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Eric E. Mamajek

Publications and source records attributed to Eric E. Mamajek.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A Century of Radial Velocity and Astrometric Monitoring of 70 Oph AB: New PFS Data and Constraints on Planetary Companions

At a distance of 5.1 pc, the 70 Oph AB binary star system is one of the most favorable targets for future direct imaging and astrometry missions surveying mature, terrestrial planets. We present new radial velocities (RVs) obtained with the Planet Finder Spectrograph (PFS) on the 6.5\,m Magellan II Clay Telescope in Chile. We collected 499 measurements of 70 Oph A and 334 measurements of 70 Oph B during 2023--2025. Combining these data with decades of archival RVs and astrometry, we derive an updated orbital solution for the binary and dynamical masses of $0.88 \pm 0.004\,M_\odot$ and $0.73 \pm 0.003\,M_\odot$ for the primary and secondary components, respectively. We find that the long-term RV variability of both components is consistent with stellar activity modulated by rotation periods, and we detect no coherent planetary signals in either component. We place upper limits on any planets orbiting in the plane of the binary. The 27 yr RV baseline for 70 Oph A excludes Jupiter-mass planets interior to 5 au and reaches a sensitivity of $0.3\,M_{\rm Jup}$ at 1 au or $0.5\,M_{\rm Jup}$ at 2 au. For 70 Oph B, with PFS data we rule out planets more massive than $0.25$--$0.3\,M_{\rm Jup}$ inside 0.5 au. We show that stable S-type orbits around 70 Oph A extend to $\sim2.5$ au, covering the habitable zone. Thus, Saturn-mass planets or smaller on stable orbits in the habitable zone of 70 Oph A are allowed. Overall, our results provide important guidance for future planet searches around this stellar system.

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Finding Habitable Exoplanets with Binary Relative Astrometry: Planet Detection and Characterization with the Microarcsecond Astrometric Retrieval Algorithm (MARA)

Binary relative astrometry is a technique to search for rocky planets in the habitable zone of nearby binary stars using 1D relative astrometry at the microarcsecond level. This unprecedented precision would allow a custom-designed space telescope to directly measure the occurrence rate of these planets. The success of such a mission depends on our ability to recover and characterize planets from the unique format of extreme precision binary relative astrometry data. We present MARA, the Microarcsecond Astrometric Retrieval Algorithm, specifically designed for these data. We describe the design and format of the MARA pipeline, and demonstrate its accuracy and performance with a series of validation tests on simulated data, using the SHERA SMEx mission concept as an example. Our injection/recovery tests show that with these data, MARA is able to detect and characterize rocky planets in the habitable zone of alpha Cen A, down to a coplanar mass of about 1 Earth mass in 1 year orbits. Expanding to a range of input planet masses and periods for the same example mission, we find that the results from these injection/recovery tests generally agree with the analytic predictions of binary relative astrometry sensitivity. We use MARA to map out the expected completeness as a function of planet mass and period, which in this case reaches down to about 0.5 M Earth masses at 3 year orbits around alpha Cen A. These depth-of-search calculations will be a vital ingredient in demographics calculations from the final data from a binary relative astrometry mission.

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Assessing Planetary Stability and Long-Term Habitability in Nearby Stellar Binaries: 70 Oph, 36 Oph, $γ$ Leo

Binary stars are common and have the potential to host habitable planets, which may reside in more complex habitable zones as compared to planets orbiting single stars. In this work, we use numerical simulations to assess the possibility that bright, nearby stellar multiples 36 Oph, 70 Oph, and $γ$ Leo could host habitable planets. We find that for the 36 Oph A/B system and for the 70 Oph A/B system, the stars can support planets residing in permanently habitable zones with low ejection rates and moderate eccentricity oscillations. The habitable zones around the red giants in the $γ$ Leo system exhibit severe dynamical instability due to the high binary eccentricity, eliminating the habitable zones around both stars. In these two systems, we find that planets in the habitable zone with orbits coplanar to that of the binary become uninhabitable due to interactions with the binary only 1.5% - 1.8% of the time, while planets with orbits 45 degrees misaligned to the plane of the binary experience larger oscillations in orbital eccentricity and as a result become uninhabitable 4.8% - 5.4% of the time. Our results identify 36 Oph and 70 Oph as promising targets for future missions such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory and SHERA, while suggesting that the stars in $γ$ Leo are unlikely to host any habitable planets. Our methods can be applied more generally to other binary stellar systems to refine target lists for upcoming habitable planet searches.

