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Karen A. Collins

Publications and source records attributed to Karen A. Collins.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Discovery and Characterization of the TOI-4468 Planetary System: A Transiting Hot Jupiter With a Lone Nearby Outer Companion

We report the discovery of two planets, a hot Jupiter and a nearby outer sub-Neptune, orbiting the star TOI-4468. This system is unique among the current exoplanet census in that it features a close outer companion to a hot Jupiter without an accompanying inner companion. By jointly fitting radial velocity measurements taken with the NEID spectrograph and transit photometry from TESS and several ground-based observatories, we constrain the orbital periods, masses, and radii of these two planets. We confirm the planetary nature of the hot Jupiter TOI-4468 b ($R = 1.01 R_J$, $m = 0.54 M_J$, $P = 2.77$ days). We also validate the outer planet TOI-4468 c ($R = 0.28 R_J$, $P = 7.01$ days) statistically, incorporating constraints from ground-based observations. We also identify, but cannot confirm, an additional radial velocity signal which may be due to an outer giant in this system with an orbital period of 624 days. From the observed geometry of this system, we argue that it must never have encountered an early secular resonance that is thought to excite the mutual inclination of other hot Jupiter/outer companion systems. We discuss the possibility of an undetected inner companion, as well as potential implications for hot Jupiter formation.

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arXiv2026

A Pair of Warm Saturn-mass Planets near the 2:1 Mean Motion Resonance around TOI-3850

Warm Jupiters, with orbital periods of $10$--$200~\rm{days}$ and radii exceeding $8~R_{\oplus}$, are a relatively understudied class of exoplanets occupying the parameter space between hot Jupiters and more widely separated, colder Jupiter analogs. In this work, we report the detection of a multi-planet warm Jupiter system around TOI-3850 (TIC-143008050), a moderately active, near-solar metallicity G0 dwarf star observed by TESS in Sectors 15, 21, 41, 48 and 75. Initially, a single candidate planet was discovered by TESS, displaying transit timing variations (TTVs) with an amplitude of $\sim 1~\rm hr$ and a super-period of $513~\rm days$. Through a combination of transit photometry, radial velocity observations with MAROON-X, and TTV modeling, we identify two planets: TOI-3850 b $(P_b=14.484\pm0.002~\mathrm{days},~ M_b =112\pm20~M_{\oplus},~e_b = 0.018\pm0.008, R_b = 12.07\pm0.09~R_{\oplus}, ~T_{\rm{eq}}=841\pm10~\rm{K})$, a transiting warm Jupiter, and TOI-3850 c $(P_c=29.85\pm0.01~\mathrm{days},~ M_c =90\pm15~M_{\oplus},~e_c < 0.015, ~T_{\rm{eq}}=661\pm7~\rm{K})$, a non-transiting, Saturn-mass companion. The two planets lie wide of the 2:1 mean motion resonance $(P_c/P_b \approx 2.06)$, consistent with a formation history involving disk-driven migration. $N$-body integrations indicate that TOI-3850 c may begin to transit on decadal timescales, while TOI-3850 b remains a promising target for follow-up atmospheric characterization.

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arXiv2026

TOI-2147 b and TOI-6019 b: Two eccentric warm Jupiters detected and characterized with TESS and MaHPS

