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Steve Howell

Publications and source records attributed to Steve Howell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

TOI-3288 b and TOI-4666 b: two gas giants transiting low-mass stars characterised by NIRPS

Gas giant planets orbiting low-mass stars are uncommon outcomes of planet formation. Increasing the sample of well-characterised giants around early M dwarfs will enable population-level studies of their properties, offering valuable insights into their formation and evolutionary histories. We aim to characterise giant exoplanets transiting M dwarfs identified by TESS. High-resolution spectroscopic data are obtained in the optical and nIR, combining HARPS and NIRPS. We derive RVs via the cross-correlation function and implement a novel post-processing procedure to further mitigate telluric contamination in the nIR. The resulting RVs are jointly fit with TESS and ground-based photometry to derive the orbital and physical parameters of the systems. We confirm two gas giants transiting the low-mass stars TOI-3288 A (K9V) and TOI-4666 (M2.5V). TOI-3288 A hosts a Hot Jupiter with a mass of $2.11\pm0.08~M_{\rm Jup}$ and a radius of $1.00 \pm 0.03~R_{\rm Jup}$, with an orbital period of 1.43 days ($T_{\rm eq} = 1059 \pm 20~{\rm K}$). TOI-4666 hosts a $0.70_{-0.06}^{+0.05}~M_{\rm Jup}$ warm Jupiter ($T_{\rm eq} = 713 \pm 14~{\rm K}$) with a radius of $1.11 \pm 0.04~R_{\rm Jup}$, and an orbital period of 2.91 days. We identify a decrease in planetary mass with spectral type, where late M dwarfs host less massive giant planets than early M dwarfs. More massive gas giants that deviate from this trend are preferentially hosted by more metal-rich stars. Furthermore, we find an increased binarity fraction among low-mass stars hosting gas giants, which may play a role in enhancing giant planet formation around low-mass stars. The observed population trends agree with theoretical expectations, where higher metallicity can compensate for lower disk masses, and wide binary systems may influence planet formation and migration through Kozai-Lidov cycles or disk instabilities.

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An Analysis of the Radius Gap in a Sample of Kepler, K2 and TESS exoplanets orbiting M Dwarf Stars

Planetary radii are derived for 218 exoplanets orbiting 161 M dwarf stars. Stellar radii are based on an analysis of APOGEE high-resolution near-IR spectra for a subsample of the M-dwarfs; these results are used to define a stellar radius-M$_{\rm K_{\rm s}}$ calibration that is applied to the sample of M-dwarf planet hosts. The planetary radius distribution displays a gap over R$_{\rm p}$$\sim$1.6-2.0 R$_{\oplus}$, bordered by two peaks at R$_{\rm p}$$\sim$1.2-1.6 R$_{\oplus}$ (super-Earths) and 2.0-2.4 R$_{\oplus}$ (sub-Neptunes). The radius gap is nearly constant with exoplanetary orbital period (a power-law slope of m=$+0.01^{+0.03}_{-0.04}$), which is different (2-3$\sigma$) from m$\sim$$-$0.10 found previously for FGK dwarfs. This flat slope agrees with pebble accretion models, which include photoevaporation and inward orbital migration. The radius gap as a function of insolation is approximately constant over the range of S$_{\rm p}$$\sim$20-250 S$_{\oplus}$. The R$_{\rm p}$-P$_{\rm orb}$ plane exhibits a sub-Neptune desert for P$_{\rm orb}$$<$2d, that appears at S$_{\rm p}$$>$120 S$_{\oplus}$, being significantly smaller than S$_{\rm p}$$>$650 S$_{\oplus}$ found in the FGK planet-hosts, indicating that the appearance of the sub-Neptune desert is a function of host-star mass. Published masses for 51 exoplanets are combined with our radii to determine densities, which exhibit a gap at $\rho_{\rm p}$$\sim$0.9$\rho_{\oplus}$, separating rocky exoplanets from sub-Neptunes. The density distribution within the sub-Neptune family itself reveals two peaks, at $\rho_{\rm p}$$\sim$0.4$\rho_{\oplus}$ and $\sim$0.7$\rho_{\oplus}$. Comparisons to planetary models find that the low-density group are gas-rich sub-Neptunes, while the group at $<$$\rho_{\rm p}$$>$$\sim$0.7$\rho_{\oplus}$ likely consists of volatile-rich water worlds.

