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George R. Ricker

Publications and source records attributed to George R. Ricker.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Early Time Light Curves of Type Ia Supernovae Observed with TESS

We present early time light curves of Type Ia supernovae observed in the first six sectors of TESS data. Ten of these supernovae were discovered by ASAS-SN, seven by ATLAS, six by ZTF, and one by \textit{Gaia}. For nine SNe with sufficient dynamic range ($>$3.0 mag from detection to peak), we fit power law models and search for signatures of companion stars. We find a diversity of early time light curve shapes, although most of our sources are consistent with fireball models where the flux increases $\propto t^2$. Three SN display a flatter rise with flux $\propto t$. We do not find any evidence for additional structure such as multiple power law components in the early rising light curves. For assumptions about the SN properties and the observer viewing angle, and further assuming that companion stars would be in Roche-lobe overflow, we place limits on the radii of companions for six SNe with complete coverage of the early time light curves. The upper limits are $\lesssim$\,32 R$_\odot$ for these six supernovae, $\lesssim$\,20 R$_\odot$ for five of these six, and $\lesssim$\,4 R$_\odot$ for two of these six. The small sample size does not constrain occurrence rates of single degenerate Type Ia SN progenitors, but we expect that TESS observed enough SNe in its primary mission (26 sectors) to inform this measurement. We also show that TESS is capable of detecting emission from a 1 \rsun\ companion for a Type Ia SN within 50 Mpc, and may do so after about six years.

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The multi-planet system TOI-421 -- A warm Neptune and a super puffy mini-Neptune transiting a G9 V star in a visual binary

We report the discovery of a warm Neptune and a hot sub-Neptune transiting TOI-421 (BD-14 1137, TIC 94986319), a bright (V=9.9) G9 dwarf star in a visual binary system observed by the TESS space mission in Sectors 5 and 6. We performed ground-based follow-up observations -- comprised of LCOGT transit photometry, NIRC2 adaptive optics imaging, and FIES, CORALIE, HARPS, HIRES, and PFS high-precision Doppler measurements -- and confirmed the planetary nature of the 16-day transiting candidate announced by the TESS team. We discovered an additional radial velocity signal with a period of 5 days induced by the presence of a second planet in the system, which we also found to transit its host star. We found that the inner mini-Neptune, TOI-421b, has an orbital period of Pb =5.19672 +- 0.00049 days, a mass of Mb = 7.17 +- 0.66 Mearth and a radius of Rb = 2.68+0.19-0.18 Rearth, whereas the outer warm Neptune, TOI-421 c, has a period of Pc =16.06819 +- 0.00035 days, a mass of Mc = 16.42+1.06-1.04 Mearth, a radius of Rc = 5.09+0.16-0.15 Rearth and a density of rho_c =0.685+0.080-0.072 g cm-3 . With its characteristics the inner planet (rho_b=2.05+0.52-0.41 g cm-3) is placed in the intriguing class of the super-puffy mini-Neptunes. TOI-421b and TOI-421c are found to be well suitable for atmospheric characterization. Our atmospheric simulations predict significant Ly-alpha transit absorption, due to strong hydrogen escape in both planets, and the presence of detectable CH_4 in the atmosphere of TOI-421c if equilibrium chemistry is assumed.

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Vetting of 384 TESS Objects of Interest with TRICERATOPS and Statistical Validation of 12 Planet Candidates

We present TRICERATOPS, a new Bayesian tool that can be used to vet and validate TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs). We test the tool on 68 TOIs that have been previously confirmed as planets or rejected as astrophysical false positives. By looking in the false positive probability (FPP) -- nearby false positive probability (NFPP) plane, we define criteria that TOIs must meet to be classified as validated planets (FPP < 0.015 and NFPP < 10^-3), likely planets (FPP < 0.5 and NFPP < 10^-3), and likely nearby false positives (NFPP > 10^-1). We apply this procedure on 384 unclassified TOIs and statistically validate 12, classify 125 as likely planets, and classify 52 as likely nearby false positives. Of the 12 statistically validated planets, 9 are newly validated. TRICERATOPS is currently the only TESS vetting and validation tool that models transits from nearby contaminant stars in addition to the target star. We therefore encourage use of this tool to prioritize follow-up observations that confirm bona fide planets and identify false positives originating from nearby stars.