The population of Jupiter-sized exoplanets with orbital periods between 10 and 200 days (WJs) exhibits a broad range of orbital eccentricities and system architectures, suggesting a diversity of formation and migration pathways. In this work, we report the detection and characterization of two new eccentric WJs, TOI-2147 b and TOI-6019 b, initially identified as planet candidates by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We combined TESS photometry with ground-based follow-up observations, including multiband photometry from LCOGT and MuSCAT2, high-angular-resolution speckle imaging, and high-precision radial velocity measurements from the high-resolution Manfred Hirt Planet Finder Spectrograph (MaHPS). Using these data, we were able to confirm the planetary nature of both candidates. TOI-2147 b has a radius of $10.5 \pm 0.3\,\mathrm{R}_\oplus$ and a mass of $116 \pm 22\,\mathrm{M}_\oplus$. It orbits its slightly metal-poor ($\mathrm{[Fe/H]} = -0.29^{+0.07}_{-0.08}$) G-type host star on an eccentric orbit ($e = 0.29 \pm 0.07$) with a period of 26.2 days. TOI-6019 b has a radius of $12.3 \pm 0.3\,\mathrm{R}_\oplus$ and a mass of $149 \pm 15\,\mathrm{M}_\oplus$. It orbits a slightly evolved, solar-metallicity G-type sub-giant with a period of 14.5 days on a significantly eccentric orbit ($e = 0.48^{+0.05}_{-0.04}$). Both planets have bulk densities below that of Jupiter, indicating mildly inflated radii, with interior structure modeling using GASTLI. This suggests that tidal heating from the nonzero eccentricities likely contributes to this inflation and disfavors large atmospheric metal enrichment. No significant signals from additional companions were detected in the radial velocity time series or transit timing variations. Together with the elevated eccentricities, this is consistent with a high-eccentricity migration origin for both systems.

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arXiv2026

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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arXiv2026

The Occurrence Rate of Nearby Planetary Companions to Hot Jupiters

Of the > 500 confirmed transiting hot jupiters and approximately 2000 additional candidates today, only ten are known to have nearby companion planets. The survival of nearby companions means that these hot jupiters cannot have migrated to their present location via dynamically disruptive high-eccentricity migration but instead have undergone disk migration or formed in situ. The occurrence rate for these nearby companions, therefore, constrains the relative efficiency of different hot jupiter formation pathways. Here, we perform a uniform box least-squares search for nearby transiting companions to hot jupiters in the first five years of TESS data. Accounting for observational completeness and detection efficiency, we arrive at an occurrence rate of $(7.6^{+5.5}_{-3.8})\%$, which is a lower limit on the fraction of hot jupiters that underwent disk migration or in situ formation. Comparing this rate with that derived from transit-timing variation searches suggests that hot jupiters are likely mostly aligned with their nearby companions, but their apparently higher incidence of grazing transits may point to a slight preferential misalignment. We also synthesize evidence that hot jupiters with nearby companions may have cold companions at a rate similar to that of other hot jupiters. Comprehensive transit, radial velocity, and stellar obliquity measurements in hot jupiter systems with nearby companions will be necessary to fully account for the relative prevalence of proposed hot jupiter formation pathways.

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arXiv2026

Stellar Multiplicity of M Dwarfs with Short-period Giant Planets, and the Characterization of TOI-5628Ab

Binary stars are ubiquitous, yet it remains unclear how wide-orbit stellar companions influence the formation of hot Jupiters, particularly around M dwarfs. Here, we first report the discovery of TOI-5628Ab, a giant planet transiting a mid-type M dwarf ($M_\ast=0.36\pm0.02\ M_\odot$) every 4.34 days, accompanied by an associated white dwarf TOI-5628B ($M_{\rm WD}=0.59\pm0.16\ M_\odot$) at a projected distance of about 2,500 AU. Using TESS, ground-based photometry and SPIRou RVs, we constrain the planet radius to $0.74\pm0.04\ R_J$ and mass to $0.09\pm0.04\ M_J$, with a $3σ$ upper limit of $0.22\ M_J$. Building on this system, we further conduct a homogeneous systematic search for co-moving stellar companions with projected semi-major axis between 100 and 10,000 AU around all M dwarfs with confirmed giant planets with periods smaller than 10 days and radii larger than 0.7 $R_J$, as well as a group of field M stars with stellar properties similar to the planet sample, based on the stellar kinematics from Gaia DR3. We measure a stellar multiplicity of $34.2\pm9.5\%$ for M dwarfs hosting short-period giant planets, which is substantially higher than the fraction of $5.3\pm3.7\%$ for the field M stars by approximately a factor of 6. Our results suggest that wide-orbit stellar companions tend to promote the formation of short-period giant planets around M stars with masses $0.21 \leq M_\ast\leq 0.64\ M_\odot$, and high-eccentricity migration may play an important role in producing such systems.