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The NCORES Program: Precise planetary masses, null results, and insight into the planet mass distribution near the radius gap

NCORES was a large observing program on the ESO HARPS spectrograph, dedicated to measuring the masses of Neptune-like and smaller transiting planets discovered by the TESS satellite using the radial velocity technique. This paper presents an overview of the programme, its scientific goals and published results, covering 35 planets in 18 planetary systems. We present spectrally derived stellar characterisation and mass constraints for five additional TOIs where radial velocity observations found only marginally significant signals (TOI-510.01, $M_p=1.08^{+0.58}_{-0.55}M_\oplus$), or found no signal (TOIs 271.01, 641.01, 697.01 and 745.01). A newly detected non-transiting radial velocity candidate is presented orbiting TOI-510 on a 10.0d orbit, with a minimum mass of $4.82^{+1.29}_{-1.26}M_\oplus$, although uncertainties on the system architecture and true orbital period remain. Combining the NCORES sample with archival known planets we investigate the distribution of planet masses and compositions around and below the radius gap, finding that the population of planets below the gap is consistent with a rocky composition and ranges up to a sharp cut-off at $10M_\oplus$. We compare the observed distribution to models of pebble- and planetesimal-driven formation and evolution, finding good broad agreement with both models while highlighting interesting areas of potential discrepancy. Increased numbers of precisely measured planet masses in this parameter space are required to distinguish between pebble and planetesimal accretion.

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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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Visual Orbits & Alignments of Planet Hosting Binary Systems

Roughly half of Solar-type planet hosts have stellar companions, so understanding how these binary companions affect the formation and evolution of planets is an important component to understanding planetary systems overall. Measuring the dynamical properties of planet host binaries enables a valuable test of planet formation in multi-star systems and requires knowledge of the binary orbital parameters. Using high resolution imaging, we have measured the relative astrometry and visual orbits of 13 binary systems where one of the stars is known to host a transiting exoplanet. Our results indicate that the mutual inclination between the orbits of the binary hosts and the transiting planets are well aligned. Our results for close binary systems (a<100 AU) complement past work for wide planet host binaries from Gaia.

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Two Warm Neptunes transiting HIP 9618 revealed by TESS & Cheops

HIP 9618 (HD 12572, TOI-1471, TIC 306263608) is a bright ($G=9.0$ mag) solar analogue. TESS photometry revealed the star to have two candidate planets with radii of $3.9 \pm 0.044$ $R_\oplus$ (HIP 9618 b) and $3.343 \pm 0.039$ $R_\oplus$ (HIP 9618 c). While the 20.77291 day period of HIP 9618 b was measured unambiguously, HIP 9618 c showed only two transits separated by a 680-day gap in the time series, leaving many possibilities for the period. To solve this issue, CHEOPS performed targeted photometry of period aliases to attempt to recover the true period of planet c, and successfully determined the true period to be 52.56349 d. High-resolution spectroscopy with HARPS-N, SOPHIE and CAFE revealed a mass of $10.0 \pm 3.1 M_\oplus$ for HIP 9618 b, which, according to our interior structure models, corresponds to a $6.8\pm1.4\%$ gas fraction. HIP 9618 c appears to have a lower mass than HIP 9618 b, with a 3-sigma upper limit of $< 18M_\oplus$. Follow-up and archival RV measurements also reveal a clear long-term trend which, when combined with imaging and astrometric information, reveal a low-mass companion ($0.08^{+0.12}_{-0.05} M_\odot$) orbiting at $26^{+19}_{-11}$ au. This detection makes HIP 9618 one of only five bright ($K<8$ mag) transiting multi-planet systems known to host a planet with $P>50$ d, opening the door for the atmospheric characterisation of warm ($T_{\rm eq}<750$ K) sub-Neptunes.

