arXiv subjects

Roland Vanderspek

Publications and source records attributed to Roland Vanderspek.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Surviving in the Hot Neptune Desert: The Discovery of the Ultra-Hot Neptune TOI-3261b

The recent discoveries of Neptune-sized ultra-short period planets (USPs) challenge existing planet formation theories. It is unclear whether these residents of the Hot Neptune Desert have similar origins to smaller, rocky USPs, or if this discrete population is evidence of a different formation pathway altogether. We report the discovery of TOI-3261b, an ultra-hot Neptune with an orbital period $P$ = 0.88 days. The host star is a $V = 13.2$ magnitude, slightly super-solar metallicity ([Fe/H] $\simeq$ 0.15), inactive K1.5 main sequence star at $d = 300$ pc. Using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope, we find that TOI-3261b has a radius of $3.82_{-0.35}^{+0.42}$ $R_{\oplus}$. Moreover, radial velocities from ESPRESSO and HARPS reveal a mass of $30.3_{-2.4}^{+2.2}$ $M_{\oplus}$, more than twice the median mass of Neptune-sized planets on longer orbits. We investigate multiple mechanisms of mass loss that can reproduce the current-day properties of TOI-3261b, simulating the evolution of the planet via tidal stripping and photoevaporation. Thermal evolution models suggest that TOI-3261b should retain an envelope potentially enriched with volatiles constituting $\sim$5% of its total mass. This is the second highest envelope mass fraction among ultra-hot Neptunes discovered to date, making TOI-3261b an ideal candidate for atmospheric follow-up observations.

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arXiv2024

Gamma-Ray Bursts Observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite: Prompt Optical Counterparts and Afterglows of Swift-XRT Localized GRBs

Very few detections have been made of optical flashes contemporaneous with prompt high-energy emission from a gamma-ray burst (GRB). In this work, we present and analyze light curves of GRB-associated optical flashes and afterglows from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Our sample consists of eight GRBs with arcsecond-level localizations from the X-Ray Telescope on board the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. For each burst, we characterize the prompt optical emission and any observed afterglow, and constrain physical parameters for four of these bursts using their TESS light curves. This work also presents a straightforward method to correct for TESS's cosmic ray mitigation on 20-second timescales, which allows us to estimate the "true" brightness of optical flashes associated with prompt GRB emission. We also highlight TESS's continuous wide-field monitoring capability, which provides an efficient means of identifying optical emission from GRBs and characterizing early-time afterglow light curves. Based on empirical detection rates from Swift and the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, up to 10 GRBs per year may fall within the contemporaneous TESS field of view.

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arXiv2024

Validation of a Third Planet in the LHS 1678 System

The nearby LHS 1678 (TOI-696) system contains two confirmed planets and a wide-orbit, likely-brown-dwarf companion, which orbit an M2 dwarf with a unique evolutionary history. The host star occupies a narrow "gap" in the HR diagram lower main sequence, associated with the M dwarf fully convective boundary and long-term luminosity fluctuations. This system is one of only about a dozen M dwarf multi-planet systems to date that hosts an ultra-short period planet (USP). Here we validate and characterize a third planet in the LHS 1678 system using TESS Cycle 1 and 3 data and a new ensemble of ground-based light curves. LHS 1678 d is a 0.98 +/-0.07 Earth radii planet in a 4.97-day orbit, with an insolation flux of 9.1 +0.9/-0.8 Earth insolations. These properties place it near 4:3 mean motion resonance with LHS 1678 c and in company with LHS 1678 c in the Venus zone. LHS 1678 c and d are also twins in size and predicted mass, making them a powerful duo for comparative exoplanet studies. LHS 1678 d joins its siblings as another compelling candidate for atmospheric measurements with the JWST and mass measurements using high-precision radial velocity techniques. Additionally, USP LHS 1678 b breaks the "peas-in-a-pod" trend in this system, although additional planets could fill in the "pod" beyond its orbit. LHS 1678's unique combination of system properties and their relative rarity among the ubiquity of compact multi-planet systems around M dwarfs makes the system a valuable benchmark for testing theories of planet formation and evolution.