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Science Extraction from TESS Observations of Known Exoplanet Hosts

The transit method of exoplanet discovery and characterization has enabled numerous breakthroughs in exoplanetary science. These include measurements of planetary radii, mass-radius relationships, stellar obliquities, bulk density constraints on interior models, and transmission spectroscopy as a means to study planetary atmospheres. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has added to the exoplanet inventory by observing a significant fraction of the celestial sphere, including many stars already known to host exoplanets. Here we describe the science extraction from TESS observations of known exoplanet hosts during the primary mission. These include transit detection of known exoplanets, discovery of additional exoplanets, detection of phase signatures and secondary eclipses, transit ephemeris refinement, and asteroseismology as a means to improve stellar and planetary parameters. We provide the statistics of TESS known host observations during Cycle 1 & 2, and present several examples of TESS photometry for known host stars observed with a long baseline. We outline the major discoveries from observations of known hosts during the primary mission. Finally, we describe the case for further observations of known exoplanet hosts during the TESS extended mission and the expected science yield.

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The K2 and TESS Synergy. I. Updated Ephemerides and Parameters for K2-114, K2-167, K2-237, and K2-261

Although the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) primary mission observed the northern and southern ecliptic hemispheres, generally avoiding the ecliptic, and the Kepler space telescope during the K2 mission could only observe near the ecliptic, many of the K2 fields extend far enough from the ecliptic plane that sections overlap with TESS fields. Using photometric observations from both K2 and TESS, combined with archival spectroscopic observations, we globally modeled four known planetary systems discovered by K2 that were observed in the first year of the primary TESS mission. Specifically, we provide updated ephemerides and system parameters for K2-114 b, K2-167 b, K2-237 b, and K2-261 b. These were some of the first K2 planets to be observed by TESS in the first year and include three Jovian sized planets and a sub-Neptune with orbital periods less than 12 days. In each case, the updated ephemeris significantly reduces the uncertainty in prediction of future times of transit, which is valuable for planning observations with the James Webb Space Telescope and other future facilities. The TESS extended mission is expected to observe about half of the K2 fields, providing the opportunity to perform this type of analysis on a larger number of systems.

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TOI 122b and TOI 237b, two small warm planets orbiting inactive M dwarfs, found by \textit{TESS}

We report the discovery and validation of TOI 122b and TOI 237b, two warm planets transiting inactive M dwarfs observed by \textit{TESS}. Our analysis shows TOI 122b has a radius of 2.72$\pm$0.18 R$_\rm{e}$ and receives 8.8$\pm$1.0$\times$ Earth's bolometric insolation, and TOI 237b has a radius of 1.44$\pm$0.12 R$_\rm{e}$ and receives 3.7$\pm$0.5$\times$ Earth insolation, straddling the 6.7$\times$ Earth insolation that Mercury receives from the sun. This makes these two of the cooler planets yet discovered by \textit{TESS}, even on their 5.08-day and 5.43-day orbits. Together, they span the small-planet radius valley, providing useful laboratories for exploring volatile evolution around M dwarfs. Their relatively nearby distances (62.23$\pm$0.21 pc and 38.11$\pm$0.23 pc, respectively) make them potentially feasible targets for future radial velocity follow-up and atmospheric characterization, although such observations may require substantial investments of time on large telescopes.

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Spitzer Reveals Evidence of Molecular Absorption in the Atmosphere of the Hot Neptune LTT 9979b