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Spinning up a Daze: TESS Uncovers a Hot Jupiter orbiting the Rapid-Rotator TOI-778

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, has been uncovering a growing number of exoplanets orbiting nearby, bright stars. Most exoplanets that have been discovered by TESS orbit narrow-line, slow-rotating stars, facilitating the confirmation and mass determination of these worlds. We present the discovery of a hot Jupiter orbiting a rapidly rotating ($v\sin{(i)}= 35.1\pm1.0$km/s) early F3V-dwarf, HD115447 (TOI-778). The transit signal taken from Sectors 10 and 37 of TESS's initial detection of the exoplanet is combined with follow-up ground-based photometry and velocity measurements taken from Minerva-Australis, TRES, CORALIE and CHIRON to confirm and characterise TOI-778b. A joint analysis of the light curves and the radial velocity measurements yield a mass, radius, and orbital period for TOI-778b of $2.76^{+0.24}_{-0.23}$Mjup, $1.370\pm0.043$Rjup and $\sim4.63$ days, respectively. The planet orbits a bright ($V = 9.1$mag) F3-dwarf with $M=1.40\pm0.05$Msun, $R=1.70\pm0.05$Rsun, and $\log g=4.05\pm0.17$. We observed a spectroscopic transit of TOI-778b, which allowed us to derive a sky-projected spin-orbit angle of $18^{\circ}\pm11^{\circ}$, consistent with an aligned planetary system. This discovery demonstrates the capability of smaller aperture telescopes such as Minerva-Australis to detect the radial velocity signals produced by planets orbiting broad-line, rapidly rotating stars.

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Determining Which Binary Component Hosts the TESS Transiting Planet

The NASA TESS mission has discovered many transiting planets orbiting bright nearby stars, and high-resolution imaging studies have revealed that a number of these exoplanet hosts reside in binary or multiple star systems. In such systems, transit observations alone cannot determine which star in the binary system actually hosts the orbiting planet. The knowledge of which star the planet orbits is necessary for determining accurate physical properties for the planet, especially its true radius and mean bulk density. We derived the mean stellar densities for the components of 23 binary systems using the light curve transit shape and the binary flux ratio from speckle imaging, then tested the consistency with stellar models to determine which component is the host star. We found that 70% of the TESS transiting planets in our sample orbit the primary star.

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TOI-2046b, TOI-1181b and TOI-1516b, three new hot Jupiters from \textit{TESS}: planets orbiting a young star, a subgiant and a normal star

We present the confirmation and characterization of three hot Jupiters, TOI-1181b, TOI-1516b, and TOI-2046b, discovered by the TESS space mission. The reported hot Jupiters have orbital periods between 1.4 and 2.05 days. The masses of the three planets are $1.18\pm0.14$ M$_{\mathrm{J}}$, $3.16\pm0.12$\, M$_{\mathrm{J}}$, and 2.30 $\pm 0.28$ M$_{\mathrm{J}}$, for TOI-1181b, TOI-1516b, and TOI-2046b, respectively. The stellar host of TOI-1181b is a F9IV star, whereas TOI-1516b and TOI-2046b orbit F main sequence host stars. The ages of the first two systems are in the range of 2-5 Gyrs. However, TOI-2046 is among the few youngest known planetary systems hosting a hot Jupiter, with an age estimate of 100-400 Myrs. The main instruments used for the radial velocity follow-up of these three planets are located at Ond\v{r}ejov, Tautenburg and McDonald Observatory, and all three are mounted on 2-3 meter aperture telescopes, demonstrating that mid-aperture telescope networks can play a substantial role in the follow-up of gas giants discovered by \textit{TESS} and in the future by \textit{PLATO}.