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Searching for Habitable Exoplanets with Relative Astrometry (SHERA). I. The Case for Searching for Planets in Binary Star Systems

Discovering Earth-like planets orbiting Sun-like stars was identified as a priority science goal of the Astronomy 2020 Decadal Survey. It is confounded by many factors, one of which is the high multiplicity of Sun-like stars in the local neighborhood - half of nearby Sun-like stars are in binary or higher-order stellar systems, which are less amenable to the detection of small planets with almost all of the currently productive exoplanet detection techniques. Here we describe the SHERA (Searching for Habitable Exoplanets with Relative Astrometry) NASA Small Explorer mission concept. SHERA utilizes diffractive-pupil technology on a small, simple optical space telescope to achieve microarcsecond precision relative astrometry on 14 Sun-like stars in seven nearby multi-star systems, combining the pupil and stellar binarity to provide a precise reference in the image plane. With this precision, SHERA would enable: (i) a search for rocky planets in the habitable zones of the closest Sun-like stars; (ii) an investigation of the impact of binary star formation on small, widely separated planets; and (iii) the performance of crucial precursor observations on a number of high-priority targets of NASA's future missions to characterize Earth-like planets, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory. When combined with radial velocity measurements, SHERA relative astrometry will also enable exploration of the three-dimensional orbital structure of planets in binary systems.

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HWO Target Stars and Systems: Activity and Rotation Catalog (ARC) of Potential Target Stars for the Habitable Worlds Observatory

A major goal of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is to precisely characterize exoplanets and their atmospheres. However, magnetic activity from an exoplanet's host star can complicate measurements of both the stellar and planetary properties, and stellar activity can be an important factor in our interpretation of the evolutionary history of an exoplanet. In this work, we assess the extent to which magnetic activity has been characterized for potential HWO target stars by collating archival measurements of relevant observables as published in a broad range of photometric and spectroscopic datasets. We describe our data collection strategy, provide an overview of currently known activity and rotation properties in the Activity and Rotation Catalog (ARC) for potential HWO target stars, and briefly review known relationships between stellar inclination, rotation, activity, and age. Overall, we find that stellar activity (S-index and R'HK) and rotation (v sin i and Prot) properties have been measured for at least 70% systems that are currently of high interest as potential HWO atmospheric characterization targets. However, stellar activity is temporal in nature, such that activity properties should be regularly monitored in order to remain up-to-date for informing future observations. In particular, we find that stellar activity cycles are measured for fewer than 20% of high interest potential HWO target stars. Measuring a star's activity cycle is critical for anticipating times when higher levels of magnetic activity may occur during planned HWO observations, which may interfere with measuring precise exoplanet atmospheric characteristics.

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The Montreal Open Clusters and Associations (MOCA) Database: A Census of Nearby Associations, Open Clusters, and Young Substellar Objects within 500 pc of the Sun

