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David Ciardi

Publications and source records attributed to David Ciardi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

TOI-6884b: A low-mass brown dwarf transiting a slightly evolved star

We report the discovery of a low-mass transiting brown dwarf orbiting TOI-6884 (TIC~156514476, $T_{\rm mag}=11.4$) from NASA's \textit{Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite} (\textit{TESS}) mission. The \textit{TESS} light curves initially suggested an orbital period of $\sim$14.42~days; however, our high-precision ground-based radial velocity measurements and multi-epoch time-series photometry reveal this to be a harmonic alias. We determine the true orbital period to be $4.808264^{+0.000015}_{-0.000014}$~days and confirm the substellar nature of the companion. TOI-6884b has a mass of $26.32^{+0.98}_{-0.93}\,M_{\mathrm{J}}$, a radius of $0.927^{+0.51}_{-0.52}\,R_{\mathrm{J}}$, and resides on a nearly circular orbit ($e=0.067^{+0.010}_{-0.012}$). Its host star is a late F-type slightly evolved star with $M_\star = 1.410^{+0.075}_{-0.069}\,M_\odot$,\msun, $R_\star = 1.840^{+0.072}_{-0.073}\,R_\odot$, $\log{g} = 4.057^{+0.045}_{-0.039}$, $[{\rm Fe/H}] = 0.094^{+0.073}_{-0.068}$~dex, and $T_{\rm eff}=6330^{+180}_{-160}$,\mathrm{K}$. TOI-6884b is a key addition to the small population of well-characterized transiting brown dwarfs orbiting host stars that have evolved off the main sequence. The detection of such systems will contribute to our understanding of the dynamical histories and structural evolution of short-period substellar companions around evolved stars.

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The Orbital Eccentricity--Radius Distribution for Warm, Single Planets in TESS

We characterize the radius-dependent eccentricity distribution of 219 warm (P = 8--50 days) systems with only one transiting planetary candidate identified during Sectors 1-69 of the TESS mission. Using the ``photoeccentric effect'' in a hierarchical Bayesian framework, we first model the population using discrete planetary size bins (sub-Neptunes, sub-Saturns, and Jovians). We then develop a continuous mixture model with weights governed by a logistic sigmoid function of radius. We find that the warm-single population is best described by two components: a dominant low-eccentricity mode ( = 0.039-0.038+0.018) and a secondary dynamically excited mode ( = 0.466-0.068+0.067). The fraction of planets belonging to this high-eccentricity component increases strongly with planet radius, characterized by a transition at a break radius of R_br = 9.2-1.1+1.9 R_e. This trend places warm sub-Saturns predominantly on the same low-eccentricity track as sub-Neptunes. In contrast, warm Jovians (8--16 R_e) are frequently eccentric, with 65-12+13% of the population in the high eccentricity mode. Under the assumption of a two-component model, we see tentative evidence for a bimodal Jovian distribution at ~2.7 sigma. Finally, we identify a non-negligible tail of highly eccentric sub-Neptunes (1--4 R_e), which comprise 16.2-6.4+5.2% of the population, consistent with excitation by non-transiting external companions.

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Paving the Road to the Habitable Worlds Observatory with High-Resolution Imaging I: New and Archival Speckle Observations of Potential HWO Target Stars

One of the key goals of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is to directly image about 25 potentially habitable exoplanets and determine their properties. This challenge will require a large survey of nearby, bright stars -- ~100 according to the Astro2020 Decadel Survey. To ensure the success of the mission and to help guide design decisions, the stellar multiplicity of the target stars must be well-understood. To this end, we present optical speckle imaging of stars in the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) provisional HWO star list, which is currently the Tier 1 target list for the HWO Target Stars and Systems Sub-Working Group. We obtained new observations using `Alopeke and Zorro at Gemini Observatory and queried the Exoplanet Follow-up Observing Program Archive for archival observations, resulting in speckle imaging data for 80 of the 164 stars. We confirmed one candidate companion detected previously by Gaia (HD 90089) and obtained an ambiguous detection of a known companion (HD 212330). To examine our sensitivity to companions, we simulated stellar companions down to ~0.1 $M_{\odot}$ for each target and found that 75%-85% would be detected in our speckle images; the remaining simulated companions are either too faint or too close-in, and will require follow-up using other methods such as long-term spectroscopic measurements and space-based techniques. This work represents a first step towards surveying potential HWO targets for close-in stellar companions and helping to inform the target selection process for the HWO direct-imaging survey, bringing us closer towards the discovery of potential habitable worlds.