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arXiv2026

NGTS-39 b: A 58 d transiting warm Jupiter in an eccentric orbit

We report the discovery and characterisation of NGTS-39 b (TIC 453147896 b), a warm Jupiter transiting a Sun-like star on a 58.2 day, eccentric (e = 0.386 +/- 0.019) orbit. NGTS-39 b was first identified from a TESS single-transit event, and subsequently confirmed with NGTS photometry and radial-velocity measurements from CORALIE and HARPS. The host star is a bright (Tmag = 11.02) F9 dwarf with an effective temperature of Teff = 6053 +67/-30 K. NGTS-39 b is a Jupiter-sized gas giant with a radius of 1.088 +/- 0.012 RJ and a mass of 1.467 +/- 0.081 MJ. Its equilibrium temperature is 519 +6/-5 K, placing it between short-period hot Jupiters and cold, Jupiter-like giants. The high orbital eccentricity and intermediate equilibrium temperature of NGTS-39 b make it a valuable test case for formation and migration models, particularly in the poorly sampled regime of long-period gas giants. The RV data show a linear trend of gamma dot = -17.75 m s^-1 yr^-1, which indicates the presence of an outer companion. The discovery of NGTS-39 b contributes to the small but growing population of transiting warm Jupiters with P > 50 days orbiting bright stars.

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arXiv2026

ASTEP confirmation of a pair of long-period Jupiter-sized planets with extremely low densities transiting TOI-791

Gas giant planets with periods $20~<~P~<~300~\rm days$ orbiting Sun-like stars are a relatively uncommon outcome of planetary formation, and key questions about the nature and formation of this sub-population remain unanswered. Theoretical models for the location of their formation (in- or ex-situ) and for their subsequent migration predict different outcomes in terms of planet masses and eccentricities, indicating that observations have a key role to play in disentangling their histories. In this work we present the discovery and confirmation of a pair of long-period Jupiter-sized planets transiting an F7 star: TOI-791 b is a $0.993\pm0.033\rm~R_{Jup}$ planet on a $139.29931_{-0.00012}^{+0.00011}~\rm day$ orbit, and TOI-791 c, a $1.155\pm0.040\rm ~R_{Jup}$ planet on a $232.01570_{-0.00071}^{+0.00067}~\rm day$ orbit. The two planets are within 0.07% of a second-order 5:3 period commensurability leading to transit timing variations (TTVs) of up to 50 minutes. We confirm their planetary nature using ground-based photometry, including multiple full detections of the $>11~\rm hr$ transits of both TOI-791 b and c from Antarctica with ASTEP, making these the longest-duration transits ever observed in their entirety from the ground. Our detailed analysis of the TTV signal allows us to measure dynamical masses for both planets, which yield densities of $ρ_{\rm b}=0.038\pm0.008 \rm ~g~cm^{-3}$ and $ρ_{\rm c}=0.047\pm0.006 \rm ~g~cm^{-3}$, indicating that TOI-791~b and c are two of the lowest density giant planets ever detected. While these measurements are robust, further follow-up is needed to fully characterise the TTV signal and the architecture of the system.

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arXiv2026

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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arXiv2026

Observing a 542-day transiting giant with large TTVs: The 2025 transit of HIP 41378 f and new constraints on the outer system

