scholarly journals A low-mass planet candidate orbiting Proxima Centauri at a distance of 1.5 AU

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. eaax7467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Damasso ◽  
Fabio Del Sordo ◽  
Guillem Anglada-Escudé ◽  
Paolo Giacobbe ◽  
Alessandro Sozzetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nearest Neighbor ◽  
Angular Separation ◽  
Activity Cycle ◽  
Terrestrial Planet ◽  
Radial Velocities ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Large Maximum ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
True Mass

Our nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, hosts a temperate terrestrial planet. We detected in radial velocities evidence of a possible second planet with minimum mass mc sin ic = 5.8 ± 1.9M⊕ and orbital period Pc=5.21−0.22+0.26 years. The analysis of photometric data and spectro-scopic activity diagnostics does not explain the signal in terms of a stellar activity cycle, but follow-up is required in the coming years for confirming its planetary origin. We show that the existence of the planet can be ascertained, and its true mass can be determined with high accuracy, by combining Gaia astrometry and radial velocities. Proxima c could become a prime target for follow-up and characterization with next-generation direct imaging instrumentation due to the large maximum angular separation of ~1 arc second from the parent star. The candidate planet represents a challenge for the models of super-Earth formation and evolution.

scholarly journals Discovery of a brown dwarf companion to the star HIP 64892

2018 ◽  
Vol 615 ◽  
pp. A160 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Cheetham ◽  
M. Bonnefoy ◽  
S. Desidera ◽  
M. Langlois ◽  
A. Vigan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Energy Distribution ◽  
Angular Separation ◽  
Dual Band ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Mass Ratio ◽  
Atmospheric Models ◽  
Brown Dwarf ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Projected Distance

We report the discovery of a bright, brown dwarf companion to the star HIP 64892, imaged with VLT/SPHERE during the SHINE exoplanet survey. The host is a B9.5V member of the Lower-Centaurus-Crux subgroup of the Scorpius Centaurus OB association. The measured angular separation of the companion (1.2705 ± 0.0023”) corresponds to a projected distance of 159 ± 12 AU. We observed the target with the dual-band imaging and long-slit spectroscopy modes of the IRDIS imager to obtain its spectral energy distribution (SED) and astrometry. In addition, we reprocessed archival NACO L-band data, from which we also recover the companion. Its SED is consistent with a young (<30 Myr), low surface gravity object with a spectral type of M9γ ± 1. From comparison with the BT-Settl atmospheric models we estimate an effective temperature of Teff = 2600 ± 100 K, and comparison of the companion photometry to the COND evolutionary models yields a mass of ~29−37 MJ at the estimated age of 16−7+15 Myr for the system. The star HIP 64892 is a rare example of an extreme-mass ratio system (q ~ 0.01) and will be useful for testing models relating to the formation and evolution of such low-mass objects.

scholarly journals A terrestrial planet in a ~1-AU orbit around one member of a ∼15-AU binary

Science ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 345 (6192) ◽  
pp. 46-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Gould ◽  
A. Udalski ◽  
I.-G. Shin ◽  
I. Porritt ◽  
J. Skowron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binary Systems ◽  
Planet Formation ◽  
Binary Star ◽  
Terrestrial Planet ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Star System ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Binary Star System

Using gravitational microlensing, we detected a cold terrestrial planet orbiting one member of a binary star system. The planet has low mass (twice Earth’s) and lies projected at ~0.8 astronomical units (AU) from its host star, about the distance between Earth and the Sun. However, the planet’s temperature is much lower, <60 Kelvin, because the host star is only 0.10 to 0.15 solar masses and therefore more than 400 times less luminous than the Sun. The host itself orbits a slightly more massive companion with projected separation of 10 to 15 AU. This detection is consistent with such systems being very common. Straightforward modification of current microlensing search strategies could increase sensitivity to planets in binary systems. With more detections, such binary-star planetary systems could constrain models of planet formation and evolution.

scholarly journals Exploring the Nu2 Lupi system with CHEOPS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laetitia Delrez ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Outer Planet ◽  
Detailed Characterization ◽  
Water Fraction ◽  
Naked Eye ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Orbital Periods ◽  
Large Water