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TOI-1846b: A super-Earth in the radius valley orbiting a nearby M dwarf

We present the discovery and validation of a super-Earth planet orbiting the M dwarf star TOI-1846 (TIC 198385543). The host star(Kmag = 9.6)is located 47 pc away and has a radius of Rs=0.41+/-0.01R_Sun,a mass of Ms=0.40+/-0.02M_Sun and an effective temperature of Teff=3568+/-44K. Our analyses are based on joint modelling of TESS photometry and ground-based multi-color photometric data. We also use high-resolution imaging and archival images, as well as statistical validation techniques to support the planetary system nature. We find that TOI-1846b is a super-Earth sized planet with radius of Rp=1.79+/-0.07R_Earth and a predicted mass of Mp=4.4+1.6-1.0M_Earth (from the Chen & Kipping relation) on a 3.9 d orbit, with an equilibrium temperature of Teq=589+/-20K (assuming a null Bond Albedo) and an incident flux of Sp=17.6+/-2.0S_Earth. Based on the two RV measurements obtained with the TRES spectrograph and high-resolution imaging, a non-planetary transiting companion is excluded. With a radius of ~1.8R_Earth, TOI-1846b is within the sparsely populated radius range around 2R_Earth known as the radius gap (or radius valley). This discovery can contribute to refining the precise location of the radius valley for small planets orbiting bright M dwarfs, thereby enhancing our understanding of planetary formation and evolution processes.

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MoonLITE: a CLPS-delivered NASA Astrophysics Pioneers lunar optical interferometer for sensitive, milliarcsecond observing

MoonLITE (Lunar InTerferometry Explorer) is an Astrophysics Pioneers proposal to develop, build, fly, and operate the first separated-aperture optical interferometer in space, delivering sub-mas science results. MoonLITE will leverage the Pioneers opportunity for utilizing NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) to deliver an optical interferometer to the lunar surface, enabling unprecedented discovery power by combining high spatial resolution from optical interferometry with deep sensitivity from the stability of the lunar surface. Following landing, the CLPS-provided rover will deploy the pre-loaded MoonLITE outboard optical telescope 100 meters from the lander's inboard telescope, establishing a two-element interferometric observatory with a single deployment. MoonLITE will observe targets as faint as 17th magnitude in the visible, exceeding ground-based interferometric sensitivity by many magnitudes, and surpassing space-based optical systems resolution by a factor of 50 times. The capabilities of MoonLITE open a unique discovery space that includes direct size measurements of the smallest, coolest stars and substellar brown dwarfs; searches for close-in stellar companions orbiting exoplanet-hosting stars that could confound our understanding and characterization of the frequency of Earth-like planets; direct size measurements of young stellar objects and characterization of the terrestrial planet-forming regions of these young stars; measurements of the inner regions and binary fraction of active galactic nuclei; and a probe of the very nature of spacetime foam itself. A portion of the observing time will also be made available to the broader community via a guest observer program. MoonLITE takes advantage of the CLPS opportunity and delivers an unprecedented combination of sensitivity and angular resolution at the remarkably affordable cost point of Pioneers.