Characterizing long-period transiting exoplanets is inherently challenging due to the rarity and long duration of transit events. Yet, these systems provide unique insights into planetary formation, migration, the detection of exomoons, and primordial atmospheres by occupying a sparsely populated region of the exoplanet parameter space. The complexity increases further for long-period planets near mean-motion resonances, where transit timing variations (TTVs) can reach amplitudes of several hours to days. We present a coordinated space- and ground-based observing campaign, using photometry from NEOSSat, multiple LCOGT sites, MuSCAT, MuSCAT3, Tierras and NGTS, to capture the 19-hour transit of the long-period giant exoplanet HIP 41378 f ($P$ = 542 d, $R$ = 9.5 $R_{\oplus}$) on 31 October 2025. Our transit analysis constrains the time of inferior conjunction to $T_{\mathrm{C}} = 2460980.888 \pm 0.029~\mathrm{BJD_{TDB}}$, occurring $\sim 7$ hours earlier than predicted from its linear ephemeris. This significant offset is consistent with the previously reported TTVs of HIP 41378 f, making it the longest-period exoplanet known to exhibit measurable TTVs. By combining this new precise measurement to the transit timings of the two outer planets in the system (HIP 41378 d and HIP 41378 e), we perform a dynamical modeling of the system, using the N-body integrator TRADES, refine the ephemeris of HIP 41378 f, and predict future transit events for all three outer transiting planets.

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arXiv2026

TOI-7169 b: A Hot Jupiter Transiting a Metal-Poor Star

Most known planets are found around metal-rich host stars, which has made it difficult to determine whether a lower metallicity limit for planet formation exists and how the properties of planets born in low-metallicity environments may differ from those with metal-rich origins. We present the discovery and characterization of TOI-7169 b (TIC 372048733 b), a hot Jupiter that is orbiting a spectroscopically-confirmed metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -0.72 +/- 0.05) host star. Based on photometry from TESS and follow-up ground-based imaging, we measure an orbital period of 3.4373125 d and a planetary radius of 1.475 +/- 0.029 R_Jup. We use TRES spectroscopy to determine a mass for TOI-7169 b of 0.41 +/- 0.14 M_Jup. The planet is therefore inflated, with a low density of 0.159 +0.055/-0.054 g/cm^3. We also characterize the host star, showing that TOI-7169 is ancient (12.3 +/- 0.6 Gyr) and alpha-enhanced ([alpha/Fe] ~ 0.3), but with a Galactocentric orbit that is confined to the thin disk. TOI-7169 is perhaps the oldest and most metal-poor star currently known to host a transiting giant planet. Future transmission spectroscopy probing the atmosphere of TOI-7169 b may provide insight into the effect of metallicity on the physical properties of giant planets.

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arXiv2026

Revisiting the Exo-Mercury Candidate GJ 367 b with ESPRESSO and a Self-Consistent Tidal Distortion Model

We report revised mass and radius measurements for GJ 367 b, an ultra-short-period (7.7 hr) sub-Earth in a multi-planet system orbiting a nearby (~9 pc) M dwarf host. Previous mass and radius measurements have suggested GJ 367 b has an anomalously high bulk density, close to that of solid iron. The existence of such an iron-rich planet is in tension with established planet formation scenarios. We utilized newly available TESS short-cadence photometry to constrain the radius of GJ 367 b to 0.736 +/- 0.035 R_Earth. We consider observational and modeling effects such as photometric dilution, stellar activity, and tidal distortion to account for possible inaccuracies in the star and planet radius measurements. From our radial velocity (RV) analysis using VLT/ESPRESSO data covering nearly the full orbit in a single night, we find a mass of 0.503 +/- 0.078 M_Earth, corresponding to a bulk density of 6.9 +1.6/-1.4 g cm-1. We present a new tidal distortion and interior composition modeling framework to assess the iron mass fraction of GJ 367 b. Considering several different interior composition assumptions and radial aspect ratios, we find an iron fraction of ~50-70%, which is broadly consistent with that of Mercury and not as iron rich as previously suggested.