We present the Montreal Open Clusters and Associations database (MOCAdb), a public MySQL database with a Python interface. MOCAdb provides a census of memberships for 10259 associations and open clusters, with a comprehensive compilation of literature measurements such as spectral types, kinematics, rotation periods, activity indices, spectral indices, and photometry. All known substellar objects are cataloged in MOCAdb, along with 2943 public spectra, to enable the characterization of substellar association members. MOCAdb also features periodically updated calculations such as Galactic UVW space velocities. We use this compilation to construct mappings between independent association definitions, and to update the BANYAN $Σ$ membership classification tool, which now includes 8125 associations. The BANYAN $Σ$ model construction is improved to account for heterogeneous and correlated errors and to capture complex association shapes using Gaussian mixture models. Combined with Gaia DR3, this enabled us to identify 11535 yet unrecognized candidate members of young associations within 500 pc, mostly M dwarfs. Our results corroborate a recent observation that systematics up to $\approx$4 km/s remain in Gaia DR3 radial velocities for A-type stars. We present an updated census of age-calibrated exoplanets and substellar objects: 134 age-calibrated exoplanet systems (plus 121 TESS exoplanet candidates), 99 of which did not appear to have known memberships so far, and 455 substellar (L0 or later) candidate members of young associations, 196 of which appear newly recognized. We bring the total of candidate isolated planetary-mass objects to 101, 53 of which are newly recognized candidate members.

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A young progenitor for the most common planetary systems in the Galaxy

The Galaxy's most common known planetary systems have several Earth-to-Neptune-size planets in compact orbits. At small orbital separations, larger planets are less common than their smaller counterparts by an order of magnitude. The young star V1298 Tau hosts one such compact planetary system, albeit with four planets that are uncommonly large (5 to 10 Earth radii). The planets form a chain of near-resonances that result in transit-timing variations of several hours. Here we present a multi-year campaign to characterize this system with transit-timing variations, a method insensitive to the intense magnetic activity of the star. Through targeted observations, we first resolved the previously unknown orbital period of the outermost planet. The full 9-year baseline from these and archival data then enabled robust determination of the masses and orbital parameters for all four planets. We find the planets have low, sub-Neptune masses and nearly circular orbits, implying a dynamically tranquil history. Their low masses and large radii indicate that the inner planets underwent a period of rapid cooling immediately after dispersal of the protoplanetary disk. Still, they are much less dense than mature planets of comparable size. We predict the planets will contract to 1.5-4.0 Earth radii and join the population of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes that nature produces in abundance.

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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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The Solirad (So) as a Convenient Unit for Quoting Astronomical Irradiances for Planetary Insolations and Exoplanetary Instellations

Measurements of physical parameters for stars and (exo)planets are often quoted in units normalized to the Sun and/or Earth. The nominal total solar irradiance, ${S}^{\rm N}_{\odot}$, while based on a current best estimate with uncertainties, was adopted to be an exact reference value of 1361 W m$^{-2}$ by IAU 2015 Resolution B3, corresponding to ``the mean total electromagnetic energy from the Sun, integrated over all wavelengths, incident per unit area per unit time at distance 1 au''. In the planetary and exoplanetary science literature, the units employed for ``flux'', ``insolation'', ``instellation'', etc., are often cumbersome or inconsistent. To simplify the quoting of irradiance units for astronomical applications, we introduce the portmanteau solirad, short for solar irradiance, as an abbreviated version of the longer IAU term ``nominal total solar irradiance''. The solirad (So) is a unit of irradiance, where 1 solirad = 1 So = 1361 W m$^{-2}$, equivalent to the IAU nominal total solar irradiance, and to an apparent bolometric magnitude of $m_{bol}$ = -26.832 mag (per IAU 2015 Resolution B2).

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Are We There Yet? Challenges in Quantifying the Frequency of Earth Analogs in the Habitable Zone

Searching for life elsewhere in the universe is one of the most highly prioritized pursuits in astronomy today. However, the ability to observe evidence of Earth-like life through biosignatures is limited by the number of planets in the solar neighborhood with conditions similar to Earth. The occurrence rate of Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of Sun-like stars, $η_{\oplus}$, is therefore crucial for addressing the apparent lack of consensus on its value in the literature. Here we present a review of the current understanding of $η_{\oplus}$. We first provide definitions for parameters that contribute to $η_{\oplus}$. Then, we discuss the previous and current estimated parameter values and the context of the limitations on the analyses that produced these estimates. We compile an extensive list of the factors that go into any calculation of $η_{\oplus}$, and how detection techniques and surveys differ in their sensitivity and ability to accurately constrain $η_{\oplus}$. Understanding and refining the value of $η_{\oplus}$ is crucial for upcoming missions and telescopes, such as the planned Habitable Worlds Observatory and the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets, which aim to search for biosignatures on exoplanets in the solar neighborhood.

