We report the discovery of a repeating photometric signal from a low-mass member of the Praesepe open cluster that we interpret as a Neptune-sized transiting planet. The star is JS 183 (HSHJ 163, ...EPIC 211916756), with Teff = 3325 100 K, M* = 0.44 0.04 M , R* = 0.44 0.03 R , and . The planet has an orbital period of 10.134588 days and a radius of RP = 0.32 0.02 RJ. Since the star is faint at V = 16.5 and J = 13.3, we are unable to obtain a measured radial velocity orbit, but we can constrain the companion mass to below about 1.7 MJ, and thus well below the planetary boundary. JS 183b (since designated as K2-95b) is the second transiting planet found with K2 that resides in a several-hundred-megayear open cluster; both planets orbit mid-M dwarf stars and are approximately Neptune sized. With a well-determined stellar density from the planetary transit, and with an independently known metallicity from its cluster membership, JS 183 provides a particularly valuable test of stellar models at the fully convective boundary. We find that JS 183 is the lowest-density transit host known at the fully convective boundary, and that its very low density is consistent with current models of stars just above the fully convective boundary but in tension with the models just below the fully convective boundary.
Abstract
Moons orbiting exoplanets (“exomoons”) may hold clues about planet formation, migration, and habitability. In this work, we investigate the plausibility of exomoons orbiting the temperate (
...T
eq
= 294 K) giant (
R
= 9.2
R
⊕
) planet HIP 41378 f, which has been shown to have a low apparent bulk density of 0.09 g cm
−3
and a flat near-infrared transmission spectrum, hinting that it may possess circumplanetary rings. Given this planet’s long orbital period (
P
≈ 1.5 yr), it has been suggested that it may also host a large exomoon. Here, we analyze the orbital stability of a hypothetical exomoon with a satellite-to-planet mass ratio of 0.0123 orbiting HIP 41378 f. Combining a new software package,
astroQTpy
, with
REBOUND
and
EqTide
, we conduct a series of
N
-body and tidal migration simulations, demonstrating that satellites up to this size are largely stable against dynamical escape and collisions. We simulate the expected transit signal from this hypothetical exomoon and show that current transit observations likely cannot constrain the presence of exomoons orbiting HIP 41378 f, though future observations may be capable of detecting exomoons in other systems. Finally, we model the combined transmission spectrum of HIP 41378 f and a hypothetical moon with a low-metallicity atmosphere and show that the total effective spectrum would be contaminated at the ∼10 ppm level. Our work not only demonstrates the feasibility of exomoons orbiting HIP 41378 f but also shows that large exomoons may be a source of uncertainty in future high-precision measurements of exoplanet systems.
Context. Using the Hamilton Échelle Spectrograph at Lick Observatory, we have obtained precise radial velocities (RVs) of a sample of 373 G- and K-giant stars over more than 12 yr, leading to the ...discovery of several single and multiple planetary systems. The RVs of the long-period (~53 yr) spectroscopic binary ε Cyg (HIP 102488) are found to exhibit additional regular variations with a much shorter period (~291 days). Aims. We intend to improve the orbital solution of the ε Cyg system and attempt to identify the cause of the nearly periodic shorter period variations, which might be due to an additional substellar companion. Methods. We used precise RV measurements of the K-giant star ε Cyg from Lick Observatory, in combination with a large set of RVs collected more recently with the SONG telescope, as well as archival data sets. We fit Keplerian and fully dynamical N-body models to the RVs in order to explore the properties of a previously known spectroscopic stellar companion and to investigate whether there is an additional planetary companion in the system. To search for long-term stable regions in the parameter space around the orbit of this putative planet, we ran a stability analysis using an N-body code. Furthermore, we explored the possibility of co-orbital bodies to the planet with a demodulation technique. We tested the hypothesis of ε Cyg being a hierarchical stellar triple by using a modified version of the N-body code. Alternative causes for the observed RV variations, such as stellar spots and oscillations, were examined by analyzing photometric data of the system and by comparing its properties to known variable stars with long secondary periods and heartbeat stars from the literature. Results. Our Keplerian model characterizes the orbit of the spectroscopic binary to higher precision than achieved previously, resulting in a semi-major axis of a = 15.8 AU, an eccentricity of e = 0.93, and a minimum mass of the secondary of msini = 0.265 M⊙. Additional short-period RV variations closely resemble the signal of a Jupiter-mass planet orbiting the evolved primary component with a period of 291 d, but the period and amplitude of the putative orbit change strongly over time. Furthermore, in our stability analysis of the system, no stable orbits could be found in a large region around the best fit. Both of these findings deem a planetary cause of the RV variations unlikely. Most of the investigated alternative scenarios also fail to explain the observed variability convincingly. Due to its very eccentric binary orbit, it seems possible, however, that ε Cyg could be an extreme example of a heartbeat system.
