We report on precise Doppler measurements of L231-32 (TOI-270), a nearby M dwarf (d = 22 pc, M⋆ = 0.39 M⊙, R⋆ = 0.38 R⊙), which hosts three transiting planets that were recently discovered using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The three planets are 1.2, 2.4, and 2.1 times the size of Earth and have orbital periods of 3.4, 5.7, and 11.4 days. We obtained 29 high-resolution optical spectra with the newly commissioned Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky Exoplanet and Stable Spectroscopic Observations (ESPRESSO) and 58 spectra using the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS). From these observations, we find the masses of the planets to be 1.58 ± 0.26, 6.15 ± 0.37, and 4.78 ± 0.43 M⊕, respectively. The combination of radius and mass measurements suggests that the innermost planet has a rocky composition similar to that of Earth, while the outer two planets have lower densities. Thus, the inner planet and the outer planets are on opposite sides of the ‘radius valley’ — a region in the radius-period diagram with relatively few members, which has been interpreted as a consequence of atmospheric photo-evaporation. We place these findings into the context of other small close-in planets orbiting M dwarf stars, and use support vector machines to determine the location and slope of the M dwarf (Teff < 4000 K) radius valley as a function of orbital period. We compare the location of the M dwarf radius valley to the radius valley observed for FGK stars, and find that its location is a good match to photo-evaporation and core-powered mass loss models. Finally, we show that planets below the M dwarf radius valley have compositions consistent with stripped rocky cores, whereas most planets above have a lower density consistent with the presence of a H-He atmosphere.
Ultra-short-period (USP) exoplanets have orbital periods shorter than one day. Precise masses and radii of USPs could provide constraints on their unknown formation and evolution processes. We report the detection and characterization of the USP planet GJ 367b using high precision photometry and radial velocity observations. GJ 367b orbits a bright (V-band magnitude = 10.2), nearby, red (M-type) dwarf star every 7.7 hours. GJ 367b has a radius of 0.718 ± 0.054 Earth-radii, a mass of 0.546 ± 0.078 Earth-masses, making it a sub-Earth. The corresponding bulk density is 8.106 ± 2.165 g cm -3 , close to that of iron. An interior structure model predicts the planet has an iron core radius fraction of 86 ± 5%, similar to Mercury's interior. Main Text:Red dwarf stars of spectral type M (M dwarfs) are cool stars with effective temperatures (Teff) below ~4000 K (1). They have masses and radii less than around ~60% of the Sun's and are the most abundant type of stars in the solar neighborhood (2-4). It has been estimated that M dwarfs host an average of 2.5 ± 0.2 small planets [planet radius Rp < 4 Earth-radius (R⊕)] with periods less than 100 days (5). Due to the small stellar radius, the transit signal produced
We report the discovery and characterisation of a pair of sub-Neptunes transiting the bright K-dwarf TOI-1064 (TIC 79748331), initially detected in TESS photometry. To characterise the system, we performed and retrieved CHEOPS, TESS, and ground-based photometry, HARPS high-resolution spectroscopy, and Gemini speckle imaging. We characterise the host star and determine Teff, ⋆ = 4734 ± 67 K, R⋆ = 0.726 ± 0.007 R⊙, and M⋆ = 0.748 ± 0.032 M⊙. We present a novel detrending method based on PSF shape-change modelling and demonstrate its suitability to correct flux variations in CHEOPS data. We confirm the planetary nature of both bodies and find that TOI-1064 b has an orbital period of Pb = 6.44387 ± 0.00003 d, a radius of Rb = 2.59 ± 0.04 R⊕, and a mass of $M_{\rm b} = 13.5_{-1.8}^{+1.7}$ M⊕, whilst TOI-1064 c has an orbital period of $P_{\rm c} = 12.22657^{+0.00005}_{-0.00004}$ d, a radius of Rc = 2.65 ± 0.04 R⊕, and a 3σ upper mass limit of 8.5 M⊕. From the high-precision photometry we obtain radius uncertainties of ∼1.6 per cent, allowing us to conduct internal structure and atmospheric escape modelling. TOI-1064 b is one of the densest, well-characterised sub-Neptunes, with a tenuous atmosphere that can be explained by the loss of a primordial envelope following migration through the protoplanetary disc. It is likely that TOI-1064 c has an extended atmosphere due to the tentative low density, however further RVs are needed to confirm this scenario and the similar radii, different masses nature of this system. The high-precision data and modelling of TOI-1064 b is important for planets in this region of mass-radius space, and it allows us to identify a trend in bulk density-stellar metallicity for massive sub-Neptunes that may hint at the formation of this population of planets.
