arXiv subjects

G. R. Ricker

Publications and source records attributed to G. R. Ricker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Three super-Earths and a possible water world from TESS and ESPRESSO

Since 2018, the ESPRESSO spectrograph at the VLT has been hunting for planets in the Southern skies via the RV method. One of its goals is to follow up candidate planets from transit surveys such as the TESS mission, particularly small planets. We analyzed photometry from TESS and ground-based facilities, high-resolution imaging, and RVs from ESPRESSO, HARPS, and HIRES, to confirm and characterize three new planets: TOI-260 b, transiting a late K-dwarf, and TOI-286 b and c, orbiting an early K-dwarf. We also update parameters for the known super-Earth TOI-134 b , hosted by an M-dwarf. TOI-260 b has a $13.475853^{+0.000013}_{-0.000011}$ d period, $4.23 \pm1.60 \mathrm{M_\oplus}$ mass and $1.71\pm0.08\mathrm{R_\oplus}$ radius. For TOI-286 b we find a $4.5117244^{+0.0000031}_{-0.0000027}$ d period, $4.53\pm0.78\mathrm{M_\oplus}$ mass and $1.42\pm0.10\mathrm{R_\oplus}$ radius; for TOI-286 c, a $39.361826^{+0.000070}_{-0.000081}$ d period, $3.72\pm2.22\mathrm{M_\oplus}$ mass and $1.88\pm 0.12\mathrm{R_\oplus}$ radius. For TOI-134 b we obtain a $1.40152604^{+0.00000074}_{-0.00000082}$ d period, $4.07\pm0.45\mathrm{M_\oplus}$ mass, and $1.63\pm0.14\mathrm{R_\oplus}$ radius. Circular models are preferred for all, although for TOI-260 b the eccentricity is not well-constrained. We compute bulk densities and place the planets in the context of composition models. TOI-260 b lies within the radius valley, and is most likely a rocky planet. However, the uncertainty on the eccentricity and thus on the mass renders its composition hard to determine. TOI-286 b and c span the radius valley, with TOI-286 b lying below it and having a likely rocky composition, while TOI-286 c is within the valley, close to the upper border, and probably has a significant water fraction. With our updated parameters for TOI-134 b, we obtain a lower density than previous findings, giving a rocky or Earth-like composition.

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arXiv2024

The Discovery and Follow-up of Four Transiting Short-period Sub-Neptunes Orbiting M dwarfs

Sub-Neptunes with $2-3R_\oplus$ are intermediate in size between rocky planets and Neptune-sized planets. The orbital properties and bulk compositions of transiting sub-Neptunes provide clues to the formation and evolution of close-in small planets. In this paper, we present the discovery and follow-up of four sub-Neptunes orbiting M dwarfs (TOI-782, TOI-1448, TOI-2120, and TOI-2406), three of which were newly validated by ground-based follow-up observations and statistical analyses. TOI-782 b, TOI-1448 b, TOI-2120 b, and TOI-2406 b have radii of $R_\mathrm{p} = 2.740^{+0.082}_{-0.079}\,R_\oplus$, $2.769^{+0.073}_{-0.068}\,R_\oplus$, $2.120\pm0.067\,R_\oplus$, and $2.830^{+0.068}_{-0.066}\,R_\oplus$ and orbital periods of $P = 8.02$, $8.11$, $5.80$, and $3.08$\,days, respectively. Doppler monitoring with Subaru/InfraRed Doppler instrument led to 2$σ$ upper limits on the masses of $<19.1\ M_\oplus$, $<19.5\ M_\oplus$, $<6.8\ M_\oplus$, and $<15.6\ M_\oplus$ for TOI-782 b, TOI-1448 b, TOI-2120 b, and TOI-2406 b, respectively. The mass-radius relationship of these four sub-Neptunes testifies to the existence of volatile material in their interiors. These four sub-Neptunes, which are located above the so-called ``radius valley'', are likely to retain a significant atmosphere and/or an icy mantle on the core, such as a water world. We find that at least three of the four sub-Neptunes (TOI-782 b, TOI-2120 b, and TOI-2406 b) orbiting M dwarfs older than 1 Gyr, are likely to have eccentricities of $e \sim 0.2-0.3$. The fact that tidal circularization of their orbits is not achieved over 1 Gyr suggests inefficient tidal dissipation in their interiors.