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arXiv2024

The TESS-Keck Survey XXI: 13 New Planets and Homogeneous Properties for 21 Subgiant Systems

We present a dedicated transit and radial velocity survey of planets orbiting subgiant stars observed by the TESS Mission. Using $\sim$$16$ nights on Keck/HIRES, we confirm and characterize $12$ new transiting planets -- $\rm TOI-329\,b$, $\rm HD\,39688\,b$ ($\rm TOI-480$), $\rm TOI-603\,b$, $\rm TOI-1199\,b$, $\rm TOI-1294\,b$, $\rm TOI-1439\,b$, $\rm TOI-1605\,b$, $\rm TOI-1828\,b$, $\rm HD\,148193\,b$ ($\rm TOI-1836$), $\rm TOI-1885\,b$, $\rm HD\,83342\,b$ ($\rm TOI-1898$), $\rm TOI-2019\,b$ -- and provide updated properties for 9 previously confirmed TESS subgiant systems ($\rm TOI-197$, $\rm TOI-954$, $\rm TOI-1181$, $\rm TOI-1296$, $\rm TOI-1298$, $\rm TOI-1601$, $\rm TOI-1736$, $\rm TOI-1842$, $\rm TOI-2145$). We also report the discovery of an outer, non-transiting planet, $\rm TOI-1294\,c$ ($P=160.1\pm2.5$ days, $M_{\mathrm{p}}=148.3^{+18.2}_{-16.4} \,M_{\oplus}$), and three additional stars with long-term RV trends. We find that at least $19\pm8\%$ of subgiants in our sample of $21$ stars have outer companions, comparable to main-sequence stars. We perform a homogeneous analysis of the stars and planets in the sample, with median uncertainties of $3\%$, $8\%$ and $15\%$ for planet radii, masses and ages, doubling the number of known planets orbiting subgiant stars with bulk densities measured to better than $10\%$. We observe a dearth of giant planets around evolved stars with short orbital periods, consistent with tidal dissipation theories that predict the rapid inspiral of planets as their host stars leave the main sequence. We note the possible evidence for two distinct classes of hot Jupiter populations, indicating multiple formation channels to explain the observed distributions around evolved stars. Finally, continued RV monitoring of planets in this sample will provide a more comprehensive understanding of demographics for evolved planetary systems.

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arXiv2023

TOI-5126: A hot super-Neptune and warm Neptune pair discovered by $\textit{TESS}$ and $\textit{CHEOPS}$

We present the confirmation of a hot super-Neptune with an exterior Neptune companion orbiting a bright (V = 10.1 mag) F-dwarf identified by the $\textit{Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite}$ ($\textit{TESS}$). The two planets, observed in sectors 45, 46 and 48 of the $\textit{TESS}$ extended mission, are $4.74^{+0.16}_{-0.14}$ $R_{\oplus}$ and $3.86^{+0.17}_{-0.16}$ $R_{\oplus}$ with $5.4588385^{+0.0000070}_{-0.0000072}$ d and $17.8999^{+0.0018}_{-0.0013}$ d orbital periods, respectively. We also obtained precise space based photometric follow-up of the system with ESAs $\textit{CHaracterising ExOplanets Satellite}$ ($\textit{CHEOPS}$) to constrain the radius and ephemeris of TOI-5126 b. TOI 5126 b is located in the "hot Neptune Desert" and is an ideal candidate for follow-up transmission spectroscopy due to its high predicted equilibrium temperature ($T_{eq} = 1442^{+46}_{-40}$ K) implying a cloud-free atmosphere. TOI-5126 c is a warm Neptune ($T_{eq}= 971^{+31}_{-27}$ K) also suitable for follow-up. Tentative transit timing variations (TTVs) have also been identified in analysis, suggesting the presence of at least one additional planet, however this signal may be caused by spot-crossing events, necessitating further precise photometric follow-up to confirm these signals.