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Gliese 12 b, A Temperate Earth-sized Planet at 12 Parsecs Discovered with TESS and CHEOPS

We report on the discovery of Gliese 12 b, the nearest transiting temperate, Earth-sized planet found to date. Gliese 12 is a bright ($V=12.6$ mag, $K=7.8$ mag) metal-poor M4V star only $12.162\pm0.005$ pc away from the Solar System with one of the lowest stellar activity levels known for an M-dwarf. A planet candidate was detected by TESS based on only 3 transits in sectors 42, 43, and 57, with an ambiguity in the orbital period due to observational gaps. We performed follow-up transit observations with CHEOPS and ground-based photometry with MINERVA-Australis, SPECULOOS, and Purple Mountain Observatory, as well as further TESS observations in sector 70. We statistically validate Gliese 12 b as a planet with an orbital period of $12.76144\pm0.00006$ days and a radius of $1.0\pm{0.1}$ R$_\oplus$, resulting in an equilibrium temperature of $\sim$315K. Gliese 12 b has excellent future prospects for precise mass measurement, which may inform how planetary internal structure is affected by the stellar compositional environment. Gliese 12 b also represents one of the best targets to study whether Earth-like planets orbiting cool stars can retain their atmospheres, a crucial step to advance our understanding of habitability on Earth and across the Galaxy.

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Visual Orbits & Alignments of Planet Hosting Binary Systems

Roughly half of Solar-type planet hosts have stellar companions, so understanding how these binary companions affect the formation and evolution of planets is an important component to understanding planetary systems overall. Measuring the dynamical properties of planet host binaries enables a valuable test of planet formation in multi-star systems and requires knowledge of the binary orbital parameters. Using high resolution imaging, we have measured the relative astrometry and visual orbits of 13 binary systems where one of the stars is known to host a transiting exoplanet. Our results indicate that the mutual inclination between the orbits of the binary hosts and the transiting planets are well aligned. Our results for close binary systems (a<100 AU) complement past work for wide planet host binaries from Gaia.

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Transit Timing Variations in the three-planet system: TOI-270

We present ground and space-based photometric observations of TOI-270 (L231-32), a system of three transiting planets consisting of one super-Earth and two sub-Neptunes discovered by TESS around a bright (K-mag=8.25) M3V dwarf. The planets orbit near low-order mean-motion resonances (5:3 and 2:1), and are thus expected to exhibit large transit timing variations (TTVs). Following an extensive observing campaign using 8 different observatories between 2018 and 2020, we now report a clear detection of TTVs for planets c and d, with amplitudes of $\sim$10 minutes and a super-period of $\sim$3 years, as well as significantly refined estimates of the radii and mean orbital periods of all three planets. Dynamical modeling of the TTVs alone puts strong constraints on the mass ratio of planets c and d and on their eccentricities. When incorporating recently published constraints from radial velocity observations, we obtain masses of $M_{\mathrm{b}}=1.48\pm0.18\,M_\oplus$, $M_{c}=6.20\pm0.31\,M_\oplus$ and $M_{\mathrm{d}}=4.20\pm0.16\,M_\oplus$ for planets b, c and d, respectively. We also detect small, but significant eccentricities for all three planets : $e_\mathrm{b} =0.0167\pm0.0084$, $e_{c} =0.0044\pm0.0006$ and $e_{d} = 0.0066\pm0.0020$. Our findings imply an Earth-like rocky composition for the inner planet, and Earth-like cores with an additional He/H$_2$O atmosphere for the outer two. TOI-270 is now one of the best-constrained systems of small transiting planets, and it remains an excellent target for atmospheric characterization.

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Roman Early-Definition Astrophysics Survey Opportunity: Galactic Roman Infrared Plane Survey (GRIPS)

A wide-field near-infrared survey of the Galactic disk and bulge/bar(s) is supported by a large representation of the community of Galactic astronomers. The combination of sensitivity, angular resolution and large field of view make Roman uniquely able to study the crowded and highly extincted lines of sight in the Galactic plane. A ~1000 deg2 survey of the bulge and inner Galactic disk would yield an impressive dataset of ~120 billion sources and map the structure of our Galaxy. The effort would foster subsequent expansions in numerous dimensions (spatial, depth, wavelengths, epochs). Importantly, the survey would benefit from early defintion by the community, namely because the Galactic disk is a complex environment, and different science goals will require trade offs.