&lt;p&gt;***Results under embargo. Paper accepted for publication at Nature Astronomy, to be published in June.***&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Multi-transiting planetary systems around bright stars offer unique windows to comparative exoplanetology. Nu2 Lupi (HD 136352) is a naked-eye (V=5.8) Sun-like star that was discovered to host three low-mass planets with orbital periods of 11.6, 27.6, and 107.6 days via radial velocity monitoring with the HARPS spectrograph. The two inner planets (b and c) were recently found to transit by the TESS mission, prompting us to follow up the system with ESA's brand-new CHaracterizing ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS). This led to the exciting discovery that the outer planet d is also transiting. With its bright Sun-like star, long period, and mild irradiation (&amp;#8764;5.7 times the irradiation of Earth), Nu2 Lupi d unlocks a completely new region in the parameter space of exoplanets amenable to detailed characterization. By combining all available space and ground-based data, we measured its radius and mass to be 2.56&amp;#177;0.09 R&lt;sub&gt;Earth&lt;/sub&gt; and 8.82&amp;#177;0.94 M&lt;sub&gt;Earth&lt;/sub&gt;, respectively, and refined the properties of all three planets: planet b likely has a rocky mostly dry composition, while planets c and d seem to have retained small hydrogen-helium envelopes and a possibly large water fraction. This diversity of planetary compositions makes the Nu2 Lupi system an excellent laboratory for testing formation and evolution models of low-mass planets.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals A precise architecture characterization of the π Mensae planetary system

2020 ◽  
Vol 642 ◽  
pp. A31 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Damasso ◽  
A. Sozzetti ◽  
C. Lovis ◽  
S. C. C. Barros ◽  
S. G. Sousa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Planetary System ◽  
Orbital Plane ◽  
Time Span ◽  
Radial Velocities ◽  
Brown Dwarf ◽  
Low Mass

Context. The bright star π Men was chosen as the first target for a radial velocity follow-up to test the performance of ESPRESSO, the new high-resolution spectrograph at the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. The star hosts a multi-planet system (a transiting 4 M⊕ planet at ~0.07 au and a sub-stellar companion on a ~2100-day eccentric orbit), which is particularly suitable for a precise multi-technique characterization. Aims. With the new ESPRESSO observations, which cover a time span of 200 days, we aim to improve the precision and accuracy of the planet parameters and search for additional low-mass companions. We also take advantage of the new photometric transits of π Men c observed by TESS over a time span that overlaps with that of the ESPRESSO follow-up campaign. Methods. We analysed the enlarged spectroscopic and photometric datasets and compared the results to those in the literature. We further characterized the system by means of absolute astrometry with HIPPARCOS and Gaia. We used the high-resolution spectra of ESPRESSO for an independent determination of the stellar fundamental parameters. Results. We present a precise characterization of the planetary system around π Men. The ESPRESSO radial velocities alone (37 nightly binned data with typical uncertainty of 10 cm s−1) allow for a precise retrieval of the Doppler signal induced by π Men c. The residuals show a root mean square of 1.2 m s−1, which is half that of the HARPS data; based on the residuals, we put limits on the presence of additional low-mass planets (e.g. we can exclude companions with a minimum mass less than ~2 M⊕ within the orbit of π Men c). We improve the ephemeris of π Men c using 18 additional TESS transits, and, in combination with the astrometric measurements, we determine the inclination of the orbital plane of π Men b with high precision (ib =45.8−1.1+1.4 deg). This leads to the precise measurement of its absolute mass mb =14.1−0.4+0.5 MJup, indicating that π Men b can be classified as a brown dwarf. Conclusions. The π Men system represents a nice example of the extreme precision radial velocities that can be obtained with ESPRESSO for bright targets. Our determination of the 3D architecture of the π Men planetary system and the high relative misalignment of the planetary orbital planes put constraints on and challenge the theories of the formation and dynamical evolution of planetary systems. The accurate measurement of the mass of π Men b contributes to make the brown dwarf desert a bit greener.

scholarly journals TOI-132 b: A short-period planet in the Neptune desert transiting a V = 11.3 G-type star★

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (1) ◽  
pp. 973-985 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matías R Díaz ◽  
James S Jenkins ◽  
Davide Gandolfi ◽  
Eric D Lopez ◽  
Maritza G Soto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Velocity Variation ◽  
Planetary Mass ◽  
Radial Velocity Variation ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
Atmospheric Mass

ABSTRACT The Neptune desert is a feature seen in the radius-period plane, whereby a notable dearth of short period, Neptune-like planets is found. Here, we report the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovery of a new short-period planet in the Neptune desert, orbiting the G-type dwarf TYC 8003-1117-1 (TOI-132). TESS photometry shows transit-like dips at the level of ∼1400 ppm occurring every ∼2.11 d. High-precision radial velocity follow-up with High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher confirmed the planetary nature of the transit signal and provided a semi-amplitude radial velocity variation of 11.38 $^{+0.84}_{-0.85}$ m s−1, which, when combined with the stellar mass of 0.97 ± 0.06 M⊙, provides a planetary mass of 22.40$^{+1.90}_{-1.92}$ M⊕. Modelling the TESS light curve returns a planet radius of 3.42$^{+0.13}_{-0.14}$ R⊕, and therefore the planet bulk density is found to be 3.08$^{+0.44}_{-0.46}$ g cm−3. Planet structure models suggest that the bulk of the planet mass is in the form of a rocky core, with an atmospheric mass fraction of 4.3$^{+1.2}_{-2.3}$ per cent. TOI-132 b is a TESS Level 1 Science Requirement candidate, and therefore priority follow-up will allow the search for additional planets in the system, whilst helping to constrain low-mass planet formation and evolution models, particularly valuable for better understanding of the Neptune desert.