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arXiv2023

TOI-199 b: A well-characterized 100-day transiting warm giant planet with TTVs seen from Antarctica

We present the spectroscopic confirmation and precise mass measurement of the warm giant planet TOI-199 b. This planet was first identified in TESS photometry and confirmed using ground-based photometry from ASTEP in Antarctica including a full 6.5$\,$h long transit, PEST, Hazelwood, and LCO; space photometry from NEOSSat; and radial velocities (RVs) from FEROS, HARPS, CORALIE, and CHIRON. Orbiting a late G-type star, TOI-199\,b has a $\mathrm{104.854_{-0.002}^{+0.001} \, d}$ period, a mass of $\mathrm{0.17\pm0.02 \, M_J}$, and a radius of $\mathrm{0.810\pm0.005 \, R_J}$. It is the first warm exo-Saturn with a precisely determined mass and radius. The TESS and ASTEP transits show strong transit timing variations, pointing to the existence of a second planet in the system. The joint analysis of the RVs and TTVs provides a unique solution for the non-transiting companion TOI-199 c, which has a period of $\mathrm{273.69_{-0.22}^{+0.26} \, d}$ and an estimated mass of $\mathrm{0.28_{-0.01}^{+0.02} \, M_J}$. This period places it within the conservative Habitable Zone.

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arXiv2023

A massive hot Jupiter orbiting a metal-rich early-M star discovered in the TESS full frame images

Observations and statistical studies have shown that giant planets are rare around M dwarfs compared with Sun-like stars. The formation mechanism of these extreme systems remains under debate for decades. With the help of the TESS mission and ground based follow-up observations, we report the discovery of TOI-4201b, the most massive and densest hot Jupiter around an M dwarf known so far with a radius of $1.22\pm 0.04\ R_J$ and a mass of $2.48\pm0.09\ M_J$, about 5 times heavier than most other giant planets around M dwarfs. It also has the highest planet-to-star mass ratio ($q\sim 4\times 10^{-3}$) among such systems. The host star is an early-M dwarf with a mass of $0.61\pm0.02\ M_{\odot}$ and a radius of $0.63\pm0.02\ R_{\odot}$. It has significant super-solar iron abundance ([Fe/H]=$0.52\pm 0.08$ dex). However, interior structure modeling suggests that its planet TOI-4201b is metal-poor, which challenges the classical core-accretion correlation of stellar-planet metallicity, unless the planet is inflated by additional energy sources. Building on the detection of this planet, we compare the stellar metallicity distribution of four planetary groups: hot/warm Jupiters around G/M dwarfs. We find that hot/warm Jupiters show a similar metallicity dependence around G-type stars. For M dwarf host stars, the occurrence of hot Jupiters shows a much stronger correlation with iron abundance, while warm Jupiters display a weaker preference, indicating possible different formation histories.

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arXiv2023

Variability Catalog of Stars Observed During the TESS Prime Mission

During its 2-year Prime Mission, TESS observed over 232,000 stars at a 2-min cadence across ~70% of the sky. These data provide a record of photometric variability across a range of astrophysically interesting time scales, probing stellar rotation, stellar binarity, and pulsations. We have analyzed the TESS 2-min light curves to identify periodic variability on timescales 0.01-13 days, and explored the results across various stellar properties. We have identified over 46,000 periodic variables with high confidence, and another 38,000 with moderate confidence. These light curves show differences in variability type across the HR diagram, with distinct groupings of rotational, eclipsing, and pulsational variables. We also see interesting patterns across period-luminosity space, with clear correlations between period and luminosity for high-mass pulsators, evolved stars, and contact binary systems, a discontinuity corresponding to the Kraft break, and a lower occurrence of periodic variability in main-sequence stars on timescales of 1.5 to 2 days. The variable stars identified in this work are cross-identified with several other variability catalogs, from which we find good agreement between the measured periods of variability. There are ~65,000 variable stars that are newly identified in this work, which includes rotation rates of low-mass stars, high-frequency pulsation periods for high-mass stars, and a variety of giant star variability.