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arXiv2024

TESS and ESPRESSO discover a super-Earth and a mini-Neptune orbiting the K-dwarf TOI-238

The number of super-Earth and mini-Neptune planet discoveries has increased significantly in the last two decades thanks to transit and radial velocity surveys. When it is possible to apply both techniques, we can characterise the internal composition of exoplanets, which in turn provides unique insights on their architecture, formation and evolution. We performed a combined photometric and radial velocity analysis of TOI-238 (TYC 6398-132-1), which has one short-orbit super-Earth planet candidate announced by NASA's TESS team. We aim to confirm its planetary nature using radial velocities taken with the ESPRESSO and HARPS spectrographs, to measure its mass and to detect the presence of other possible planetary companions. We carried out a joint analysis by including Gaussian processes and Keplerian orbits to account for the stellar activity and planetary signals simultaneously. We detected the signal induced by TOI-238 b in the radial velocity time-series, and the presence of a second transiting planet, TOI-238 c, whose signal appears in RV and TESS data. TOI-238 b is a planet with a radius of 1.402$^{+0.084}_{-0.086}$ R$_{\oplus}$ and a mass of 3.40$^{+0.46}_{-0.45}$ M$_{\oplus}$. It orbits at a separation of 0.02118 $\pm$ 0.00038 AU of its host star, with an orbital period of 1.2730988 $\pm$ 0.0000029 days, and has an equilibrium temperature of 1311 $\pm$ 28 K. TOI-238 c has a radius of 2.18$\pm$ 0.18 R$_{\oplus}$ and a mass of 6.7 $\pm$ 1.1 M$_{\oplus}$. It orbits at a separation of 0.0749 $\pm$ 0.0013 AU of its host star, with an orbital period of 8.465652 $\pm$ 0.000031 days, and has an equilibrium temperature of 696 $\pm$ 15 K. The mass and radius of planet b are fully consistent with an Earth-like composition, making it likely a rocky super-Earth. Planet c could be a water-rich planet or a rocky planet with a small H-He atmosphere.

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arXiv2024

Revisiting the warm sub-Saturn TOI-1710b

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) provides a continuous suite of new planet candidates that need confirmation and precise mass determination from ground-based observatories. This is the case for the G-type star TOI-1710, which is known to host a transiting sub-Saturn planet ($\mathrm{M_p}=$28.3$\pm$4.7$\mathrm{M}_\oplus$) in a long-period orbit (P=24.28\,d). Here we combine archival SOPHIE and new and archival HARPS-N radial velocity data with newly available TESS data to refine the planetary parameters of the system and derive a new mass measurement for the transiting planet, taking into account the impact of the stellar activity on the mass measurement. We report for TOI-1710b a radius of $\mathrm{R_p}$$=$5.15$\pm$0.12$\mathrm{R}_\oplus$, a mass of $\mathrm{M_p}$$=$18.4$\pm$4.5$\mathrm{M}_\oplus$, and a mean bulk density of $ρ_{\rm p}$$=$0.73$\pm$0.18$\mathrm{g \, cm^{-3}}$, which are consistent at 1.2$σ$, 1.5$σ$, and 0.7$σ$, respectively, with previous measurements. Although there is not a significant difference in the final mass measurement, we needed to add a Gaussian process component to successfully fit the radial velocity dataset. This work illustrates that adding more measurements does not necessarily imply a better mass determination in terms of precision, even though they contribute to increasing our full understanding of the system. Furthermore, TOI-1710b joins an intriguing class of planets with radii in the range 4-8 $\mathrm{R}_\oplus$ that have no counterparts in the Solar System. A large gaseous envelope and a bright host star make TOI-1710b a very suitable candidate for follow-up atmospheric characterization.