scholarly journals Exoplanet mass estimation for a sample of targets for the Ariel mission

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Barnes ◽  
C. A. Haswell
Keyword(s):  
Radial Velocity ◽  
Input Parameter ◽  
Noise Sources ◽  
Time Commitment ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Fixed Input ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quadrature Sampling

AbstractAriel’s ambitious goal to survey a quarter of known exoplanets will transform our knowledge of planetary atmospheres. Masses measured directly with the radial velocity technique are essential for well determined planetary bulk properties. Radial velocity masses will provide important checks of masses derived from atmospheric fits or alternatively can be treated as a fixed input parameter to reduce possible degeneracies in atmospheric retrievals. We quantify the impact of stellar activity on planet mass recovery for the Ariel mission sample using Sun-like spot models scaled for active stars combined with other noise sources. Planets with necessarily well-determined ephemerides will be selected for characterisation with Ariel. With this prior requirement, we simulate the derived planet mass precision as a function of the number of observations for a prospective sample of Ariel targets. We find that quadrature sampling can significantly reduce the time commitment required for follow-up RVs, and is most effective when the planetary RV signature is larger than the RV noise. For a typical radial velocity instrument operating on a 4 m class telescope and achieving 1 m s−1 precision, between ~17% and ~ 37% of the time commitment is spent on the 7% of planets with mass Mp < 10 M⊕. In many low activity cases, the time required is limited by asteroseismic and photon noise. For low mass or faint systems, we can recover masses with the same precision up to ~3 times more quickly with an instrumental precision of ~10 cm s−1.

scholarly journals An unusually low density ultra-short period super-Earth and three mini-Neptunes around the old star TOI-561

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Lacedelli ◽  
L Malavolta ◽  
L Borsato ◽  
G Piotto ◽  
D Nardiello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transit Time ◽  
Time Variation ◽  
Planetary System ◽  
Radial Velocities ◽  
Low Density ◽  
Outer Planets ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Stability

Abstract Based on HARPS-N radial velocities (RVs) and TESS photometry, we present a full characterisation of the planetary system orbiting the late G dwarf After the identification of three transiting candidates by TESS, we discovered two additional external planets from RV analysis. RVs cannot confirm the outer TESS transiting candidate, which would also make the system dynamically unstable. We demonstrate that the two transits initially associated with this candidate are instead due to single transits of the two planets discovered using RVs. The four planets orbiting TOI-561 include an ultra-short period (USP) super-Earth (TOI-561 b) with period Pb = 0.45 d, mass Mb = 1.59 ± 0.36 M⊕ and radius Rb = 1.42 ± 0.07 R⊕, and three mini-Neptunes: TOI-561 c, with Pc = 10.78 d, Mc = 5.40 ± 0.98 M⊕, Rc = 2.88 ± 0.09 R⊕; TOI-561 d, with Pd = 25.6 d, Md = 11.9 ± 1.3 M⊕, Rd = 2.53 ± 0.13 R⊕; and TOI-561 e, with Pe = 77.2 d, Me = 16.0 ± 2.3 M⊕, Re = 2.67 ± 0.11 R⊕. Having a density of 3.0 ± 0.8 g cm−3, TOI-561 b is the lowest density USP planet known to date. Our N-body simulations confirm the stability of the system and predict a strong, anti-correlated, long-term transit time variation signal between planets d and e. The unusual density of the inner super-Earth and the dynamical interactions between the outer planets make TOI-561 an interesting follow-up target.

scholarly journals The McDonald Observatory search for pulsating sdA stars

2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A6 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. J. Bell ◽  
I. Pelisoli ◽  
S. O. Kepler ◽  
W. R. Brown ◽  
D. E. Winget ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
White Dwarfs ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Pulsating Stars ◽  
Blue Stragglers ◽  
Rr Lyrae ◽  
Stellar Pulsations ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
New Variables