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arXiv2023

TOI-332 b: a super dense Neptune found deep within the Neptunian desert

To date, thousands of planets have been discovered, but there are regions of the orbital parameter space that are still bare. An example is the short period and intermediate mass/radius space known as the Neptunian desert, where planets should be easy to find but discoveries remain few. This suggests unusual formation and evolution processes are responsible for the planets residing here. We present the discovery of TOI-332 b, a planet with an ultra-short period of $0.78$ d that sits firmly within the desert. It orbits a K0 dwarf with an effective temperature of $5251 \pm 71$ K. TOI-332 b has a radius of $3.20^{+0.16}_{-0.12}$ R$_{\oplus}$, smaller than that of Neptune, but an unusually large mass of $57.2 \pm 1.6$ M$_{\oplus}$. It has one of the highest densities of any Neptune-sized planet discovered thus far at $9.6^{+1.1}_{-1.3}$ gcm$^{-3}$. A 4-layer internal structure model indicates it likely has a negligible hydrogen-helium envelope, something only found for a small handful of planets this massive, and so TOI-332 b presents an interesting challenge to planetary formation theories. We find that photoevaporation cannot account for the mass loss required to strip this planet of the Jupiter-like envelope it would have been expected to accrete. We need to look towards other scenarios, such as high-eccentricity migration, giant impacts, or gap opening in the protoplanetary disc, to try and explain this unusual discovery.

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arXiv2023

Three low-mass companions around aged stars discovered by TESS

We report the discovery of three transiting low-mass companions to aged stars: a brown dwarf (TOI-2336b) and two objects near the hydrogen burning mass limit (TOI-1608b and TOI-2521b). These three systems were first identified using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TOI-2336b has a radius of $1.05\pm 0.04\ R_J$, a mass of $69.9\pm 2.3\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 7.71 days. TOI-1608b has a radius of $1.21\pm 0.06\ R_J$, a mass of $90.7\pm 3.7\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 2.47 days. TOI-2521b has a radius of $1.01\pm 0.04\ R_J$, a mass of $77.5\pm 3.3\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 5.56 days. We found all these low-mass companions are inflated. We fitted a relation between radius, mass and incident flux using the sample of known transiting brown dwarfs and low-mass M dwarfs. We found a positive correlation between the flux and the radius for brown dwarfs and for low-mass stars that is weaker than the correlation observed for giant planets. We also found that TOI-1608 and TOI-2521 are very likely to be spin-orbit synchronized, leading to the unusually rapid rotation of the primary stars considering their evolutionary stages. Our estimates indicate that both systems have much shorter spin-orbit synchronization timescales compared to their ages. These systems provide valuable insights into the evolution of stellar systems with brown dwarf and low-mass stellar companions influenced by tidal effects.

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arXiv2023

Characterization of a set of small planets with TESS and CHEOPS and an analysis of photometric performance