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Planet Hunters TESS IV: A massive, compact hierarchical triple star system TIC 470710327

We report the discovery and analysis of a massive, compact, hierarchical triple system (TIC 470710327) initially identified by citizen scientists in data obtained by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Spectroscopic follow-up observations obtained with the HERMES spectrograph, combined with eclipse timing variations (ETVs), confirm that the system is comprised of three OB stars, with a compact 1.10 d eclipsing binary and a non-eclipsing tertiary on a 52.04 d orbit. Dynamical modelling of the system (from radial velocity and ETVs) reveal a rare configuration wherein the tertiary star (O9.5-B0.5V; 14-17 M$_{\odot}$) is more massive than the combined mass of the inner binary (10.9-13.2 M$_{\odot}$). Given the high mass of the tertiary, we predict that this system will undergo multiple phases of mass transfer in the future, and likely end up as a double neutron star gravitational wave progenitor or an exotic Thorne-Zytkow object. Further observational characterisation of this system promises constraints on both formation scenarios of massive stars as well as their exotic evolutionary end-products.

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Spectropolarimetric follow-up of 8 rapidly rotating, X-ray bright FK Comae candidates

Our understanding of the evolved, rapidly rotating, magnetically active, and apparently single FK Comae stars is significantly hindered by their extreme rarity: only two stars in addition to FK Com itself are currently considered to be members of this class. Recently, a sample of more than 20 candidate FK Comae type stars was identified within the context of the \emph{Kepler-Swift} Active Galaxies and Stars (KSwAGS) survey. We present an analysis of high-resolution Stokes $V$ observations obtained using ESPaDOnS@CFHT for 8 of these candidates. We found that none of these targets can be considered members of the FK Comae class based primarily on their inferred rotational velocities and on the detection of spectroscopic binary companions. However, 2 targets show evidence of magnetic activity and have anomalously high projected rotational velocities ($v\sin{i}$) relative to typical values associated with stars of similar evolutionary states. EPIC 210426551 has a $v\sin{i}=209\,{\rm km\,s}^{-1}$, an estimated mass of $1.07\,M_\odot$, and, based in part on its derived metallicity of ${\rm [M/H]}=-0.4$, it is either an evolved main sequence (MS) star or a pre-MS star. KIC 7732964 has a mass of $0.84\,M_\odot$, lies near the base of the red giant branch, and exhibits a $v\sin{i}=23\,{\rm km\,s}^{-1}$. We find that these two objects have similar characteristics to FK Com (albeit less extreme) and that their rapid rotation may be inconsistent with that predicted for a single star evolutionary history. Additional observations are necessary in order to better constrain their evolutionary states and whether they have short-period binary companions.

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TESS discovery of a super-Earth and three sub-Neptunes hosted by the bright, Sun-like star HD 108236

We report the discovery and validation of four extrasolar planets hosted by the nearby, bright, Sun-like (G3V) star HD~108236 using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). We present transit photometry, reconnaissance and precise Doppler spectroscopy as well as high-resolution imaging, to validate the planetary nature of the objects transiting HD~108236, also known as the TESS Object of Interest (TOI) 1233. The innermost planet is a possibly-rocky super-Earth with a period of $3.79523_{-0.00044}^{+0.00047}$ days and has a radius of $1.586\pm0.098$ $R_\oplus$. The outer planets are sub-Neptunes, with potential gaseous envelopes, having radii of $2.068_{-0.091}^{+0.10}$ $R_\oplus$, $2.72\pm0.11$ $R_\oplus$, and $3.12_{-0.12}^{+0.13}$ $R_\oplus$ and periods of $6.20370_{-0.00052}^{+0.00064}$ days, $14.17555_{-0.0011}^{+0.00099}$ days, and $19.5917_{-0.0020}^{+0.0022}$ days, respectively. With V and K$_{\rm s}$ magnitudes of 9.2 and 7.6, respectively, the bright host star makes the transiting planets favorable targets for mass measurements and, potentially, for atmospheric characterization via transmission spectroscopy. HD~108236 is the brightest Sun-like star in the visual (V) band known to host four or more transiting exoplanets. The discovered planets span a broad range of planetary radii and equilibrium temperatures, and share a common history of insolation from a Sun-like star ($R_\star = 0.888 \pm 0.017$ R$_\odot$, $T_{\rm eff} = 5730 \pm 50$ K), making HD 108236 an exciting, opportune cosmic laboratory for testing models of planet formation and evolution.