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arXiv2023

Two sub-Neptunes around the M dwarf TOI-1470

Aims. A transiting planet candidate with a sub-Neptune radius orbiting the nearby ($d$ = 51.9$\pm$0.07 pc) M1.5 V star TOI-1470 with a period of $\sim$2.5 d was announced by the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which observed the field of TOI-1470 in four different sectors. We aim to validate its planetary nature using precise radial velocities (RVs) taken with the CARMENES spectrograph. Methods. We obtained 44 RV measurements with CARMENES spanning eight months between 3 June 2020 and 17 January 2021. For a better characterization of the parent star activity, we also collected contemporaneous optical photometric observations at the Joan Oró and Sierra Nevada Observatories, and we retrieved archival photometry from the literature. We used ground-based photometric observations from MuSCAT and also from MuSCAT2 and MuSCAT3 to confirm the planetary transit signals. We performed a combined photometric and spectroscopic analysis by including Gaussian processes and Keplerian orbits to simultaneously account for the stellar activity and planetary signals. Results. We estimate that TOI-1470 has a rotation period of 29$\pm$3 d based on photometric and spectroscopic data. The combined analysis confirms the discovery of the announced transiting planet, TOI-1470 b, with an orbital period of 2.527093$\pm$0.000003 d, a mass of $7.32^{+1.21}_{-1.24}$ M$_{\oplus}$, and a radius of $2.18^{+0.04}_{-0.04}$ R$_{\oplus}$. We also discover a second transiting planet that was not announced previously by TESS, TOI-1470 c, with an orbital period of 18.08816$\pm$0.00006 d, a mass of $7.24^{+2.87}_{-2.77}$ M$_{\oplus}$, and a radius of $2.47^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$ R$_{\oplus}$. The two planets are placed on the same side of the radius valley of M dwarfs and lie between TOI-1470 and the inner border of its habitable zone.

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arXiv2023

The young mini-Neptune HD 207496b that is either a naked core or on the verge of becoming one

We report the discovery and characterisation of the transiting mini-Neptune HD~207496~b (TOI-1099) as part of a large programme that aims to characterise naked core planets. We obtained HARPS spectroscopic observations, one ground-based transit, and high-resolution imaging which we combined with the TESS photometry to confirm and characterise the TESS candidate and its host star. The host star is an active early K dwarf with a mass of $0.80 \pm 0.04\,$M$_\odot$, a radius of $0.769 \pm 0.026\,$R$_\odot$, and a G magnitude of 8. We found that the host star is young, $\sim 0.52\,$ Myr, allowing us to gain insight into planetary evolution. We derived a planetary mass of $6.1 \pm 1.6\,\mathrm{M}_E$,\, a planetary radius of $2.25 \pm 0.12\,\mathrm{R}_E$,\ and a planetary density of $ρ_p = 3.27_{-0.91}^{+0.97}\,\mathrm{g.cm^{-3}}$. From internal structure modelling of the planet, we conclude that the planet has either a water-rich envelope, a gas-rich envelope, or a mixture of both. We have performed evaporation modelling of the planet. If we assume the planet has a gas-rich envelope, we find that the planet has lost a significant fraction of its envelope and its radius has shrunk. Furthermore, we estimate it will lose all its remaining gaseous envelope in $\sim 0.52\,$ Gyr. Otherwise, the planet could have already lost all its primordial gas and is now a bare ocean planet. Further observations of its possible atmosphere and/or mass-loss rate would allow us to distinguish between these two hypotheses. Such observations would determine if the planet remains above the radius gap or if it will shrink and be below the gap.

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arXiv2023

A full transit of $ν^2$ Lupi d and the search for an exomoon in its Hill sphere with CHEOPS