The radius valley carries implications for how the atmospheres of small planets form and evolve, but this feature is visible only with highly precise characterizations of many small planets. We present the characterization of nine planets and one planet candidate with both NASA TESS and ESA CHEOPS observations, which adds to the overall population of planets bordering the radius valley. While four of our planets - TOI 118 b, TOI 455 b, TOI 560 b, and TOI 562 b - have already been published, we vet and validate transit signals as planetary using follow-up observations for five new TESS planets, including TOI 198 b, TOI 244 b, TOI 262 b, TOI 444 b, and TOI 470 b. While a three times increase in primary mirror size should mean that one CHEOPS transit yields an equivalent model uncertainty in transit depth as about nine TESS transits in the case that the star is equally as bright in both bands, we find that our CHEOPS transits typically yield uncertainties equivalent to between two and 12 TESS transits, averaging 5.9 equivalent transits. Therefore, we find that while our fits to CHEOPS transits provide overall lower uncertainties on transit depth and better precision relative to fits to TESS transits, our uncertainties for these fits do not always match expected predictions given photon-limited noise. We find no correlations between number of equivalent transits and any physical parameters, indicating that this behavior is not strictly systematic, but rather might be due to other factors such as in-transit gaps during CHEOPS visits or nonhomogeneous detrending of CHEOPS light curves.

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arXiv2023

Four years of Type Ia Supernovae Observed by TESS: Early Time Light Curve Shapes and Constraints on Companion Interaction Models

We present 307 Type Ia supernova (SN) light curves from the first four years of the TESS mission. We use this sample to characterize the shapes of the early time light curves, measure the rise times from first light to peak, and search for companion star interactions. Using simulations, we show that light curves must have noise $<$10% of the peak to avoid biases in the early time light curve shape, restricting our quantitative analysis to 74 light curves. We find that the mean power law index $t^{β_1}$ of the early time light curves is 1.93$\pm$ 0.57 and the mean rise time to peak is 15.7 $\pm$ 3.5 days. We also estimate the underlying population distribution and find a Gaussian component with mean $β_1 = 2.29$, width 0.34, and a tail extending to values less than 1.0. We use model comparison techniques to test for the presence of companion interactions. In contrast to recent results in the literature, we find that the data can rarely distinguish between models with and without companion interactions, and caution is needed when claiming detections of early time flux excesses. Nevertheless, we find three high-quality SN light curves that tentatively prefer the addition of a companion interaction model, but the statistical evidence is not robust. We also find two SNe that disfavor the addition of a companion interaction model to a curved power law model. Taking the 74 SNe together, we calculate 3$σ$ upper limits on the presence of companion signatures to control for orientation effects that can hide companions in individual light curves. Our results rule out common progenitor systems with companions having Roche lobe radii $>$ 31 R$_{\odot}$ (99.9% confidence level) and disfavor companions having Roche lobe radii $>$ 10 R$_{\odot}$ (95% confidence level). Lastly, we discuss the implications of our results for the intrinsic fraction of single degenerate progenitor systems.

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arXiv2023

Company for the ultra-high density, ultra-short period sub-Earth GJ 367 b: discovery of two additional low-mass planets at 11.5 and 34 days

GJ 367 is a bright (V $\approx$ 10.2) M1 V star that has been recently found to host a transiting ultra-short period sub-Earth on a 7.7 hr orbit. With the aim of improving the planetary mass and radius and unveiling the inner architecture of the system, we performed an intensive radial velocity follow-up campaign with the HARPS spectrograph -- collecting 371 high-precision measurements over a baseline of nearly 3 years -- and combined our Doppler measurements with new TESS observations from sectors 35 and 36. We found that GJ 367 b has a mass of $M_\mathrm{b}$ = 0.633 $\pm$ 0.050 M$_{\oplus}$ and a radius of $R_\mathrm{b}$ = 0.699 $\pm$ 0.024 R$_{\oplus}$, corresponding to precisions of 8% and 3.4%, respectively. This implies a planetary bulk density of $ρ_\mathrm{b}$ = 10.2 $\pm$ 1.3 g cm$^{-3}$, i.e., 85% higher than Earth's density. We revealed the presence of two additional non transiting low-mass companions with orbital periods of $\sim$11.5 and 34 days and minimum masses of $M_\mathrm{c}\sin{i_\mathrm{c}}$ = 4.13 $\pm$ 0.36 M$_{\oplus}$ and $M_\mathrm{d}\sin{i_\mathrm{d}}$ = 6.03 $\pm$ 0.49 M$_{\oplus}$, respectively, which lie close to the 3:1 mean motion commensurability. GJ 367 b joins the small class of high-density planets, namely the class of super-Mercuries, being the densest ultra-short period small planet known to date. Thanks to our precise mass and radius estimates, we explored the potential internal composition and structure of GJ 367 b, and found that it is expected to have an iron core with a mass fraction of 0.91$^{+0.07}_{-0.23}$. How this iron core is formed and how such a high density is reached is still not clear, and we discuss the possible pathways of formation of such a small ultra-dense planet.