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VaTEST II: Statistical Validation of 11 TESS-Detected Exoplanets Orbiting K-type Stars

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is an all-sky survey mission designed to find transiting exoplanets orbiting nearby bright stars. It has identified more than 329 transiting exoplanets, and almost 6,000 candidates remain unvalidated. In this manuscript, we discuss the findings from the ongoing VaTEST (Validation of Transiting Exoplanets using Statistical Tools) project, which aims to validate new exoplanets for further characterization. We validated 11 new exoplanets by examining the light curves of 24 candidates using the LATTE and TESS-Plot tools and computing the False Positive Probabilities using the statistical validation tool TRICERATOPS. These include planets suitable for atmospheric characterization using transmission spectroscopy (TOI-2194b), emission spectroscopy (TOI-3082b and TOI-5704b) and for both transmission and emission spectroscopy (TOI-672b, TOI- 1694b, and TOI-2443b); One super-Earth (TOI-2194b) orbiting a bright (V = 8.42 mag), metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -0.3720 $\pm$ 0.1) star; one short-period Neptune-like planet (TOI-5704) in the Hot Neptune Desert. In total, we validated 1 super-Earth, 7 sub-Neptunes, 1 Neptune-like, and 2 sub-Saturn or super-Neptune-like exoplanets. Additionally, we identify five likely planet candidates (TOI-323, TOI- 1180, TOI-2200, TOI-2408 and TOI-3913) which can be further studied to establish their planetary nature.

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Spinning up a Daze: TESS Uncovers a Hot Jupiter orbiting the Rapid-Rotator TOI-778

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, has been uncovering a growing number of exoplanets orbiting nearby, bright stars. Most exoplanets that have been discovered by TESS orbit narrow-line, slow-rotating stars, facilitating the confirmation and mass determination of these worlds. We present the discovery of a hot Jupiter orbiting a rapidly rotating ($v\sin{(i)}= 35.1\pm1.0$km/s) early F3V-dwarf, HD115447 (TOI-778). The transit signal taken from Sectors 10 and 37 of TESS's initial detection of the exoplanet is combined with follow-up ground-based photometry and velocity measurements taken from Minerva-Australis, TRES, CORALIE and CHIRON to confirm and characterise TOI-778b. A joint analysis of the light curves and the radial velocity measurements yield a mass, radius, and orbital period for TOI-778b of $2.76^{+0.24}_{-0.23}$Mjup, $1.370\pm0.043$Rjup and $\sim4.63$ days, respectively. The planet orbits a bright ($V = 9.1$mag) F3-dwarf with $M=1.40\pm0.05$Msun, $R=1.70\pm0.05$Rsun, and $\log g=4.05\pm0.17$. We observed a spectroscopic transit of TOI-778b, which allowed us to derive a sky-projected spin-orbit angle of $18^{\circ}\pm11^{\circ}$, consistent with an aligned planetary system. This discovery demonstrates the capability of smaller aperture telescopes such as Minerva-Australis to detect the radial velocity signals produced by planets orbiting broad-line, rapidly rotating stars.

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JWST NIRCam Defocused Imaging: Photometric Stability Performance and How it Can Sense Mirror Tilts

We use JWST NIRCam short wavelength photometry to capture a transit lightcurve of the exoplanet HAT-P-14 b to assess performance as part of instrument commissioning. The short wavelength precision is 152 ppm per 27 second integration as measured over the full time series compared to a theoretical limit of 107 ppm, after corrections to spatially correlated 1/f noise. Persistence effects from charge trapping are well fit by an exponential function with short characteristic timescales, settling on the order of 5-15 minutes. The short wavelength defocused photometry is also uniquely well suited to measure the realtime wavefront error of JWST. Analysis of the images and reconstructed wavefront maps indicate that two different hexagonal primary mirror segments exhibited "tilt events" where they changed orientation rapidly in less than ~1.4 seconds. In some cases, the magnitude and timing of the flux jumps caused by tilt events can be accurately predicted with a telescope model. These tilt events can be sensed by simultaneous longer-wavelength NIRCam grism spectral images alone in the form of changes to the point spread function, diagnosed from the FWHM. They can also be sensed with the FGS instrument from difference images. Tilt events possibly from sudden releases of stress in the backplane structure behind the mirrors were expected during the commissioning period because they were found in ground-based testing. Tilt events have shown signs of decreasing in frequency but have not disappeared completely. The detectors exhibit some minor (less than 1%) deviations from linear behavior in the first few groups of each integration, potentially impacting absolute fluxes and transit depths on bright targets where only a handful of groups are possible. Overall, the noise is within 50% of the theoretical photon noise and read noise. This bodes well for high precision time series measurements.