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arXiv2026

Stellar Obliquities of Young Systems, Atmospheres Undergoing Contraction and Escape (SOYSAUCE) II: a 135 Myr planet on an aligned orbit with transit timing variations

Young planets (<1 Gyr) provide opportunities to directly probe planet formation and evolution processes in action. However, due to heightened stellar activity, there is a lack of known transiting planets in adolescence (~100-500 Myr). Here we present the validation of TIC 150070085 b, a 3.6 R_E planet on a 10.47 day orbit, and report the candidate TIC 150070085 c, a 3.0 R_E planet on a 15.90 day orbit. While we are unable to validate the second signal, the proximity to mean motion resonance (3:2) and transit timing variations observed in the transits of TIC 150070085 b strongly suggest the signal is planetary. We confirm the host star as a member of Alessi 84 and combine the group's CMD, rotation, and variability properties to update the age to 135 +/- 10 Myr. We additionally use MAROON-X to observe the Rossiter-McLaughlin signal of TIC 150070085 b and measure the sky projected obliquity angle ($λ$). We find TIC 150070085 b is consistent with a near-aligned orbit with its host star (|$λ$| = 18 +/- 12$^\circ$), in line with similarly aged transiting planets with measured $λ$ values. Continued discovery and characterization of planets in this age regime are vital to link planetary infancy (<50 Myr) and maturity (>1 Gyr).

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arXiv2026

TIC-65910228 b / NGTS-38 b, a 180 day transiting warm super-Jupiter

We present the discovery of TIC-65910228 b / NGTS-38 b, a giant exoplanet with a radius of $1.081\pm0.047$ R$_\text{J}$ and a mass of $4.78_{-0.37}^{+0.39}$ M$_\text{J}$ on a long-period ($180.52797\pm0.00036$ day), moderately eccentric ($e=0.3086\pm0.010$) orbit transiting a bright (V=$10.230\pm0.020$ mag) metal rich ([Fe/H]=$0.33\pm0.09$, 'dex') F6V-F7V type host star. The planet was initially detected from a single transit in TESS Sector 33. A photometric monitoring campaign of 228 nights with NGTS detected a transit egress of the planet, which together with spectroscopic radial velocity monitoring with CORALIE and HARPS identified an orbital period of ~180.5,d. These radial velocity measurements also showed the mass of the companion to be planetary. Additional transit observations coordinated by the TESS follow-up observing program allowed further confirmation and refinement of this period. With its relatively cool equilibrium temperature of $457\pm11$ K, NGTS-38 b joins a small but growing population of well characterised transiting warm-Jupiters and has one of the longest periods of any discovered to date. The target is situated in the LOPS2 field of the upcoming PLATO mission which will allow for greater refinement of the system parameters and potential for the discovery of additional companions too small and/or too long-period to be seen by TESS or NGTS. NGTS-38 b's bright host star and wide orbital separation make it an attractive target for further study, including potential measurement of its spin-orbit alignment or targeted exomoon/ring searches.

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arXiv2026

TOI-2155 b: A Massive Brown Dwarf or a Very Low-Mass Star?

We present TOI-2155\,b, a massive transiting companion, discovered using data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission and confirmed with ground-based RV measurements from the Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph (TRES). We also analyze ground-based follow-up photometric data from the Wendelstein Observatory (WST), Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT), and Wild Boar Remote Observatory (WBR). TOI-2155\,b is a short-period companion with {$P= 3.7246950 \pm{0.0000014}$}~days. The radius and mass of TOI-2155\,b are found to be $R_b = 0.972^{+0.009}_{-0.008} \,\mathrm{R_J}$ and $M_b = 80.6^{+1.0}_{-1.1} \,\mathrm{M_J}$, respectively, corresponding to a density of {$ρ_b= 109^{+3.1}_{-3.3}$ g cm$^{-3}$}. The F-type subgiant host star has an effective temperature of $T_{\rm eff} = 6085\pm 78$ K, a radius $R_{\thinstar} = 1.705^{+0.066}_{-0.064}$ $\mathrm{R_\odot}$ and a mass $M_\star = 1.33 \pm 0.008$~M$_\odot$. With a mass close to the hydrogen-burning minimum mass, TOI-2155\,b lies at the boundary between brown dwarfs and low-mass stars. Its measured mass, radius, and density place it in a transitional region, where distinguishing between a massive brown dwarf and a very low-mass star is not straightforward. TOI-2155\,b therefore provides a valuable benchmark for testing evolutionary models of stellar and substellar structure near the hydrogen-burning limit.

