| 1. |
- Bell, Taylor, et al.
(författare)
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Nightside clouds and disequilibrium chemistry on the hot Jupiter WASP-43b
- 2024
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Ingår i: Nature Astronomy. - 2397-3366. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hot Jupiters are among the best-studied exoplanets, but it is still poorly understood how their chemical composition and cloud properties vary with longitude. Theoretical models predict that clouds may condense on the nightside and that molecular abundances can be driven out of equilibrium by zonal winds. Here we report a phase-resolved emission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-43b measured from 5 μm to 12 μm with the JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument. The spectra reveal a large day–night temperature contrast (with average brightness temperatures of 1,524 ± 35 K and 863 ± 23 K, respectively) and evidence for water absorption at all orbital phases. Comparisons with three-dimensional atmospheric models show that both the phase-curve shape and emission spectra strongly suggest the presence of nightside clouds that become optically thick to thermal emission at pressures greater than ~100 mbar. The dayside is consistent with a cloudless atmosphere above the mid-infrared photosphere. Contrary to expectations from equilibrium chemistry but consistent with disequilibrium kinetics models, methane is not detected on the nightside (2σ upper limit of 1–6 ppm, depending on model assumptions). Our results provide strong evidence that the atmosphere of WASP-43b is shaped by disequilibrium processes and provide new insights into the properties of the planet’s nightside clouds. However, the remaining discrepancies between our observations and our predictive atmospheric models emphasize the importance of further exploring the effects of clouds and disequilibrium chemistry in numerical models.
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| 2. |
- Carleo, Ilaria, et al.
(författare)
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The Multiplanet System TOI-421*
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-3881 .- 0004-6256. ; 160:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the discovery of a warm Neptune and a hot sub-Neptune transiting TOI-421 (BD-14 1137, TIC 94986319), a bright (V = 9.9) G9 dwarf star in a visual binary system observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) space mission in Sectors 5 and 6. We performed ground-based follow-up observations-comprised of Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope transit photometry, NIRC2 adaptive optics imaging, and FIbre-fed Echelle Spectrograph, CORALIE, High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher, High Resolution echelle Spectrometer, and Planet Finder Spectrograph high-precision Doppler measurements-and confirmed the planetary nature of the 16 day transiting candidate announced by the TESS team. We discovered an additional radial velocity signal with a period of five days induced by the presence of a second planet in the system, which we also found to transit its host star. We found that the inner mini-Neptune, TOI-421 b, has an orbital period of P-b = 5.19672 +/- 0.00049 days, a mass of M-b = 7.17 +/- 0.66 M-circle plus, and a radius of R-b = R-circle plus, whereas the outer warm Neptune, TOI-421 c, has a period of P-c = 16.06819 +/- 0.00035 days, a mass of M-c = 16.42(-1.04)(+1.06)M(circle plus), a radius of R-c = 5.09(-0.15)(+0.16)R(circle plus), and a density of rho(c) = 0.685(-0.072)(+0.080) cm(-3). With its characteristics, the outer planet (rho(c) = 0.685(-0.0072)(+0.080) cm(-3)) is placed in the intriguing class of the super-puffy mini-Neptunes. TOI-421 b and TOI-421 c are found to be well-suited for atmospheric characterization. Our atmospheric simulations predict significant Ly alpha transit absorption, due to strong hydrogen escape in both planets, as well as the presence of detectable CH4 in the atmosphere of TOI-421 c if equilibrium chemistry is assumed.
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| 3. |
- Carmichael, Theron W., et al.
(författare)
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Two Intermediate-mass Transiting Brown Dwarfs from the TESS Mission
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 1538-3881 .- 0004-6256. ; 160:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the discovery of two intermediate-mass transiting brown dwarfs (BDs), TOI-569b and TOI-1406b, from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission. TOI-569b has an orbital period of P=.55604±0.00016 days, a mass of Mb = 64.1±1.9 MJ, and a radius of Rb = 0.75±0.02 RJ. Its host star, TOI-569, has a mass of Må = 1.21±0.05 M, a radius of Rå = 1.47±0.03 R, [Fe H 0.29 0.09] = + dex, and an effective temperature of Teff = 5768±10K. TOI-1406b has an orbital period of P=10.57415±0.00063 days, a mass of Mb = 46.0± 2.7 MJ, and a radius of Rb = 0.86±0.03 RJ. The host star for this BD has a mass of Må = 1.18±0.09 M, a radius of Rå = 1.35±0.03 R, [Fe/H] =-0.08± 0.09 dex, and an effective temperature of Teff = 6290±100 K. Both BDs are in circular orbits around their host stars and are older than 3 Gyr based on stellar isochrone models of the stars. TOI-569 is one of two slightly evolved stars known to host a transiting BD (the other being KOI-415). TOI-1406b is one of three known transiting BDs to occupy the mass range of 40-50 MJ and one of two to have a circular orbit at a period near 10 days (with the first being KOI-205b). Both BDs have reliable ages from stellar isochrones, in addition to their well-constrained masses and radii, making them particularly valuable as tests for substellar isochrones in the BD mass-radius diagram.
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| 4. |
- Hobson, Melissa J., et al.