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TOI-1136 is a Young, Coplanar, Aligned Planetary System in a Pristine Resonant Chain

Convergent disk migration has long been suspected to be responsible for forming planetary systems with a chain of mean-motion resonances (MMR). Dynamical evolution over time could disrupt the delicate resonant configuration. We present TOI-1136, a 700-Myr-old G star hosting at least 6 transiting planets between $\sim$2 and 5 $R_\oplus$. The orbital period ratios deviate from exact commensurability by only $10^{-4}$, smaller than the $\sim$\,$10^{-2}$ deviations seen in typical Kepler near-resonant systems. A transit-timing analysis measured the masses of the planets (3-8$M_\oplus$) and demonstrated that the planets in TOI-1136 are in true resonances with librating resonant angles. Based on a Rossiter-McLaughlin measurement of planet d, the star's rotation appears to be aligned with the planetary orbital planes. The well-aligned planetary system and the lack of detected binary companion together suggest that TOI-1136's resonant chain formed in an isolated, quiescent disk with no stellar fly-by, disk warp, or significant axial asymmetry. With period ratios near 3:2, 2:1, 3:2, 7:5, and 3:2, TOI-1136 is the first known resonant chain involving a second-order MMR (7:5) between two first-order MMR. The formation of the delicate 7:5 resonance places strong constraints on the system's migration history. Short-scale (starting from $\sim$0.1 AU) Type-I migration with an inner disk edge is most consistent with the formation of TOI-1136. A low disk surface density ($Σ_{\rm 1AU}\lesssim10^3$g~cm$^{-2}$; lower than the minimum-mass solar nebula) and the resultant slower migration rate likely facilitated the formation of the 7:5 second-order MMR. TOI-1136's deep resonance suggests that it has not undergone much resonant repulsion during its 700-Myr lifetime. One can rule out rapid tidal dissipation within a rocky planet b or obliquity tides within the largest planets d and f.

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A sub-Neptune transiting the young field star HD 18599 at 40 pc

Transiting exoplanets orbiting young nearby stars are ideal laboratories for testing theories of planet formation and evolution. However, to date only a handful of stars with age <1 Gyr have been found to host transiting exoplanets. Here we present the discovery and validation of a sub-Neptune around HD 18599, a young (300 Myr), nearby (d=40 pc) K star. We validate the transiting planet candidate as a bona fide planet using data from the TESS, Spitzer, and Gaia missions, ground-based photometry from IRSF, LCO, PEST, and NGTS, speckle imaging from Gemini, and spectroscopy from CHIRON, NRES, FEROS, and Minerva-Australis. The planet has an orbital period of 4.13 d, and a radius of 2.7Rearth. The RV data yields a 3-sigma mass upper limit of 30.5Mearth which is explained by either a massive companion or the large observed jitter typical for a young star. The brightness of the host star (V~9 mag) makes it conducive to detailed characterization via Doppler mass measurement which will provide a rare view into the interior structure of young planets.

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TOI 560 : Two Transiting Planets Orbiting a K Dwarf Validated with iSHELL, PFS and HIRES RVs