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Abstract
Asteroseismology is playing an increasingly important role in the characterization of red giant host stars and their planetary systems. Here, we conduct detailed asteroseismic modeling of ...the evolved red giant branch (RGB) hosts KOI-3886 and
ι
Draconis, making use of end-of-mission Kepler (KOI-3886) and multisector TESS (
ι
Draconis) time-series photometry. We also model the benchmark star KIC 8410637, a member of an eclipsing binary, thus providing a direct test to the seismic determination. We test the impact of adopting different sets of observed modes as seismic constraints. Inclusion of
ℓ
= 1 and 2 modes improves the precision of the stellar parameters, albeit marginally, compared to adopting radial modes alone, with 1.9%–3.0% (radius), 5%–9% (mass), and 19%–25% (age) reached when using all
p
-dominated modes as constraints. Given the very small spacing of adjacent dipole mixed modes in evolved RGB stars, the sparse set of observed
g
-dominated modes is not able to provide extra constraints, further leading to highly multimodal posteriors. Access to multiyear time-series photometry does not improve matters, with detailed modeling of evolved RGB stars based on (lower-resolution) TESS data sets attaining a precision commensurate with that based on end-of-mission Kepler data. Furthermore, we test the impact of varying the atmospheric boundary condition in our stellar models. We find the mass and radius estimates to be insensitive to the description of the near-surface layers, at the expense of substantially changing both the near-surface structure of the best-fitting models and the values of associated parameters like the initial helium abundance,
Y
i
. Attempts to measure
Y
i
from seismic modeling of red giants may thus be systematically dependent on the choice of atmospheric physics.
Aims. The K2 mission has recently begun to discover new and diverse planetary systems. In December 2014, Campaign 1 data from the mission was released, providing high-precision photometry for ~22 000 ...objects over an 80-day timespan. We searched these data with the aim of detecting more important new objects. Methods. Our search through two separate pipelines led to the independent discovery of K2-19b and c, a two-planet system of Neptune-sized objects (4.2 and 7.2 R⊕), orbiting a K dwarf extremely close to the 3:2 mean motion resonance. The two planets each show transits, sometimes simultaneously owing to their proximity to resonance and the alignment of conjunctions. Results. We obtained further ground-based photometry of the larger planet with the NITES telescope, demonstrating the presence of large transit timing variations (TTVs), and used the observed TTVs to place mass constraints on the transiting objects under the hypothesis that the objects are near but not in resonance. We then statistically validated the planets through the PASTIS tool, independently of the TTV analysis.
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FU Tau A is a young very-low-mass object in the Taurus star-forming region which was previously found to have strong X-ray emission and to be anomalously bright for its spectral type. In this study ...we discuss these characteristics using new information from quasi-simultaneous photometric and spectroscopic monitoring. From photometric time series obtained with the 2.2-m telescope on Calar Alto, we measure a period of ∼4 d for FU Tau A, most likely the rotation period. The short-term variations over a few days are consistent with the rotational modulation of the flux by cool, magnetically induced spots. In contrast, the photometric variability on time-scales of weeks and years can only be explained by the presence of hotspots, presumably caused by accretion. The hotspot properties are thus variable on time-scales exceeding the rotation period, maybe due to long-term changes in the accretion rate or geometry. The new constraints from the analysis of the variability confirm that FU Tau A is affected by magnetically induced spots and excess luminosity from accretion. However, accretion is not sufficient to explain its anomalous position in the HR diagram. In addition, suppressed convection due to magnetic activity and/or an early evolutionary stage need to be invoked to fully account for the observed properties. These factors cause considerable problems in estimating the mass of FU Tau A and other objects in this mass/age regime, to the extent that it appears questionable if it is feasible to derive the initial mass function for young low-mass stars and brown dwarfs.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Carbon dioxide (CO
) is a key chemical species that is found in a wide range of planetary atmospheres. In the context of exoplanets, CO
is an indicator of the metal enrichment (that is, elements ...heavier than helium, also called 'metallicity')
, and thus the formation processes of the primary atmospheres of hot gas giants
. It is also one of the most promising species to detect in the secondary atmospheres of terrestrial exoplanets
. Previous photometric measurements of transiting planets with the Spitzer Space Telescope have given hints of the presence of CO