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arXiv2023

TOI 4201 b and TOI 5344 b: Discovery of Two Transiting Giant Planets Around M Dwarf Stars and Revised Parameters for Three Others

We present the discovery from the TESS mission of two giant planets transiting M dwarf stars: TOI 4201 b and TOI 5344 b. We also provide precise radial velocity measurements and updated system parameters for three other M dwarfs with transiting giant planets: TOI 519, TOI 3629 and TOI 3714. We measure planetary masses of 0.525 +- 0.064 M_J, 0.243 +- 0.020 M_J, 0.689 +- 0.030 M_J, 2.57 +- 0.15 M_J, and 0.412 +- 0.040 M_J for TOI 519 b, TOI 3629 b, TOI 3714 b, TOI 4201 b, and TOI 5344 b, respectively. The corresponding stellar masses are 0.372 +- 0.018 M_s, 0.635 +- 0.032 M_s, 0.522 +- 0.028 M_s, 0.625 +- 0.033 M_s and 0.612 +- 0.034 M_s. All five hosts have super-solar metallicities, providing further support for recent findings that, like for solar-type stars, close-in giant planets are preferentially found around metal-rich M dwarf host stars. Finally, we describe a procedure for accounting for systematic errors in stellar evolution models when those models are included directly in fitting a transiting planet system.

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arXiv2023

A Transiting Super-Earth in the Radius Valley and An Outer Planet Candidate Around HD 307842

We report the confirmation of a TESS-discovered transiting super-Earth planet orbiting a mid-G star, HD 307842 (TOI-784). The planet has a period of 2.8 days, and the radial velocity (RV) measurements constrain the mass to be 9.67+0.83/-0.82 [Earth Masses]. We also report the discovery of an additional planet candidate on an outer orbit that is most likely non-transiting. The possible periods of the planet candidate are approximately 20 to 63 days, with the corresponding RV semi-amplitudes expected to range from 3.2 to 5.4 m/s and minimum masses from 12.6 to 31.1 [Earth Masses]. The radius of the transiting planet (planet b) is 1.93+0.11/-0.09 [Earth Radii], which results in a mean density of 7.4+1.4/-1.2 g/cm^3 suggesting that TOI-784b is likely to be a rocky planet though it has a comparable radius to a sub-Neptune. We found TOI-784b is located at the lower edge of the so-called ``radius valley'' in the radius vs. insolation plane, which is consistent with the photoevaporation or core-powered mass loss prediction. The TESS data did not reveal any significant transit signal of the planet candidate, and our analysis shows that the orbital inclinations of planet b and the planet candidate are 88.60+0.84/-0.86 degrees and <= 88.3-89.2 degrees, respectively. More RV observations are needed to determine the period and mass of the second object, and search for additional planets in this system.

