approximate location of the co-rotation radius, with significant evolution between the two observing nights. V530 Per is the first example of a solar-type star to have its surface magnetic field and prominences mapped together, which will bring important observational constraints to better understand the role of slingshot prominences in the angular momentum evolution of the most active stars.

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arXiv2020

The dichotomy of atmospheric escape in AU Mic b

Here, we study the dichotomy of the escaping atmosphere of the newly discovered close-in exoplanet AU Mic b. On one hand, the high EUV stellar flux is expected to cause a strong atmospheric escape in AU Mic b. On the other hand, the wind of this young star is believed to be very strong, which could reduce or even inhibit the planet's atmospheric escape. AU Mic is thought to have a wind mass-loss rate that is up to $1000$ times larger than the solar wind mass-loss rate ($\dot{M}_\odot$). To investigate this dichotomy, we perform 3D hydrodynamics simulations of the stellar wind--planetary atmosphere interactions in the AU Mic system and predict the synthetic Ly-$α$ transits of AU Mic b. We systematically vary the stellar wind mass-loss rate from a `no wind' scenario to up to a stellar wind with a mass-loss rate of $1000~\dot{M}_\odot$. We find that, as the stellar wind becomes stronger, the planetary evaporation rate decreases from $6.5\times 10^{10}$ g/s to half this value. With a stronger stellar wind, the atmosphere is forced to occupy a smaller volume, affecting transit signatures. Our predicted Ly-$α$ absorption drops from $\sim 20\%$, in the case of `no wind' to barely any Ly-$α$ absorption in the extreme stellar wind scenario. Future Ly-$α$ transits could therefore place constraints not only on the evaporation rate of AU Mic b, but also on the mass-loss rate of its host star.

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arXiv2019

Star-planet interaction through spectral lines

The growth of spectroscopic observations of exoplanetary systems allows the possibility of testing theoretical models and studying the interaction that exoplanetary atmospheres have with the wind and the energetic photons from the star. In this work, we present a set of numerical 3D simulations of HD 209458b for which spectral lines observations of their evaporative atmosphere are available. The different simulations aim to reproduce different scenarios for the star-planet interaction. With our models, we reconstruct the Ly$α$ line during transit and compare with observations. The results allow us to analyse the shape of the line profile under these different scenarios and the comparison with the observations suggests that HD209458b may have a magnetic field off less than 1 G. We also explore the behaviour of the magnesium lines for models with and without magnetic fields.

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arXiv2019

Homogeneously derived transit timings for 17 exoplanets and reassessed TTV trends for WASP-12 and WASP-4

We homogeneously analyse $\sim 3.2\times 10^5$ photometric measurements for $\sim 1100$ transit lightcurves belonging to $17$ exoplanet hosts. The photometric data cover $16$ years 2004--2019 and include amateur and professional observations. Old archival lightcurves were reprocessed using up-to-date exoplanetary parameters and empirically debiased limb-darkening models. We also derive self-consistent transit and radial-velocity fits for $13$ targets. We confirm the nonlinear TTV trend in the WASP-12 data at a high significance, and with a consistent magnitude. However, Doppler data reveal hints of a radial acceleration about $(-7.5\pm 2.2)$~m/s/yr, indicating the presence of unseen distant companions, and suggesting that roughly $10$ per cent of the observed TTV was induced via the light-travel (or Roemer) effect. For WASP-4, a similar TTV trend suspected after the recent TESS observations appears controversial and model-dependent. It is not supported by our homogeneus TTV sample, including $10$ ground-based EXPANSION lightcurves obtained in 2018 simultaneously with TESS. Even if the TTV trend itself does exist in WASP-4, its magnitude and tidal nature are uncertain. Doppler data cannot entirely rule out the Roemer effect induced by possible distant companions.

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arXiv2019

Hydrodynamical interaction of stellar and planetary winds: effects of charge exchange and radiation pressure on the observed Ly$α$ absorption

Lyman $α$ observations of the transiting exoplanet HD 209458b enable the study of exoplanets exospheres exposed to stellar EUV fluxes, as well as the interacting stellar wind properties. In this study we present 3D hydrodynamical models for the stellar-planetary wind interaction including radiation pressure and charge exchange, together with photoionization, recombination and collisional ionization processes. Our models explore the contribution of the radiation pressure and charge exchange on the Ly$α$ absorption profile in a hydrodynamical framework, and for a single set of stellar wind parameters appropriate for HD 209458. We find that most of the absorption is produced by the material from the planet, with a secondary contribution of neutralized stellar ions by charge exchange. At the same time, the hydrodynamic shock heats up the planetary material, resulting in a broad thermal profile. Meanwhile, the radiation pressure yielded a small velocity shift of the absorbing material. While neither charge exchange nor radiation pressure provide enough neutrals at the velocity needed to explain the observations at $-100~\mathrm{km~s^{-1}}$ individually, we find that the two effects combined with the broad thermal profile are able to explain the observations.

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