(författare)
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TOI-199 b : A Well-characterized 100 day Transiting Warm Giant Planet with TTVs Seen from Antarctica
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - 0004-6256. ; 166:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- 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 hr 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 104.854 − 0.002 + 0.001 day period, a mass of 0.17 ± 0.02 M J, and a radius of 0.810 ± 0.005 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 (TTVs), 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 nontransiting companion TOI-199 c, which has a period of 273.69 − 0.22 + 0.26 days and an estimated mass of 0.28 − 0.01 + 0.02 M J . This period places it within the conservative habitable zone.
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| 5. |
- Nowak, Grzegorz, et al.
(författare)
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K2-280 b - a low density warm sub-Saturn around a mildly evolved star
- 2020
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Ingår i: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 497:4, s. 4423-4435
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present an independent discovery and detailed characterization of K2-280 b, a transiting low density warm sub-Saturn in a 19.9-d moderately eccentric orbit (e = 0.35(-0.04)(+0.05)) from K2 campaign 7. A joint analysis of high precision HARPS, HARPS-N, and FIES radial velocity measurements and K2 photometric data indicates that K2-280 b has a radius of R-b = 7.50 +/- 0.44 R-circle plus and a mass of M-b = 37.1 +/- 5.6 M-circle plus, yielding a mean density of rho(b) = 0.48(-0.10)(+0.13) g cm(-3). The host star is a mildly evolved G7 star with an effective temperature of T-eff = 5500 +/- 100 K, a surface gravity of log g(star) = 4.21 +/- 0.05 (cgs), and an iron abundance of [Fe/H] = 0.33 +/- 0.08 dex, and with an inferred mass of M-star = 1.03 +/- 0.03 M-circle dot and a radius of R-star = 1.28 +/- 0.07 R-circle dot. We discuss the importance of K2-280 b for testing formation scenarios of sub-Saturn planets and the current sample of this intriguing group of planets that are absent in the Solar system.
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| 6. |
- Orell-Miquel, J., et al.
(författare)
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HD 191939 revisited: New and refined planet mass determinations, and a new planet in the habitable zone
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 669
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- HD 191939 (TOI-1339) is a nearby (d = 54 pc), bright (V = 9 mag), and inactive Sun-like star (G9 V) known to host a multi-planet transiting system. Ground-based spectroscopic observations confirmed the planetary nature of the three transiting sub-Neptunes (HD 191939 b, c, and d) originally detected by TESS and were used to measure the masses for planets b and c with 3Ï precision. These previous observations also reported the discovery of an additional Saturn-mass planet (HD 191939 e) and evidence for a further, very long-period companion (HD 191939 f). Here, we report the discovery of a new non-transiting planet in the system and a refined mass determination of HD 191939 d. The new planet, HD 191939 g, has a minimum mass of 13.5±2.0 M- and a period of about 280 days. This period places the planet within the conservative habitable zone of the host star, and near a 1:3 resonance with HD 191939 e. The compilation of 362 radial velocity measurements with a baseline of 677 days from four different high-resolution spectrographs also allowed us to refine the properties of the previously known planets, including a 4.6Ï mass determination for planet d, for which only a 2Ï upper limit had been set until now. We confirm the previously suspected low density of HD 191939 d, which makes it an attractive target for attempting atmospheric characterisation. Overall, the planetary system consists of three sub-Neptunes interior to a Saturn-mass and a Uranus-mass planet plus a high-mass long-period companion. This particular configuration has no counterpart in the literature and makes HD 191939 an exceptional multi-planet transiting system with an unusual planet demographic worthy of future observation.
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| 7. |
- Patel, Jayshil Ashokkumar, et al.
(författare)
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Empirical Limb-darkening Coefficients and Transit Parameters of Known Exoplanets from TESS
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-6256 .- 1538-3881. ; 163:5, s. 1-24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although the main goal of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is to search for new transiting exoplanets, its data can also be used to study already-known systems in further detail. The TESS bandpass is particularly interesting to study the limb-darkening effect of the stellar host that is imprinted in transit light curves, as the widely used phoenix and atlas stellar models predict different limb-darkening profiles. Here we study this effect by fitting the transit light curves of 176 known exoplanetary systems observed by TESS, which allows us to extract empirical limb-darkening coefficients (LDCs) for the widely used quadratic law but also updated transit parameters (including ephemeride refinements) as a by-product. Comparing our empirically obtained LDCs with theoretical predictions, we find significant offsets when using tabulated TESS LDCs. Specifically, the u2 coefficients obtained using phoenix models show the largest discrepancies depending on the method used to derive them, with offsets that can reach up to Δu2 ≈ 0.2, on average. Most of those average offsets disappear, however, if one uses the SPAM algorithm introduced by Howarth to calculate the LDCs instead. Our results suggest, however, that for stars cooler than about 5000 K, no methodology is good enough to explain the limb-darkening effect; we observe a sharp deviation between measured and predicted LDCs on both quadratic LDCs of order Δu1, Δu2 ≈ 0.2 for those cool stars. We recommend caution when assuming LDCs as perfectly known, in particular for these cooler stars when analyzing TESS transit light curves.
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