The planetary system around the naked-eye star $ν^2$ Lupi (HD 136352; TOI-2011) is composed of three exoplanets with masses of 4.7, 11.2, and 8.6 Earth masses. The TESS and CHEOPS missions revealed that all three planets are transiting and have radii straddling the radius gap separating volatile-rich and volatile-poor super-earths. Only a partial transit of planet d had been covered so we re-observed an inferior conjunction of the long-period 8.6 Earth-mass exoplanet $ν^2$ Lup d with the CHEOPS space telescope. We confirmed its transiting nature by covering its whole 9.1 h transit for the first time. We refined the planet transit ephemeris to P = 107.1361 (+0.0019/-0.0022) days and Tc = 2,459,009.7759 (+0.0101/-0.0096) BJD_TDB, improving by ~40 times on the previously reported transit timing uncertainty. This refined ephemeris will enable further follow-up of this outstanding long-period transiting planet to search for atmospheric signatures or explore the planet's Hill sphere in search for an exomoon. In fact, the CHEOPS observations also cover the transit of a large fraction of the planet's Hill sphere, which is as large as the Earth's, opening the tantalising possibility of catching transiting exomoons. We conducted a search for exomoon signals in this single-epoch light curve but found no conclusive photometric signature of additional transiting bodies larger than Mars. Yet, only a sustained follow-up of $ν^2$ Lup d transits will warrant a comprehensive search for a moon around this outstanding exoplanet.

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arXiv2022

Examining the orbital decay targets KELT-9 b, KELT-16 b and WASP-4 b, and the transit-timing variations of HD 97658 b

Tidal orbital decay is suspected to occur especially for hot Jupiters, with the only observationally confirmed case of this being WASP-12 b. By examining this effect, information on the properties of the host star can be obtained using the so-called stellar modified tidal quality factor $Q_*'$, which describes the efficiency with which kinetic energy of the planet is dissipated within the star. This can help to get information about the interior of the star. In this study, we aim to improve constraints on the tidal decay of the KELT-9, KELT-16 and WASP-4 systems, to find evidence for or against the presence of this particular effect. With this, we want to constrain each star's respective $Q_*'$ value. In addition to that, we also aim to test the existence of the transit timing variations (TTVs) in the HD 97658 system, which previously favoured a quadratic trend with increasing orbital period. Making use of newly acquired photometric observations from CHEOPS and TESS, combined with archival transit and occultation data, we use Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms to fit three models, a constant period model, an orbital decay model, and an apsidal precession model, to the data. We find that the KELT-9 system is best described by an apsidal precession model for now, with an orbital decay trend at over 2 $σ$ being a possible solution as well. A Keplerian orbit model with a constant orbital period fits the transit timings of KELT-16 b the best due to the scatter and scale of their error bars. The WASP-4 system is represented the best by an orbital decay model at a 5 $σ$ significance, although apsidal precession cannot be ruled out with the present data. For HD 97658 b, using recently acquired transit observations, we find no conclusive evidence for a previously suspected strong quadratic trend in the data.

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arXiv2022

Characterization of the HD 108236 system with CHEOPS and TESS. Confirmation of a fifth transiting planet

The HD108236 system was first announced with the detection of four small planets based on TESS data. Shortly after, the transit of an additional planet with a period of 29.54d was serendipitously detected by CHEOPS. In this way, HD108236 (V=9.2) became one of the brightest stars known to host five small transiting planets (R$_p$<3R$_{\oplus}$). We characterize the planetary system by using all the data available from CHEOPS and TESS space missions. We use the flexible pointing capabilities of CHEOPS to follow up the transits of all the planets in the system, including the fifth transiting body. After updating the host star parameters by using the results from Gaia eDR3, we analyzed 16 and 43 transits observed by CHEOPS and TESS, respectively, to derive the planets physical and orbital parameters. We carried out a timing analysis of the transits of each of the planets of HD108236 to search for the presence of transit timing variations. We derived improved values for the radius and mass of the host star (R$_{\star}$=0.876$\pm$0.007 R$_{\odot}$ and M$_{\star}$=0.867$_{-0.046}^{+0.047}$ M$_{\odot}$). We confirm the presence of the fifth transiting planet f in a 29.54d orbit. Thus, the system consists of five planets of R$_b$=1.587$\pm$0.028, R$_c$=2.122$\pm$0.025, R$_d$=2.629$\pm$0.031, R$_e$=3.008$\pm$0.032, and R$_f$=1.89$\pm$0.04 [R$_{\oplus}$]. We refine the transit ephemeris for each planet and find no significant transit timing variations for planets c, d, and e. For planets b and f, instead, we measure significant deviations on their transit times (up to 22 and 28 min, respectively) with a non-negligible dispersion of 9.6 and 12.6 min in their time residuals. We confirm the presence of planet f and find no significant evidence for a potential transiting planet in a 10.9d orbital period, as previously suggested. Full abstract in the PDF file.