Non-rocky sub-jovian exoplanets in high irradiation environments are rare. LTT 9979b, also known as TESS Object of Interest (TOI) 193.01, is one of the few such planets discovered to date, and the first example of an ultra-hot Neptune. The planet's bulk density indicates that it has a substantial atmosphere, so to investigate its atmospheric composition and shed further light on its origin, we obtained {\it Spitzer} IRAC secondary eclipse observations of LTT 9979b at 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m. We combined the {\it Spitzer} observations with a measurement of the secondary eclipse in the {\it TESS} bandpass. The resulting secondary eclipse spectrum strongly prefers a model that includes CO absorption over a blackbody spectrum, incidentally making LTT 9979b the first {\it TESS} exoplanet (and the first ultra-hot Neptune) with evidence of a spectral feature in its atmosphere. We did not find evidence of a thermal inversion, at odds with expectations based on the atmospheres of similarly-irradiated hot Jupiters. We also report a nominal dayside brightness temperature of 2305 $\pm$ 141 K (based on the 3.6 $μ$m secondary eclipse measurement), and we constrained the planet's orbital eccentricity to $e < 0.01$ at the 99.7 \% confidence level. Together with our analysis of LTT 9979b's thermal phase curves reported in a companion paper, our results set the stage for similar investigations of a larger sample of exoplanets discovered in the hot Neptune desert, investigations which are key to uncovering the origin of this population.

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TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets (THYME) III: a two-planet system in the 400 Myr Ursa Major Group

Exoplanets can evolve significantly between birth and maturity, as their atmospheres, orbits, and structures are shaped by their environment. Young planets ($<$1 Gyr) offer an opportunity to probe the critical early stages of this evolution, where planets evolve the fastest. However, most of the known young planets orbit prohibitively faint stars. We present the discovery of two planets transiting HD 63433 (TOI 1726, TIC 130181866), a young Sun-like ($M_*=0.99\pm0.03$) star. Through kinematics, lithium abundance, and rotation, we confirm that HD 63433 is a member of the Ursa Major moving group ($τ=414\pm23$ Myr). Based on the TESS light curve and updated stellar parameters, we estimate the planet radii are $2.15\pm0.10R_\oplus$ and $2.67\pm0.12R_\oplus$, the orbital periods are 7.11 and 20.55 days, and the orbital eccentricities are lower than about 0.2. Using HARPS-N velocities, we measure the Rossiter-McLaughlin signal of the inner planet, demonstrating that the orbit is prograde. Since the host star is bright (V=6.9), both planets are amenable to transmission spectroscopy, radial velocity measurements of their masses, and more precise determination of the stellar obliquity. This system is therefore poised to play an important role in our understanding of planetary system evolution in the first billion years after formation.

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The TESS Phase Curve of KELT-1b Suggests a High Dayside Albedo

We measured the optical phase curve of the transiting brown dwarf KELT-1b (TOI 1476, Siverd et al. 2012) using data from the TESS spacecraft. We found that KELT-1b shows significant phase variation in the TESS bandpass, with a relatively large phase amplitude of $234^{+43}_{-44}$ ppm and a secondary eclipse depth of $371^{+47}_{-49}$ ppm. We also measured a marginal eastward offset in the dayside hotspot of $18.3^\circ\pm7.4^\circ$ relative to the substellar point. We detected a strong phase curve signal attributed to ellipsoidal distortion of the host star, with an amplitude of $399\pm19$ ppm. Our results are roughly consistent with the Spitzer phase curves of KELT-1b (Beatty et al. 2019), but the TESS eclipse depth is deeper than expected. Our cloud-free 1D models of KELT-1b's dayside emission are unable to fit the full combined eclipse spectrum. Instead, the large TESS eclipse depth suggests that KELT-1b may have a significant dayside geometric albedo of $\mathrm{A}_\mathrm{g}\sim0.5$ in the TESS bandpass, which would agree with the tentative trend between equilibrium temperature and geometric albedo recently suggested by Wong et al. 2020. We posit that if KELT-1b has a high dayside albedo, it is likely due to silicate clouds (Gao et al. 2020) that form on KELT-1b's nightside (Beatty et al. 2019, Keating et al. 2019) and are subsequently transported onto the western side of KELT-1b's dayside hemisphere before breaking up.