We validate the presence of a two-planet system orbiting the 0.15--1.4 Gyr K4 dwarf TOI 560 (HD 73583). The system consists of an inner moderately eccentric transiting mini-Neptune (TOI 560 b, $P = 6.3980661^{+0.0000095}_{-0.0000097}$ days, $e=0.294^{+0.13}_{-0.062}$, $M= 0.94^{+0.31}_{-0.23}M_{Nep}$) initially discovered in the Sector 8 \tess\ mission observations, and a transiting mini-Neptune (TOI 560 c, $P = 18.8805^{+0.0024}_{-0.0011}$ days, $M= 1.32^{+0.29}_{-0.32}M_{Nep}$) discovered in the Sector 34 observations, in a rare near-1:3 orbital resonance. We utilize photometric data from \tess\, \textit{Spitzer}, and ground-based follow-up observations to confirm the ephemerides and period of the transiting planets, vet false positive scenarios, and detect the photo-eccentric effect for TOI 560 b. We obtain follow-up spectroscopy and corresponding precise radial velocities (RVs) with the iSHELL spectrograph at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the HIRES Spectrograph at Keck Observatory to validate the planetary nature of these signals, which we combine with published PFS RVs from Magellan Observatory. We detect the masses of both planets at $> 3-σ$ significance. We apply a Gaussian process (GP) model to the \tess\ light curves to place priors on a chromatic radial velocity GP model to constrain the stellar activity of the TOI 560 host star, and confirm a strong wavelength dependence for the stellar activity demonstrating the ability of NIR RVs in mitigating stellar activity for young K dwarfs. TOI 560 is a nearby moderately young multi-planet system with two planets suitable for atmospheric characterization with James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and other upcoming missions. In particular, it will undergo six transit pairs separated by $<$6 hours before June 2027.

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Determining Which Binary Component Hosts the TESS Transiting Planet

The NASA TESS mission has discovered many transiting planets orbiting bright nearby stars, and high-resolution imaging studies have revealed that a number of these exoplanet hosts reside in binary or multiple star systems. In such systems, transit observations alone cannot determine which star in the binary system actually hosts the orbiting planet. The knowledge of which star the planet orbits is necessary for determining accurate physical properties for the planet, especially its true radius and mean bulk density. We derived the mean stellar densities for the components of 23 binary systems using the light curve transit shape and the binary flux ratio from speckle imaging, then tested the consistency with stellar models to determine which component is the host star. We found that 70% of the TESS transiting planets in our sample orbit the primary star.

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TOI-431/HIP 26013: a super-Earth and a sub-Neptune transiting a bright, early K dwarf, with a third RV planet

We present the bright (V$_{mag} = 9.12$), multi-planet system TOI-431, characterised with photometry and radial velocities. We estimate the stellar rotation period to be $30.5 \pm 0.7$ days using archival photometry and radial velocities. TOI-431b is a super-Earth with a period of 0.49 days, a radius of 1.28 $\pm$ 0.04 R$_{\oplus}$, a mass of $3.07 \pm 0.35$ M$_{\oplus}$, and a density of $8.0 \pm 1.0$ g cm$^{-3}$; TOI-431d is a sub-Neptune with a period of 12.46 days, a radius of $3.29 \pm 0.09$ R$_{\oplus}$, a mass of $9.90^{+1.53}_{-1.49}$ M$_{\oplus}$, and a density of $1.36 \pm 0.25$ g cm$^{-3}$. We find a third planet, TOI-431c, in the HARPS radial velocity data, but it is not seen to transit in the TESS light curves. It has an $M \sin i$ of $2.83^{+0.41}_{-0.34}$ M$_{\oplus}$, and a period of 4.85 days. TOI-431d likely has an extended atmosphere and is one of the most well-suited TESS discoveries for atmospheric characterisation, while the super-Earth TOI-431b may be a stripped core. These planets straddle the radius gap, presenting an interesting case-study for atmospheric evolution, and TOI-431b is a prime TESS discovery for the study of rocky planet phase curves.

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TOI-1231 b: A Temperate, Neptune-Sized Planet Transiting the Nearby M3 Dwarf NLTT 24399

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 obtained with the Planet Finder Spectrograph on the Magellan Clay telescope confirm the existence of the planet and lead to a mass measurement of 15.5$\pm$3.3 M$_{\oplus}$. With an equilibrium temperature of just 330K TOI-1231 b is one of the coolest small planets accessible for atmospheric studies thus far, and its host star's bright NIR brightness (J=8.88, K$_{s}$=8.07) make it an exciting target for HST and JWST. Future atmospheric observations would enable the first comparative planetology efforts in the 250-350 K temperature regime via comparisons with K2-18 b. Furthermore, TOI-1231's high systemic radial velocity (70.5 k\ms) may allow for the detection of low-velocity hydrogen atoms escaping the planet by Doppler shifting the H I Ly-alpha stellar emission away from the geocoronal and ISM absorption features.

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