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arXiv2022

TOI-969: a late-K dwarf with a hot mini-Neptune in the desert and an eccentric cold Jupiter

The current architecture of a given multi-planetary system is a key fingerprint of its past formation and dynamical evolution history. Long-term follow-up observations are key to complete their picture. In this paper we focus on the confirmation and characterization of the components of the TOI-969 planetary system, where TESS detected a Neptune-size planet candidate in a very close-in orbit around a late K-dwarf star. We use a set of precise radial velocity observations from HARPS, PFS and CORALIE instruments covering more than two years in combination with the TESS photometric light curve and other ground-based follow-up observations to confirm and characterize the components of this planetary system. We find that TOI-969 b is a transiting close-in ($P_b\sim 1.82$ days) mini-Neptune planet ($m_b=9.1^{+1.1}_{-1.0}$ M$_{\oplus}$, $R_b=2.765^{+0.088}_{-0.097}$ R$_{\oplus}$), thus placing it on the {lower boundary} of the hot-Neptune desert ($T_{\rm eq,b}=941\pm31$ K). The analysis of its internal structure shows that TOI-969 b is a volatile-rich planet, suggesting it underwent an inward migration. The radial velocity model also favors the presence of a second massive body in the system, TOI-969 c, with a long period of $P_c=1700^{+290}_{-280}$ days and a minimum mass of $m_{c}\sin{i_c}=11.3^{+1.1}_{-0.9}$ M$_{\rm Jup}$, and with a highly-eccentric orbit of $e_c=0.628^{+0.043}_{-0.036}$. The TOI-969 planetary system is one of the few around K-dwarfs known to have this extended configuration going from a very close-in planet to a wide-separation gaseous giant. TOI-969 b has a transmission spectroscopy metric of 93, and it orbits a moderately bright ($G=11.3$ mag) star, thus becoming an excellent target for atmospheric studies. The architecture of this planetary system can also provide valuable information about migration and formation of planetary systems.

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arXiv2022

Confirmation and characterisation of three giant planets detected by TESS from the FIES/NOT and Tull/McDonald spectrographs

We report the confirmation and characterisation of TOI-1820~b, TOI-2025~b, and TOI-2158~b, three Jupiter-sized planets on short-period orbits around G-type stars detected by TESS. Through our ground-based efforts using the FIES and Tull spectrographs, we have confirmed these planets and characterised their orbits, and find periods of around $4.9$~d, $8.9$~d, and $8.6$~d for TOI-1820~b, TOI-2025~b, and TOI-2158~b, respectively. The sizes of the planets range from 0.96 to 1.14 Jupiter radii, and their masses are in the range from 0.8 to 4.4 Jupiter masses. For two of the systems, namely TOI-2025 and TOI-2158, we see a long-term trend in the radial velocities, indicating the presence of an outer companion in each of the two systems. For TOI-2025 we furthermore find the star to be well-aligned with the orbit, with a projected obliquity of $9^{+33}_{-31}$~$^\circ$. As these planets are all found in relatively bright systems (V$\sim$10.9-11.6 mag), they are well-suited for further studies, which could help shed light on the formation and migration of hot and warm Jupiters.

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arXiv2022

TOI-1468: A system of two transiting planets, a super-Earth and a mini-Neptune, on opposite sides of the radius valley