We report the discovery of two transiting planets around the bright (V = 9.9 mag) main-sequence F7 star TOI-1670 by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. TOI-1670 b is a sub-Neptune ( R b = 2.06 − 0.15 + 0.19 R ⊕) on a 10.9 day orbit, and TOI-1670 c is a warm Jupiter ( R c = 0.987 − 0.025 + 0.025 R Jup) on a 40.7 day orbit. Using radial velocity observations gathered with the Tull Coudé Spectrograph on the Harlan J. Smith telescope and HARPS-N on the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, we find a planet mass of M c = 0.63 − 0.08 + 0.09 M Jup for the outer warm Jupiter, implying a mean density of ρ c = 0.81 − 0.11 + 0.13 g cm−3. The inner sub-Neptune is undetected in our radial velocity data (M b < 0.13 M Jup at the 99% confidence level). Multiplanet systems like TOI-1670 hosting an outer warm Jupiter on a nearly circular orbit ( e c = 0.09 − 0.04 + 0.05 ) and one or more inner coplanar planets are more consistent with “gentle” formation mechanisms such as disk migration or in situ formation rather than high-eccentricity migration. Of the 11 known systems with a warm Jupiter and a smaller inner companion, eight (73%) are near a low-order mean-motion resonance, which can be a signature of migration. TOI-1670 joins two other systems (27% of this subsample) with period commensurabilities greater than 3, a common feature of in situ formation or halted inward migration. TOI-1670 and the handful of similar systems support a diversity of formation pathways for warm Jupiters.
We present the discovery and characterisation of two transiting planets observed by TESS in the light curves of the young and bright (V = 9.67) star HD73583 (TOI-560). We perform an intensive spectroscopic and photometric space- and ground-based follow-up in order to confirm and characterise the system. We found that HD73583 is a young (∼500 Myr) active star with a rotational period of 12.08 ± 0.11 d, and a mass and radius of 0.73 ± 0.02 M⊙ and 0.65 ± 0.02 R⊙, respectively. HD 73583 b (Pb =$6.3980420 _{ - 0.0000062 } ^ { + 0.0000067 }$ d) has a mass and radius of $10.2 _{ - 3.1 } ^ { + 3.4 }$ M⊕ and 2.79 ± 0.10 R⊕, respectively, that gives a density of $2.58 _{ - 0.81 } ^ { + 0.95 }$ g cm−3. HD 73583 c (Pc=$18.87974 _{ - 0.00074 } ^ { + 0.00086 }$ d) has a mass and radius of $9.7 _{ - 1.7 } ^ { + 1.8 }$ M⊕ and $2.39 _{ - 0.09 } ^ { + 0.10 }$ R⊕, respectively, this translates to a density of $3.88 _{ - 0.80 } ^ { + 0.91 }$ g cm−3. Both planets are consistent with worlds made of a solid core surrounded by a volatile envelope. Because of their youth and host star brightness, they both are excellent candidates to perform transmission spectroscopy studies. We expect on-going atmospheric mass-loss for both planets caused by stellar irradiation. We estimate that the detection of evaporating signatures on H and He would be challenging, but doable with present and future instruments.
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