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Short-cadence K2 observations of an accretion-state transition in the polar Tau 4

The Kepler spacecraft observed a total of only four AM Herculis cataclysmic variable stars during its lifetime. We analyze the short-cadence K2 light curve of one of those systems, Tau 4 (RX J0502.8+1624), which underwent a serendipitous jump from a low-accretion state into a high state during the final days of the observation. Apart from one brief flare, there was no evidence of accretion during the 70 d of observations of the low state. As Tau 4 transitioned into a high state, the resumption of accretion was very gradual, taking approximately six days (~90 binary orbits). We supplement Tau 4's K2 light curve with time-resolved spectroscopy obtained in both high and low states of accretion. High-excitation lines, such as He II 468.6 nm, were extraordinarily weak, even when the system was actively accreting. This strongly suggests the absence of an accretion shock, placing Tau 4 in the bombardment regime predicted for AM Herculis systems with low accretion rates. In both the high-state and low-state spectra, Zeeman absorption features from the white dwarf's photosphere are present and reveal a surface-averaged field strength of $15\pm2$ MG. Remarkably, the high-state spectra also show Zeeman-split emission lines produced in a region with a field strength of $12\pm1$ MG. Zeeman emission has not been previously reported in an AM Herculis system, and we propose that the phenomenon is caused by a temperature inversion in the WD's atmosphere near the accretion region.

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A super-Earth and sub-Neptune transiting the late-type M dwarf LP 791-18

Planets occur most frequently around cool dwarfs, but only a handful of specific examples are known to orbit the latest-type M stars. Using TESS photometry, we report the discovery of two planets transiting the low-mass star called LP 791-18 (identified by TESS as TOI 736). This star has spectral type M6V, effective temperature 2960 K, and radius 0.17 R_Sun, making it the third-coolest star known to host planets. The two planets straddle the radius gap seen for smaller exoplanets; they include a 1.1 R_Earth planet on a 0.95 day orbit and a 2.3 R_Earth planet on a 5 day orbit. Because the host star is small the loss of light during these planets' transits is fairly large (0.4% and 1.7%). This has allowed us to detect both planets' transits from ground-based photometry, refining their radii and orbital ephemerides. In the future, radial velocity observations and transmission spectroscopy can both probe these planets' bulk interior and atmospheric compositions, and additional photometric monitoring would be sensitive to even smaller transiting planets.

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The L 98-59 System: Three Transiting, Terrestrial-Sized Planets Orbiting a Nearby M-dwarf

We report the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovery of three terrestrial-sized planets transiting L 98-59 (TOI-175, TIC 307210830) -- a bright M dwarf at a distance of 10.6 pc. Using the Gaia-measured distance and broad-band photometry we find that the host star is an M3 dwarf. Combined with the TESS transits from three sectors, the corresponding stellar parameters yield planet radii ranging from 0.8REarth to 1.6REarth. All three planets have short orbital periods, ranging from 2.25 to 7.45 days with the outer pair just wide of a 2:1 period resonance. Diagnostic tests produced by the TESS Data Validation Report and the vetting package DAVE rule out common false positive sources. These analyses, along with dedicated follow-up and the multiplicity of the system, lend confidence that the observed signals are caused by planets transiting L 98-59 and are not associated with other sources in the field. The L 98-59 system is interesting for a number of reasons: the host star is bright (V = 11.7 mag, K = 7.1 mag) and the planets are prime targets for further follow-up observations including precision radial-velocity mass measurements and future transit spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope; the near resonant configuration makes the system a laboratory to study planetary system dynamical evolution; and three planets of relatively similar size in the same system present an opportunity to study terrestrial planets where other variables (age, metallicity, etc.) can be held constant. L 98-59 will be observed in 4 more TESS sectors, which will provide a wealth of information on the three currently known planets and have the potential to reveal additional planets in the system.