We report the discovery and characterization of two small transiting planets orbiting the bright M3.0V star TOI-1468 (LSPM J0106+1913), whose transit signals were detected in the photometric time series in three sectors of the TESS mission. We confirm the e planetary nature of both of them using precise radial velocity measurements from the CARMENES and MAROON-X spectrographs, and supplement them with ground-based transit photometry. A joint analysis of all these data reveals that the shorter-period planet, TOI-1468 b ($P_{\rm b}$ = 1.88 d), has a planetary mass of $M_{\rm b} = 3.21\pm0.24$ $M_{\oplus}$ and a radius of $R_{\rm b} =1.280^{+0.038}_{-0.039} R_{\oplus}$, resulting in a density of $ρ_{\rm b} = 8.39^{+ 1.05}_{- 0.92}$ g cm$^{-3}$, which is consistent with a mostly rocky composition. For the outer planet, TOI-1468 c ($P_{\rm c} = 15.53$ d), we derive a mass of $M_{\rm c} = 6.64^{+ 0.67}_{- 0.68}$ $M_{\oplus}$, a radius of $R_{\rm c} = 2.06\pm0.04\,R_{\oplus}$, and a bulk density of $ρ_{c} = 2.00^{+ 0.21}_{- 0.19}$ g cm$^{-3}$, which corresponds to a rocky core composition with a H/He gas envelope. These planets are located on opposite sides of the radius valley, making our system an interesting discovery as there are only a handful of other systems with the same properties. This discovery can further help determine a more precise location of the radius valley for small planets around M dwarfs and, therefore, shed more light on planet formation and evolution scenarios.

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arXiv2022

The GAPS Programme at TNG XL: A puffy and warm Neptune-sized planet and an outer Neptune-mass candidate orbiting the solar-type star TOI-1422

We investigate the exoplanet candidate TOI-1422b, which was discovered by the TESS space telescope around the high proper-motion G2V star TOI-1422 ($V=10.6$ mag), 155pc away, with the primary goal of confirming its planetary nature and characterising its properties. We monitored TOI-1422 with the HARPS-N spectrograph for 1.5 years to precisely quantify its radial velocity variation. The radial velocity measurements are analyzed jointly with TESS photometry and we also check for blended companions through high-spatial resolution images using the AstraLux instrument. We estimate that the parent star has a radius and a mass of $R^*=1.019_{-0.013}^{+0.014} R_{\odot}$, $M^*=0.981_{-0.065}^{+0.062} M_{\odot}$, respectively. Our analysis confirms the planetary nature of TOI-1422b and also suggests the presence of a Neptune-mass planet on a more distant orbit, the candidate TOI-1422c, which is not detected in TESS light curves. The inner planet, TOI-1422b, orbits on a period $P_{\rm b}=12.9972\pm0.0006$ days and has an equilibrium temperature $T_{\rm eq, b}=867\pm17$ K. With a radius of $R_{\rm b}=3.96^{+0.13}_{-0.11} R_{\oplus}$, a mass of $M_{\rm b}=9.0^{+2.3}_{-2.0} M_{\oplus}$ and, consequently, a density of $ρ_{\rm b}=0.795^{+0.290}_{-0.235}$ g cm$^{-3}$, it can be considered a warm Neptune-size planet. Compared to other exoplanets of similar mass range, TOI-1422b is among the most inflated ones and we expect this planet to have an extensive gaseous envelope that surrounds a core with a mass fraction around $10\%-25\%$ of the total mass of the planet. The outer non-transiting planet candidate, TOI-1422c, has an orbital period of $P_{\rm c}=29.29^{+0.21}_{-0.20}$ days, a minimum mass, $M_{\rm c}\sin{i}$, of $11.1^{+2.6}_{-2.3} M_{\oplus}$, an equilibrium temperature of $T_{\rm eq, c}=661\pm13$ K and, therefore, if confirmed, it could be considered as another warm Neptune.

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arXiv2022

A hot sub-Neptune in the desert and a temperate super-Earth around faint M dwarfs: Color validation of TOI-4479b and TOI-2081b

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 ($R_{p}=2.04^{+0.50}_{-0.54}~\rm R_{\oplus}$). Furthermore, we obtained that TOI-4479b, with a short orbital period of $1.15890^{+0.00002}_{-0.00001}~\rm days$, lies within the Neptune desert and is in fact the largest nearly ultra-short period planet around an M dwarf known to date. These results make TOI-4479b rare among the currently known exoplanet population around M dwarf stars, and an especially interesting target for spectroscopic follow-up and future studies of planet formation and evolution.