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A Giant Planet Candidate Transiting a White Dwarf

Astronomers have discovered thousands of planets outside the solar system, most of which orbit stars that will eventually evolve into red giants and then into white dwarfs. During the red giant phase, any close-orbiting planets will be engulfed by the star, but more distant planets can survive this phase and remain in orbit around the white dwarf. Some white dwarfs show evidence for rocky material floating in their atmospheres, in warm debris disks, or orbiting very closely, which has been interpreted as the debris of rocky planets that were scattered inward and tidally disrupted. Recently, the discovery of a gaseous debris disk with a composition similar to ice giant planets demonstrated that massive planets might also find their way into tight orbits around white dwarfs, but it is unclear whether the planets can survive the journey. So far, the detection of intact planets in close orbits around white dwarfs has remained elusive. Here, we report the discovery of a giant planet candidate transiting the white dwarf WD 1856+534 (TIC 267574918) every 1.4 days. The planet candidate is roughly the same size as Jupiter and is no more than 14 times as massive (with 95% confidence). Other cases of white dwarfs with close brown dwarf or stellar companions are explained as the consequence of common-envelope evolution, wherein the original orbit is enveloped during the red-giant phase and shrinks due to friction. In this case, though, the low mass and relatively long orbital period of the planet candidate make common-envelope evolution less likely. Instead, the WD 1856+534 system seems to demonstrate that giant planets can be scattered into tight orbits without being tidally disrupted, and motivates searches for smaller transiting planets around white dwarfs.

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TOI-824 b: A New Planet on the Lower Edge of the Hot Neptune Desert

We report the detection of a transiting hot Neptune exoplanet orbiting TOI-824 (SCR J1448-5735), a nearby (d = 64 pc) K4V star, using data from the \textit{Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite} (TESS). The newly discovered planet has a radius, $R_{\rm{p}}$ = 2.93 $\pm$ 0.20 R$_{\oplus}$, and an orbital period of 1.393 days. Radial velocity measurements using the Planet Finder Spectrograph (PFS) and the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) spectrograph confirm the existence of the planet and we estimate its mass to be $M_{\rm{p}}$ = 18.47 $\pm$ 1.84 M$_{\oplus}$. The planet's mean density is $ρ_{\rm{p}}$ = 4.03$^{+0.98}_{-0.78}$ g cm$^{-3}$ making it more than twice as dense as Neptune. TOI-824 b's high equilibrium temperature makes the planet likely to have a cloud free atmosphere, and thus an excellent candidate for follow up atmospheric studies. The detectability of TOI-824 b's atmosphere from both ground and space is promising and could lead to the detailed characterization of the most irradiated, small planet at the edge of the hot Neptune desert that has retained its atmosphere to date.

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TKS III: A Stellar Obliquity Measurement of TOI-1726 c

We report the measurement of a spectroscopic transit of TOI-1726 c, one of two planets transiting a G-type star with $V$ = 6.9 in the Ursa Major Moving Group ($\sim$400 Myr). With a precise age constraint from cluster membership, TOI-1726 provides a great opportunity to test various obliquity excitation scenarios that operate on different timescales. By modeling the Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) effect, we derived a sky-projected obliquity of $-1^{+35}_{-32}~^{\circ}$. This result rules out a polar/retrograde orbit; and is consistent with an aligned orbit for planet c. Considering the previously reported, similarly prograde RM measurement of planet b and the transiting nature of both planets, TOI-1726 tentatively conforms to the overall picture that compact multi-transiting planetary systems tend to have coplanar, likely aligned orbits. TOI-1726 is also a great atmospheric target for understanding differential atmospheric loss of sub-Neptune planets (planet b 2.2 $R_\oplus$ and c 2.7 $R_\oplus$ both likely underwent photoevaporation). The coplanar geometry points to a dynamically cold history of the system that simplifies any future modeling of atmospheric escape.

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Transits of Known Planets Orbiting a Naked-Eye Star

Some of the most scientifically valuable transiting planets are those that were already known from radial velocity (RV) surveys. This is primarily because their orbits are well characterized and they preferentially orbit bright stars that are the targets of RV surveys. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite ({\it TESS}) provides an opportunity to survey most of the known exoplanet systems in a systematic fashion to detect possible transits of their planets. HD~136352 (Nu$^2$~Lupi) is a naked-eye ($V = 5.78$) G-type main-sequence star that was discovered to host three planets with orbital periods of 11.6, 27.6, and 108.1 days via RV monitoring with the HARPS spectrograph. We present the detection and characterization of transits for the two inner planets of the HD~136352 system, revealing radii of $1.482^{+0.058}_{-0.056}$~$R_\oplus$ and $2.608^{+0.078}_{-0.077}$~$R_\oplus$ for planets b and c, respectively. We combine new HARPS observations with RV data from Keck/HIRES and the AAT, along with {\it TESS} photometry from Sector 12, to perform a complete analysis of the system parameters. The combined data analysis results in extracted bulk density values of $ρ_b = 7.8^{+1.2}_{-1.1}$~gcm$^{-3}$ and $ρ_c = 3.50^{+0.41}_{-0.36}$~gcm$^{-3}$ for planets b and c, respectively, thus placing them on either side of the radius valley. The combination of the multi-transiting planet system, the bright host star, and the diversity of planetary interiors and atmospheres means this will likely become a cornerstone system for atmospheric and orbital characterization of small worlds.