, but have not yielded definitive detections owing to the lack of unambiguous spectroscopic identification
. Here we present the detection of CO
in the atmosphere of the gas giant exoplanet WASP-39b from transmission spectroscopy observations obtained with JWST as part of the Early Release Science programme
. The data used in this study span 3.0-5.5 micrometres in wavelength and show a prominent CO
absorption feature at 4.3 micrometres (26-sigma significance). The overall spectrum is well matched by one-dimensional, ten-times solar metallicity models that assume radiative-convective-thermochemical equilibrium and have moderate cloud opacity. These models predict that the atmosphere should have water, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide in addition to CO
, but little methane. Furthermore, we also tentatively detect a small absorption feature near 4.0 micrometres that is not reproduced by these models.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ
IC 4997 is a planetary nebula well known by its variability. We present high-resolution spectra of IC 4997 obtained in 1993, 2019, and 2020 that reveal changes in the H
α
and N
II
emission line ...profiles, which had never been reported for this object. The H
α
P Cygni emission profile observed in 1993 changed to a single-peaked profile in 2019−2020, implying that the stellar wind has largely weakened. The very broad H
α
emission wings narrowed by a factor of ∼2 between 1993 and 2019−2020, indicating that the efficiency of the Rayleigh–Raman scattering has noticeably decreased. A high-velocity N
II
nebular component detected in 1993 is missing in 2019 and 2020, probably due to a decrease in its electron density. A correlation exists between the strength of the stellar wind and the episodic (∼50−60 yr) variation in the O
III
λ
4363/H
γ
line intensity ratio, suggesting that an episodic, smoothly variable stellar wind is the main cause of the variability of IC 4997. Monitoring of that intensity ratio and of the H
α
emission line profile in the coming years and new multiwavelength observations are key to unveiling the ongoing processes in IC 4997 and constraining the origin of the wind variability.
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We report on the masses, sizes, and orbits of the planets orbiting 22 Kepler stars. There are 49 planet candidates around these stars, including 42 detected through transits and 7 revealed by precise ...Doppler measurements of the host stars. Based on an analysis of the Kepler brightness measurements, along with high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, Doppler spectroscopy, and (for 11 stars) asteroseismology, we establish low false-positive probabilities (FPPs) for all of the transiting planets (41 of 42 have an FPP under 1%), and we constrain their sizes and masses. Most of the transiting planets are smaller than three times the size of Earth. For 16 planets, the Doppler signal was securely detected, providing a direct measurement of the planet's mass. For the other 26 planets we provide either marginal mass measurements or upper limits to their masses and densities; in many cases we can rule out a rocky composition. We identify six planets with densities above 5 g cm super(-3), suggesting a mostly rocky interior for them. Indeed, the only planets that are compatible with a purely rocky composition are smaller than ~2 R sub(+ in circle). Larger planets evidently contain a larger fraction of low-density material (H, He, and H sub(2)O).
We present the Coordinated Synoptic Investigation of NGC 2264, a continuous 30 day multi-wavelength photometric monitoring campaign on more than 1000 young cluster members using 16 telescopes. The ...unprecedented combination of multi-wavelength, high-precision, high-cadence, and long-duration data opens a new window into the time domain behavior of young stellar objects. Here we provide an overview of the observations, focusing on results from Spitzer and CoRoT. The highlight of this work is detailed analysis of 162 classical T Tauri stars for which we can probe optical and mid-infrared flux variations to 1% amplitudes and sub-hour timescales. We present a morphological variability census and then use metrics of periodicity, stochasticity, and symmetry to statistically separate the light curves into seven distinct classes, which we suggest represent different physical processes and geometric effects. We provide distributions of the characteristic timescales and amplitudes and assess the fractional representation within each class. The largest category (>20%) are optical "dippers" with discrete fading events lasting ~1-5 days. The degree of correlation between the optical and infrared light curves is positive but weak; notably, the independently assigned optical and infrared morphology classes tend to be different for the same object. Assessment of flux variation behavior with respect to (circum)stellar properties reveals correlations of variability parameters with H alpha emission and with effective temperature. Overall, our results point to multiple origins of young star variability, including circumstellar obscuration events, hot spots on the star and/or disk, accretion bursts, and rapid structural changes in the inner disk.
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