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HWO Target Stars and Systems: A Prioritized Community List of Potential Stellar Targets for the Habitable Worlds Observatory's ExoEarth Survey

The HWO Target Stars and Systems 2025 (TSS25) list is a community-developed catalog of potential stellar targets for the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) in its survey to directly image Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone. The TSS25 list categorizes potential HWO targets into priority tiers based on their likelihood to be surveyed and the necessity of obtaining observations of their stellar properties prior to the launch of the mission. This target list builds upon previous efforts to identify direct imaging targets and incorporates the results of multiple yield calculations assessing the science return of current design concepts for HWO. The TSS25 list identifies a sample of target stars that have a high probability to be observed by HWO (Tiers 1 and 2), independent of assumptions about the mission's final architecture. These stars should be the focus of community precursor science efforts in order to mitigate risks and maximize the science output of HWO. This target list is publicly available and is a living catalog that will be continually updated leading up to the mission.

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HWO Target Stars and Systems: A Survey of Archival UV and X-ray Data

We assess archival high-energy data for key stars on the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) Target Stars and Systems 2025 list, as stellar radiation is critical to shaping and interpreting planetary atmospheres. Using a sample of 98 nearby stars (HWO Tier 1 targets), we compile and evaluate X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) data from archival eROSITA, Chandra, XMM-Newton, ROSAT, EUVE, Swift, FUSE, IUE, GALEX, and HST. We examine spectral and temporal coverage, assess data quality, and identify major gaps. UV data are moderately available, with most coverage coming from near-UV spectra from IUE. Far fewer stars have far-UV spectra, especially from HST. In the X-ray regime, some stars have high-quality spectra, while others are limited to shallow detections or broad-band photometry. A small fraction of the sample has both X-ray and UV spectra of sufficient quality to support full spectral energy distribution modeling. Truly comprehensive coverage across X-ray, extreme-UV, and both UV bands remains extremely rare. Most datasets are single-epoch, limiting assessments of variability and flares - key factors in atmospheric photochemistry and escape. Moreover, the lack of simultaneous or contemporaneous observations across bands adds further uncertainty. Our findings underscore the need for new space-based missions and coordinated multiwavelength campaigns, ideally with overlapping coverage, to improve stellar characterization for HWO. As several key observatories age and face potential decommissioning, there is a narrow window of opportunity to secure these critical data. Investing in this effort now will directly support the science goals of HWO and enhance future studies of planetary habitability.

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WIde Separation Planets In Time (WISPIT): A Gap-clearing Planet in a Multi-ringed Disk around the Young Solar-type Star WISPIT 2

In the past decades several thousand exoplanet systems have been discovered around evolved, main-sequence stars, revealing a wide diversity in their architectures. To understand how the planet formation process can lead to vastly different outcomes in system architecture we have to study the starting conditions of planet formation within the disks around young stars. In this study we are presenting high resolution direct imaging observations with VLT/SPHERE of the young ($\sim$5 Myr), nearby ($\sim$133 pc), solar-analog designated as WISPIT 2($=$ TYC~5709-354-1). These observations were taken as part of our survey program that explores the formation and orbital evolution of wide-separation gas giants. WISPIT 2 was observed in four independent epochs using polarized light and total intensity observations. They reveal for the first time an extended (380 au) disk in scattered light with a multi-ringed sub-structure. We directly detect a young proto-planet WISPIT 2b, embedded in a disk gap and show that it is co-moving with its host star. Multiple SPHERE epochs demonstrate that it shows orbital motion consistent with Keplerian motion in the observed disk gap. Our $H$ and $K_s$-band photometric data are consistent with thermal emission from a young planet. By comparison with planet evolutionary models, we find a mass of the planet of $4.9^{+0.9}_{-0.6}$ Jupiter masses. This mass is also consistent with the width of the observed disk gap, retrieved from hydrodynamic models. WISPIT 2b is the first unambiguous planet detection in a multi-ringed disk, making the WISPIT 2 system the ideal laboratory to study planet-disk interaction and subsequent evolution.