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arXiv2026

High five from ASTEP: Three validated planets and two eclipsing binaries in a diverse set of long-period candidates

We present the analysis of five long-period TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), all orbiting Sun-like stars, with orbital periods exceeding one month. Initially identified by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), we extensively monitored these targets with the Antarctic Search for Transiting Exoplanets (ASTEP), supported by other facilities in the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP) network. These targets occupy a relatively underexplored region of the period-radius parameter space, offering valuable primordial probes for planetary formation and migration as warm planets better maintain their evolutionary fingerprints. To characterise these systems, we leveraged high-resolution speckle imaging to search for nearby stellar companions, and refine stellar parameters using both reconnaissance spectroscopy and spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. We combined TESS photometry with high-precision ground-based observations from ASTEP, and when available, included additional photometry and radial velocity data. We applied statistical validation to assess the planetary nature of each candidate and used Allesfitter to jointly model the photometric and spectroscopic datasets. We validate the planetary nature of three TOIs, including the two warm Saturns TOI-4507b (8.2 Earth radii, 104d) and TOI-3457b (10.0 Earth radii, 32.6d), as well as the warm sub-Neptune TOI-707b (2.4 Earth radii, 52.8d). The remaining two candidates are most consistent with eclipsing binaries, namely TOI-2404 and TOI-4404. These results help populate the sparse regime of warm planets, which serve as key tracers of planetary evolution, and demonstrate ASTEP's effectiveness as a ground-based follow-up instrument for long-period systems.

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arXiv2026

RV and TTV Measurements of Two Transiting Long-Period Giants around TOI-4600

TOI-4600b and c, originally identified by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and reported by I. Mireles et al. (2023), are a rare pair of transiting long-period giant planets ($\rm P_b=82.7$ days, $\rm P_c=482.8$ days) orbiting an early K dwarf. In this work, we refine the orbital parameters of the TOI-4600 system by combining new TESS photometry, ground-based transit follow-up, and radial velocity (RV) observations from MAROON-X. We obtain improved constraints on planetary masses and eccentricities, and update other parameters, such as the stellar age. For TOI-4600b, we measure a mass of $M_p = 74.7^{+4.7}_{-4.4}\,M_{\oplus}$ and an eccentricity of $e=0.153^{+0.020}_{-0.018}$, and $M_p = 212.53^{+13.26}_{-13.03}\,M_{\oplus}$ and $e=0.219^{+0.015}_{-0.018}$ for TOI-4600c. We find significant transit timing variations (TTV) in both planets, with semi-amplitudes of approximately $1$\,hr. We derive Transit Spectroscopy Metric values of 16.87 for TOI-4600b and 10.09 for TOI-4600c, indicating that both planets are promising JWST targets for studying the atmospheres of temperate and cold Jupiters, a relatively poorly characterized sample thus far. These updated parameters and TTV ephemerides are important for planning and interpreting future photometric, spectroscopic, and dynamical studies of the TOI-4600 system.

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arXiv2026

Uncovering the Rapidly Evolving Orbits of the Dynamic TOI-201 System

Studying planetary interactions in exoplanet systems informs theories of planet formation and evolution, providing essential context for understanding our own solar system. We combine spectroscopy, transit photometry, transit timing variations, and astrometry to characterize the TOI-201 system. The co-transiting system consists of a super-Earth, warm Jupiter, and massive companion at 5.8, 53, and 2900 day orbital periods, respectively. We perform dynamical simulations to study the past and future of the system. von-Zeipel-Kozai-Lidov oscillations emerge as the most plausible scenario to explain the outer companion's high orbital eccentricity, with planet-planet scattering a possible but less likely contender. Due to non-zero mutual inclinations between the planets, the system is visibly evolving on very short timescales, with the current co-transiting configuration ending in 200 years.

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