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Exploring the atmospheric dynamics of the extreme ultra-hot Jupiter KELT-9b using TESS photometry

We carry out a phase-curve analysis of the KELT-9 system using photometric observations from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The measured secondary eclipse depth and peak-to-peak atmospheric brightness modulation are $650^{+14}_{-15}$ ppm and $566\pm16$ ppm, respectively. The planet's brightness variation reaches maximum $31\pm5$ minutes before the midpoint of the secondary eclipse, indicating a $5\overset{\circ}{.}2\pm0\overset{\circ}{.}9$ eastward shift in the dayside hot spot from the substellar point. We also detect stellar pulsations on KELT-9 with a period of $7.58695\pm0.00091$ hours. The dayside emission of KELT-9b in the TESS bandpass is consistent with a blackbody brightness temperature of $4600\pm100$ K. The corresponding nightside brightness temperature is $3040\pm100$ K, comparable to the dayside temperatures of the hottest known exoplanets. In addition, we detect a significant phase-curve signal at the first harmonic of the orbital frequency and a marginal signal at the second harmonic. While the amplitude of the first harmonic component is consistent with the predicted ellipsoidal distortion modulation assuming equilibrium tides, the phase of this photometric variation is shifted relative to the expectation. Placing KELT-9b in the context of other exoplanets with phase-curve observations, we find that the elevated nightside temperature and relatively low day-night temperature contrast agree with the predictions of atmospheric models that include H$_{2}$ dissociation and recombination. The nightside temperature of KELT-9b implies an atmospheric composition containing about 50% molecular and 50% atomic hydrogen at 0.1 bar, a nightside emission spectrum that deviates significantly from a blackbody, and a 0.5-2.0 $μ$m transmission spectrum that is featureless at low resolution.

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TESS Reveals a Short-period Sub-Neptune Sibling (HD 86226c) to a Known Long-period Giant Planet

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission was designed to find transiting planets around bright, nearby stars. Here we present the detection and mass measurement of a small, short-period ($\approx\,4$\,days) transiting planet around the bright ($V=7.9$), solar-type star HD 86226 (TOI-652, TIC 22221375), previously known to host a long-period ($\sim$1600 days) giant planet. HD 86226c (TOI-652.01) has a radius of $2.16\pm0.08$ $R_{\oplus}$ and a mass of 7.25$^{+1.19}_{-1.12}$ $M_{\oplus}$ based on archival and new radial velocity data. We also update the parameters of the longer-period, not-known-to-transit planet, and find it to be less eccentric and less massive than previously reported. The density of the transiting planet is $3.97$ g cm$^{-3}$, which is low enough to suggest that the planet has at least a small volatile envelope, but the mass fractions of rock, iron, and water are not well-constrained. Given the host star brightness, planet period, and location of the planet near both the ``radius gap'' and the ``hot Neptune desert'', HD 86226c is an interesting candidate for transmission spectroscopy to further refine its composition.

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A remnant planetary core in the hot-Neptune desert