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WIde Separation Planets In Time (WISPIT): Two directly imaged exoplanets around the Sun-like stellar binary WISPIT 1

Wide separation gas giant planets present a challenge to current planet formation theories, and the detection and characterisation of these systems enables us to constrain their formation pathways. The WIde Separation Planets In Time (WISPIT) survey aims to detect and characterise wide separation planetary-mass companions over a range of ages from <5 to 20 Myr around solar-type host stars at distances of 75-500 (median: 140) parsecs. The WISPIT survey carries out two 5 minute H-band exposures with the VLT/SPHERE instrument and IRDIS camera, separated by at least six months to identify co-moving companions via proper motion analysis. These two H-band observations in combination with a follow-up Ks-band observation were used to determine the colour-magnitude of the co-moving companions and to derive their masses by comparing to AMES-COND and AMES-DUSTY evolutionary tracks. We report the discovery of WISPIT 1b and WISPIT 1c, two gas giant exoplanets that are co-moving with the stellar binary WISPIT 1, which itself consists of a K4 star and M5.5 star in a multi-decadal orbit. The planets are at projected separations of 338 au and 840 au and have masses of 10 Mj and 4 Mj respectively. We identified two common proper motion planetary companions to a (previously unknown) stellar binary with a Sun-like primary. These targets are ideal for follow up characterisation with both ground and space-based telescopes. Monitoring of the orbit with the GRAVITY interferometer will place constraints on their eccentricity, and spectroscopic characterisation will identify the composition and metallicity, providing information on their formation pathways.

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Giant Outer Transiting Exoplanet Mass (GOT 'EM) Survey. VI: Confirmation of a Long-Period Giant Planet Discovered with a Single TESS Transit

We report the discovery and confirmation of TOI-4465 b, a $1.25^{+0.08}_{-0.07}~R_{J}$, $5.89\pm0.26~M_{J}$ giant planet orbiting a G dwarf star at $d\simeq$ 122 pc. The planet was detected as a single-transit event in data from Sector 40 of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. Radial velocity (RV) observations of TOI-4465 showed a planetary signal with an orbital period of $\sim$102 days, and an orbital eccentricity of $e=0.24\pm0.01$. TESS re-observed TOI-4465 in Sector 53 and Sector 80, but did not detect another transit of TOI-4465 b, as the planet was not expected to transit during these observations based on the RV period. A global ground-based photometry campaign was initiated to observe another transit of TOI-4465 b after the RV period determination. The $\sim$12 hour-long transit event was captured from multiple sites around the world, and included observations from 24 citizen scientists, confirming the orbital period as $\sim$102 days. TOI-4465 b is a relatively dense ($3.73\pm0.53~\rm{g/cm^3}$), temperate (375-478 K) giant planet. Based on giant planet structure models, TOI-4465 b appears to be enriched in heavy elements at a level consistent with late-stage accretion of icy planetesimals. Additionally, we explore TOI-4465 b's potential for atmospheric characterization, and obliquity measurement. Increasing the number of long-period planets by confirming single-transit events is crucial for understanding the frequency and demographics of planet populations in the outer regions of planetary systems.