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44 Validated Planets from K2 Campaign 10

We present 44 validated planets from the 10$^\mathrm{th}$ observing campaign of the NASA $K2$ mission, as well as high resolution spectroscopy and speckle imaging follow-up observations. These 44 planets come from an initial set of 72 vetted candidates, which we subjected to a validation process incorporating pixel-level analyses, light curve analyses, observational constraints, and statistical false positive probabilities. Our validated planet sample has median values of $R_p$ = 2.2 $R_\oplus$, $P_\mathrm{orb}$ = 6.9 days, $T_{\mathrm{eq}}$ = 890 K, and $J$ = 11.2 mag. Of particular interest are four ultra-short period planets ($P_\mathrm{orb} \lesssim 1$ day), 16 planets smaller than 2 $R_\oplus$, and two planets with large predicted amplitude atmospheric transmission features orbiting infrared-bright stars. We also present 27 planet candidates, most of which are likely to be real and worthy of further observations. Our validated planet sample includes 24 new discoveries, and has enhanced the number of currently known super-Earths ($R_p \approx 1-2 R_\oplus$), sub-Neptunes ($R_p \approx 2-4 R_\oplus$), and sub-Saturns ($R_p \approx 4-8 R_\oplus$) orbiting bright stars ($J = 8-10$ mag) by $\sim$4%, $\sim$17%, and $\sim$11%, respectively.

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MOA-2016-BLG-227Lb: A Massive Planet Characterized by Combining Lightcurve Analysis and Keck AO Imaging

We report the discovery of a microlensing planet --- MOA-2016-BLG-227Lb --- with a large planet/host mass ratio of $q \simeq 9 \times 10^{-3}$. This event was located near the $K2$ Campaign 9 field that was observed by a large number of telescopes. As a result, the event was in the microlensing survey area of a number of these telescopes, and this enabled good coverage of the planetary light curve signal. High angular resolution adaptive optics images from the Keck telescope reveal excess flux at the position of the source above the flux of the source star, as indicated by the light curve model. This excess flux could be due to the lens star, but it could also be due to a companion to the source or lens star, or even an unrelated star. We consider all these possibilities in a Bayesian analysis in the context of a standard Galactic model. Our analysis indicates that it is unlikely that a large fraction of the excess flux comes from the lens, unless solar type stars are much more likely to host planets of this mass ratio than lower mass stars. We recommend that a method similar to the one developed in this paper be used for other events with high angular resolution follow-up observations when the follow-up observations are insufficient to measure the lens-source relative proper motion.

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V729 Sgr: A long period dwarf nova showing negative superhumps during quiescence

We report K2 observations of the eclipsing cataclysmic variable V729 Sgr which covered nearly 80 days in duration. We find five short outbursts and two long outbursts, one of which shows a clear plateau phase in the rise to maximum brightness. The mean time between successive short outbursts is ~10 d while the time between the two long outbursts is ~38 d. The frequency of these outbursts are unprecedented for a CV above the orbital period gap. We find evidence that the mid-point of the eclipse occurs systematically earlier in outburst than in quiescence. During five of the six quiescent epochs we find evidence for a second photometric period which is roughly 5 percent shorter than the 4.16 h orbital period which we attribute to negative superhumps. V729 Sgr is therefore one of the longest period CVs to show negative superhumps during quiescence.

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