The interiors of giant planets remain poorly understood. Even for the planets in the Solar System, difficulties in observation lead to large uncertainties in the properties of planetary cores. Exoplanets that have undergone rare evolutionary processes provide a route to understanding planetary interiors. Planets found in and near the typically barren hot-Neptune 'desert' (a region in mass-radius space that contains few planets) have proved to be particularly valuable in this regard. These planets include HD149026b, which is thought to have an unusually massive core, and recent discoveries such as LTT9779b and NGTS-4b, on which photoevaporation has removed a substantial part of their outer atmospheres. Here we report observations of the planet TOI-849b, which has a radius smaller than Neptune's but an anomalously large mass of $39.1^{+2.7}_{-2.6}$ Earth masses and a density of $5.2^{+0.7}_{-0.8}$ grams per cubic centimetre, similar to Earth's. Interior structure models suggest that any gaseous envelope of pure hydrogen and helium consists of no more than $3.9^{+0.8}_{-0.9}$ per cent of the total planetary mass. The planet could have been a gas giant before undergoing extreme mass loss via thermal self-disruption or giant planet collisions, or it could have avoided substantial gas accretion, perhaps through gap opening or late formation. Although photoevaporation rates cannot account for the mass loss required to reduce a Jupiter-like gas giant, they can remove a small (a few Earth masses) hydrogen and helium envelope on timescales of several billion years, implying that any remaining atmosphere on TOI-849b is likely to be enriched by water or other volatiles from the planetary interior. We conclude that TOI-849b is the remnant core of a giant planet.

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The First Habitable Zone Earth-sized Planet from TESS. I: Validation of the TOI-700 System

We present the discovery and validation of a three-planet system orbiting the nearby (31.1 pc) M2 dwarf star TOI-700 (TIC 150428135). TOI-700 lies in the TESS continuous viewing zone in the Southern Ecliptic Hemisphere; observations spanning 11 sectors reveal three planets with radii ranging from 1 R$_\oplus$ to 2.6 R$_\oplus$ and orbital periods ranging from 9.98 to 37.43 days. Ground-based follow-up combined with diagnostic vetting and validation tests enable us to rule out common astrophysical false-positive scenarios and validate the system of planets. The outermost planet, TOI-700 d, has a radius of $1.19\pm0.11$ R$_\oplus$ and resides in the conservative habitable zone of its host star, where it receives a flux from its star that is approximately 86% of the Earth's insolation. In contrast to some other low-mass stars that host Earth-sized planets in their habitable zones, TOI-700 exhibits low levels of stellar activity, presenting a valuable opportunity to study potentially-rocky planets over a wide range of conditions affecting atmospheric escape. While atmospheric characterization of TOI-700 d with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be challenging, the larger sub-Neptune, TOI-700 c (R = 2.63 R$_\oplus$), will be an excellent target for JWST and beyond. TESS is scheduled to return to the Southern Hemisphere and observe TOI-700 for an additional 11 sectors in its extended mission, which should provide further constraints on the known planet parameters and searches for additional planets and transit timing variations in the system.

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TOI 694 b and TIC 220568520 b: Two Low-Mass Companions Near the Hydrogen Burning Mass Limit Orbiting Sun-like Stars

We report the discovery of TOI 694 b and TIC 220568520 b, two low-mass stellar companions in eccentric orbits around metal-rich Sun-like stars, first detected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TOI 694 b has an orbital period of 48.05131$\pm$0.00019 days and eccentricity of 0.51946$\pm$0.00081, and we derive a mass of 89.0$\pm$5.3 $M_J$ (0.0849$\pm$0.0051 $M_\odot$) and radius of 1.111$\pm$0.017 $R_J$ (0.1142$\pm$0.0017 $R_\odot$). TIC 220568520 b has an orbital period of 18.55769$\pm$0.00039 days and eccentricity of 0.0964$\pm$0.0032, and we derive a mass of 107.2$\pm$5.2 $M_J$ (0.1023$\pm$0.0050 $M_\odot$) and radius of 1.248$\pm$0.018 $R_J$ (0.1282$\pm$0.0019 $R_\odot$). Both binary companions lie close to and above the Hydrogen burning mass threshold that separates brown dwarfs and the lowest mass stars, with TOI 694 b being 2-$σ$ above the canonical mass threshold of 0.075 $M_\odot$. The relatively long periods of the systems mean that the magnetic fields of the low-mass companions are not expected to inhibit convection and inflate the radius, which according to one leading theory is common in similar objects residing in short-period tidally-synchronized binary systems. Indeed we do not find radius inflation for these two objects when compared to theoretical isochrones. These two new objects add to the short but growing list of low-mass stars with well-measured masses and radii, and highlight the potential of the TESS mission for detecting such rare objects orbiting bright stars.

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