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arXiv2022

The HD 260655 system: Two rocky worlds transiting a bright M dwarf at 10 pc

We report the discovery of a multi-planetary system transiting the M0 V dwarf HD 260655 (GJ 239, TOI-4599). The system consists of at least two transiting planets, namely HD 260655 b, with a period of 2.77 d, a radius of R$_b$ = 1.240$\pm$0.023 R$_\oplus$, a mass of M$_b$ = 2.14$\pm$0.34 M$_\oplus$, and a bulk density of $ρ_b$ = 6.2$\pm$1.0 g cm$^{-3}$, and HD 260655 c, with a period of 5.71 d, a radius of R$_c$ = 1.533$^{+0.051}_{-0.046}$ R$_\oplus$, a mass of M$_c$ = 3.09$\pm$0.48 M$_\oplus$, and a bulk density of $ρ_c$ = 4.7$^{+0.9}_{-0.8}$ g cm$^{-3}$. The planets were detected in transit by the TESS mission and confirmed independently with archival and new precise radial velocities obtained with the HIRES and CARMENES instruments since 1998 and 2016, respectively. At a distance of 10 pc, HD 260655 becomes the fourth closest known multi-transiting planet system after HD 219134, LTT 1445 A, and AU Mic. Due to the apparent brightness of the host star (J = 6.7 mag), both planets are among the most suitable rocky worlds known today for atmospheric studies with the JWST, both in transmission and emission.

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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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arXiv2022

TOI-1268b: the youngest, hot, Saturn-mass transiting exoplanet

We report the discovery of TOI-1268b, a transiting Saturn-mass planet from the TESS space mission. With an age of less than one Gyr, derived from various age indicators, TOI-1268b is the youngest Saturn-mass planet known to date and contributes to the small sample of well characterised young planets. It has an orbital period of $P\,=\,8.1577080\pm0.0000044$ days, and transits an early K dwarf star with a mass of $M_\star$ = $ 0.96 \pm 0.04$ $M_{\odot}$, a radius of $R_\star$ = $ 0.92 \pm 0.06$ $R_{\odot}$, an effective temperature of $T_\mathrm{eff}\,=\,5300\pm100$ K, and a metallicity of $0.36\pm0.06$ dex. By combining TESS photometry with high-resolution spectra acquired with the Tull spectrograph at McDonald observatory, and the high-resolution spectrographs at Tautenburg and Ondrejov observatories, we measured a planetary mass of $M_\mathrm{p}\,=\,96.4 \pm 8.3\,M_{\oplus}$ and a radius of $R_\mathrm{p}\,=\,9.1 \pm 0.6\,R_{\oplus}$. TOI-1268 is an ideal system to study the role of star-planet tidal interactions for non-inflated Saturn-mass planets. We used system parameters derived in this paper to constrain the planet tidal quality factor to the range of $10^{4.5-5.3}$. When compared with the sample of other non-inflated Saturn-mass planets, TOI-1268b is one of the best candidates for transmission spectroscopy studies.

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arXiv2021

TOI-1749: an M dwarf with a Trio of Planets including a Near-Resonant Pair

We report the discovery of one super-Earth- (TOI-1749b) and two sub-Neptune-sized planets (TOI-1749c and TOI-1749d) transiting an early M dwarf at a distance of 100~pc, which were first identified as planetary candidates using data from the TESS photometric survey. We have followed up this system from the ground by means of multiband transit photometry, adaptive-optics imaging, and low-resolution spectroscopy, from which we have validated the planetary nature of the candidates. We find that TOI-1749b, c, and d have orbital periods of 2.39, 4.49, and 9.05 days, and radii of 1.4, 2.1, and 2.5 $R_\oplus$, respectively. We also place 95\% confidence upper limits on the masses of 57, 14, and 15 $M_\oplus$ for TOI-1749b, c, and d, respectively, from transit timing variations. The periods, sizes, and tentative masses of these planets are in line with a scenario in which all three planets initially had a hydrogen envelope on top of a rocky core, and only the envelope of the innermost planet has been stripped away by photoevaporation and/or core-powered mass loss mechanisms. These planets are similar to other planetary trios found around M dwarfs, such as TOI-175b,c,d and TOI-270b,c,d, in the sense that the outer pair has a period ratio within 1\% of 2. Such a characteristic orbital configuration, in which an additional planet is located interior to a near 2:1 period-ratio pair, is relatively rare around FGK dwarfs.

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