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arXiv2023

A calibration point for stellar evolution from massive star asteroseismology

Massive stars are progenitors of supernovae, neutron stars and black holes. During the hydrogen-core burning phase their convective cores are the prime drivers of their evolution, but inferences of core masses are subject to unconstrained boundary mixing processes. Moreover, uncalibrated transport mechanisms can lead to strong envelope mixing and differential radial rotation. Ascertaining the efficiency of the transport mechanisms is challenging because of a lack of observational constraints. Here we deduce the convective core mass and robustly demonstrate non-rigid radial rotation in a supernova progenitor, the $12.0^{+1.5}_{-1.5}$ solar-mass hydrogen-burning star HD 192575, using asteroseismology, TESS photometry, high-resolution spectroscopy, and Gaia astrometry. We infer a convective core mass ($M_{\rm cc} = 2.9^{+0.5}_{-0.8}$ solar masses), and find the core to be rotating between 1.4 and 6.3 times faster than the stellar envelope depending on the location of the rotational shear layer. Our results deliver a robust inferred core mass of a massive star using asteroseismology from space-based photometry. HD 192575 is a unique anchor point for studying interior rotation and mixing processes, and thus also angular momentum transport mechanisms inside massive stars.

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arXiv2023

TOI-4010: A System of Three Large Short-Period Planets With a Massive Long-Period Companion

We report the confirmation of three exoplanets transiting TOI-4010 (TIC-352682207), a metal-rich K dwarf observed by TESS in Sectors 24, 25, 52, and 58. We confirm these planets with HARPS-N radial velocity observations and measure their masses with 8 - 12% precision. TOI-4010 b is a sub-Neptune ($P = 1.3$ days, $R_{p} = 3.02_{-0.08}^{+0.08}~R_{\oplus}$, $M_{p} = 11.00_{-1.27}^{+1.29}~M_{\oplus}$) in the hot Neptune desert, and is one of the few such planets with known companions. Meanwhile, TOI-4010 c ($P = 5.4$ days, $R_{p} = 5.93_{-0.12}^{+0.11}~R_{\oplus}$, $M_{p} = 20.31_{-2.11}^{+2.13}~M_{\oplus}$) and TOI-4010 d ($P = 14.7$ days, $R_{p} = 6.18_{-0.14}^{+0.15}~R_{\oplus}$, $M_{p} = 38.15_{-3.22}^{+3.27}~M_{\oplus}$) are similarly-sized sub-Saturns on short-period orbits. Radial velocity observations also reveal a super-Jupiter-mass companion called TOI-4010 e in a long-period, eccentric orbit ($P \sim 762$ days and $e \sim 0.26$ based on available observations). TOI-4010 is one of the few systems with multiple short-period sub-Saturns to be discovered so far.

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arXiv2023

A Mini-Neptune Orbiting the Metal-poor K Dwarf BD+29 2654

We report the discovery and Doppler mass measurement of a 7.4-day 2.3-$R_\oplus$ mini-Neptune around a metal-poor K dwarf BD+29 2654 (TOI-2018). Based on a high-resolution Keck/HIRES spectrum, the Gaia parallax, and multi-wavelength photometry from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared, we found that the host star has $T_{\text{eff}}=4174^{+34}_{-42}$ K, $\log{g}=4.62^{+0.02}_{-0.03}$, $[\text{Fe/H}]=-0.58\pm0.18$, $M_{\ast}=0.57\pm0.02~M_{\odot}$, and $R_{\ast}=0.62\pm0.01~R_{\odot}$. Precise Doppler measurements with Keck/HIRES revealed a planetary mass of $M_{\text{p}}=9.2\pm2.1~M_{\oplus}$ for TOI-2018 b. TOI-2018 b has a mass and radius that are consistent with an Earth-like core with a $\sim1\%$-by-mass hydrogen/helium envelope, or an ice-rock mixture. The mass of TOI-2018 b is close to the threshold for run-away accretion and hence giant planet formation. Such a threshold is predicted to be around 10$M_\oplus$ or lower for a low-metallicity (low-opacity) environment. If TOI-2018 b is a planetary core that failed to undergo run-away accretion, it may underline the reason why giant planets are rare around low-metallicity host stars (one possibility is their shorter disk lifetimes). With a K-band magnitude of 7.1, TOI-2018 b may be a suitable target for transmission spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope. The system is also amenable to metastable Helium observation; the detection of a Helium exosphere would help distinguish between a H/He enveloped planet and a water world.

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