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A planetary-mass candidate imaged in the Young Suns Exoplanet Survey

Directly imaged exoplanets in wide orbits challenge current gas giant formation theories. They need to form quickly and acquire enough material before the disk dissipates, which cannot be accommodated by in-situ formation by core accretion. We search for wide separation ($>$ 100 au) planetary-mass companions with the Young Suns Exoplanet Survey (YSES). Here, we present a planetary-mass candidate companion discovered in the survey. We conducted follow-up observations of the candidate system after the first epoch observations and obtained six epochs of observations for this system between 2018 and 2024, and integral field spectroscopy of the stellar component. We report the detection of a candidate companion with H=22.04 $\pm$ 0.13 mag at a projected separation of 730 $\pm$ 10 au away from the primary star. High angular resolution imaging observations of the central star show it is a visual binary. Acceleration data, orbital fitting, spectral energy distribution fitting and radial velocity differences all suggest that there is at least one more unresolved low-mass stellar companion in this system. The planetary-mass candidate shows a significant proper motion comparable to that of the primary star. We estimate an age of 19-28 Myr for the primary star. We cannot confirm the companionship of the candidate due to the unknown barycentre of the stars. Long-term imaging and radial velocity monitoring of the central stars, along with spectroscopy of the candidate companion, are key to resolving the nature of this system. If confirmed, the candidate companion would have a mass of 3-5 Mj estimated with the ATMO evolutionary model. It would be another cold low-mass planet imaged similar to 51 Eri b and AF Lep b. Its extremely wide separation from the host star would challenge the formation theory of gas giant exoplanets.

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Signatures of Atmospheric Mass Loss and Planet Migration in the Time Evolution of Short-Period Transiting Exoplanets

Comparative studies of young and old exoplanet populations offer a glimpse into how planets may form and evolve with time. We present an occurrence rate study of short-period ($<$12 days) planets between 1.8--10 Rearth around 1374 FGK stars in nearby (200 pc) young clusters ($<$1 Gyr), utilizing data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. These planets represent a population closer to their primordial state. We find that the occurrence rate of young planets is higher ($64^{+32}_{-22}$%) compared to the Gyr-old population observed by \kepler ($7.98^{+0.37}_{-0.35}$%). Dividing our sample into bins of young (10--100 Myr) and intermediate (100\,Myr--1 Gyr) ages, we also find that the occurrence distribution in orbital period remains unchanged while the distribution in planet radius changes with time. Specifically, the radius distribution steepens with age, indicative of a larger planet population shrinking due to the atmospheric thermal cooling and mass loss. We also find evidence for an increase (1.9$σ$) in occurrence after 100 Myr, possibly due to tidal migration driving planets inside of 12 days. While evidence suggests post-disk migration and atmospheric mass loss shape the population of short-period planets, more detections of young planets are needed to improve statistical comparisons with older planets. Detecting long-period young planets and planets $<$1.8 Rearth will help us understand these processes better. Additionally, studying young planetary atmospheres provides insights into planet formation and the efficiency of atmospheric mass loss mechanisms on the evolution of planetary systems.

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SDSS J100711.74+193056.2: A Candidate Common Motion Substellar Companion to the Nearest B-Type Star Regulus

The L9 dwarf SDSS J100711.74+193056.2 is situated 7$^{\circ}$.5 north of the nearest B-type star Regulus (d = 24.3+-0.2 pc), part of a stellar quadruplet. The object is at similar distance (d = 21.9+-1.0 pc) as Regulus, with a 3D separation of 3.9+0.6-0.5 pc ($\sim$1.6 tidal radii from Regulus), and shares tangential motion within 2 km/s, hinting at a physical connection. Near-infrared spectroscopy with Keck/NIRES finds that SDSS J100711.74+193056.2 also has a comparable radial velocity as Regulus A and B, a metallicity similar to Regulus B, and a spectral morphology consistent with the estimated 1--2 Gyr total age of Regulus's close pre-white dwarf companion. Taken together, these observations indicate that SDSS J100711.74+193056.2 is a very widely-separated and potentially physically-bound companion to Regulus, with a binding energy and mass ratio comparable to other wide star-brown dwarf systems. It joins a growing list of brown dwarfs at the L dwarf/T dwarf transition with independent constraints on physical properties such as age and metallicity.

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