Context. The nature of the recently identified “sdA” spectroscopic class of stars is not well understood. The thousands of known sdAs have H-dominated spectra, spectroscopic surface gravity values between main sequence stars and isolated white dwarfs, and effective temperatures below the lower limit for He-burning subdwarfs. Most are likely products of binary stellar evolution, whether extremely low-mass white dwarfs and their precursors or blue stragglers in the halo. Aims. Stellar eigenfrequencies revealed through time series photometry of pulsating stars sensitively probe stellar structural properties. The properties of pulsations exhibited by sdA stars would contribute substantially to our developing understanding of this class. Methods. We extend our photometric campaign to discover pulsating extremely low-mass white dwarfs from the McDonald Observatory to target sdA stars classified from SDSS spectra. We also obtain follow-up time series spectroscopy to search for binary signatures from four new pulsators. Results. Out of 23 sdA stars observed, we clearly detect stellar pulsations in 7. Dominant pulsation periods range from 4.6 min to 12.3 h, with most on timescales of approximately one hour. We argue specific classifications for some of the new variables, identifying both compact and likely main sequence dwarf pulsators, along with a candidate low-mass RR Lyrae star. Conclusions. With dominant pulsation periods spanning orders of magnitude, the pulsational evidence supports the emerging narrative that the sdA class consists of multiple stellar populations. Since multiple types of sdA exhibit stellar pulsations, follow-up asteroseismic analysis can be used to probe the precise evolutionary natures and stellar structures of these individual subpopulations.

scholarly journals The NIBLES bivariate luminosity–H I mass distribution function revised using Arecibo follow-up observations

2020 ◽  
Vol 642 ◽  
pp. A175
Author(s):  
Z. Butcher ◽  
W. van Driel ◽  
S. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Mass Distribution ◽  
Radio Telescope ◽  
Luminosity Function ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Dimensional Distribution ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
The One ◽  
Mass Distribution Function

We present a modified optical luminosity–H I mass bivariate luminosity function based on H I line observations from the Nançay Interstellar Baryons Legacy Extragalactic Survey (NIBLES), including data from our new, four times more sensitive follow-up H I line observations obtained with the Arecibo radio telescope. The follow-up observations were designed to probe the underlying H I mass distribution of the NIBLES galaxies that were undetected or marginally detected in H I at the Nançay Radio Telescope. Our total follow-up sample consists of 234 galaxies, and it spans the entire luminosity and color range of the parent NIBLES sample of 2600 nearby (900 <  cz <  12 000 km s−1) SDSS galaxies. We incorporated the follow-up data into the bivariate analysis by scaling the NIBLES undetected fraction by an Arecibo-only distribution. We find the resulting increase in low H I mass-to-light ratio densities to be about 10% for the bins −1.0 ≤ log(MHI/M⊙/Lr/L⊙) ≤ −0.5, which produces an increased H I mass function (HIMF) low mass slope of α = −1.14 ± 0.07, being slightly shallower than the values of −1.35 ± 0.05 obtained by recent blind H I surveys. Applying the same correction to the optically corrected bivariate luminosity function from our previous paper produces a larger density increase of about 0.5 to 1 dex in the lowest H I mass-to-light ratio bins for a given luminosity while having a minimal effect on the resulting HIMF low mass slope, which still agrees with blind survey HIMFs. This indicates that while low H I-mass-to-light ratio galaxies do not contribute much to the one-dimensional HIMF, their inclusion has a significant impact on the densities in the two-dimensional distribution.

scholarly journals Terrestrial planet formation in extra-solar planetary systems

2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (S249) ◽  
pp. 233-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean N. Raymond
Keyword(s):  
Final Stage ◽  
Planet Formation ◽  
Giant Planet ◽  
Terrestrial Planet ◽  
Circumstellar Disks ◽  
Giant Planets ◽  
Terrestrial Planets ◽  
Low Mass Stars ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Rocky Planets

AbstractTerrestrial planets form in a series of dynamical steps from the solid component of circumstellar disks. First, km-sized planetesimals form likely via a combination of sticky collisions, turbulent concentration of solids, and gravitational collapse from micron-sized dust grains in the thin disk midplane. Second, planetesimals coalesce to form Moon- to Mars-sized protoplanets, also called “planetary embryos”. Finally, full-sized terrestrial planets accrete from protoplanets and planetesimals. This final stage of accretion lasts about 10-100 Myr and is strongly affected by gravitational perturbations from any gas giant planets, which are constrained to form more quickly, during the 1-10 Myr lifetime of the gaseous component of the disk. It is during this final stage that the bulk compositions and volatile (e.g., water) contents of terrestrial planets are set, depending on their feeding zones and the amount of radial mixing that occurs. The main factors that influence terrestrial planet formation are the mass and surface density profile of the disk, and the perturbations from giant planets and binary companions if they exist. Simple accretion models predicts that low-mass stars should form small, dry planets in their habitable zones. The migration of a giant planet through a disk of rocky bodies does not completely impede terrestrial planet growth. Rather, “hot Jupiter” systems are likely to also contain exterior, very water-rich Earth-like planets, and also “hot Earths”, very close-in rocky planets. Roughly one third of the known systems of extra-solar (giant) planets could allow a terrestrial planet to form in the habitable zone.

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