Search

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 ± 0.044 R (HIP 9618 b) and 3.343 ± 0.039 R (HIP 9618 c). While the 20.77291 d period of HIP 9618 b was measured unambiguously, HIP 9618 c showed only two transits separated by a 680-d 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 ± 3.1M for HIP 9618 b, which, according to our interior structure models, corresponds to a 6.8 ± 1.4 per cent gas fraction. HIP 9618 c appears to have a lower mass than HIP 9618 b, with a 3-sigma upper limit of 50 d, opening the door for the atmospheric characterization of warm (Teq < 750 K) sub-Neptunes. ISSN:0035-8711 ISSN:1365-2966

We present the discovery of Type II supernova (SN) 2023ixf in M101, among the closest core-collapse SNe in the last several decades, and follow-up photometric and spectroscopic observations in the first month of its evolution. The light curve is characterized by a rapid rise ($\approx5$ days) to a luminous peak ($M_V\approx-18$ mag) and plateau ($M_V\approx-17.6$ mag) extending to $30$ days with a smooth decline rate of $\approx0.03$ mag day$^{-1}$. During the rising phase, $U-V$ color shows blueward evolution, followed by redward evolution in the plateau phase. Prominent flash features of hydrogen, helium, carbon, and nitrogen dominate the spectra up to $\approx5$ days after first light, with a transition to a higher ionization state in the first $\approx2$ days. Both the $U-V$ color and flash ionization states suggest a rise in the temperature, indicative of a delayed shock-breakout inside dense circumstellar material (CSM). From the timescales of CSM interaction, we estimate its compact radial extent of $\sim(3-7)\times10^{14}$ cm. We then construct numerical light-curve models based on both continuous and eruptive mass-loss scenarios shortly before explosion. For the continuous mass-loss scenario, we infer a range of mass-loss history with $0.1-1.0$ $M_\odot {\rm yr}^{-1}$ in the final $2-1$ years before explosion, with a potentially decreasing mass loss of $0.01-0.1$ $M_\odot {\rm yr}^{-1}$ in $\sim0.7-0.4$ years towards the explosion. For the eruptive mass-loss scenario, we favor eruptions releasing $0.3-1$ $M_\odot$ of the envelope at about a year before explosion, which result in CSM with mass and extent similar to the continuous scenario. We discuss the implications of the available multi-wavelength constraints obtained thus far on the progenitor candidate and SN 2023ixf to our variable CSM models., 15 pages, 5 figures, submitted to ApJL

The Kepler space telescope was responsible for the discovery of over 2,700 confirmed exoplanets, more than half of the total number of exoplanets known today. These discoveries took place during both Kepler's primary mission, when it spent 4 years staring at the same part of the sky, and its extended K2 mission, when a mechanical failure forced it to observe different parts of the sky along the ecliptic. At the very end of the mission, when Kepler was exhausting the last of its fuel reserves, it collected a short set of observations known as K2 Campaign 19. So far, no planets have been discovered in this dataset because it only yielded about a week of high-quality data. Here, we report some of the last planet discoveries made by Kepler in the Campaign 19 dataset. We conducted a visual search of the week of high-quality Campaign 19 data and identified three possible planet transits. Each planet candidate was originally identified with only one recorded transit, from which we were able to estimate the planets' radii and estimate the semimajor axes and orbital periods. Analysis of lower-quality data collected after low fuel pressure caused the telescope's pointing precision to suffer revealed additional transits for two of these candidates, allowing us to statistically validate them as genuine exoplanets. We also tentatively confirm the transits of one planet with TESS. These discoveries demonstrate Kepler's exoplanet detection power, even when it was literally running on fumes., 14 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Warm Jupiters are close-in giant planets with relatively large planet-star separations (i.e., $10< a/R_\star, Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 1 table; accepted to ApJL

We report the detection and validation of two planets orbiting TOI-2095 (TIC 235678745). The host star is a 3700K M1V dwarf with a high proper motion. The star lies at a distance of 42 pc in a sparsely populated portion of the sky and is bright in the infrared (K=9). With data from 24 Sectors of observation during TESS's Cycles 2 and 4, TOI-2095 exhibits two sets of transits associated with super-Earth-sized planets. The planets have orbital periods of 17.7 days and 28.2 days and radii of 1.30 and 1.39 Earth radii, respectively. Archival data, preliminary follow-up observations, and vetting analyses support the planetary interpretation of the detected transit signals. The pair of planets have estimated equilibrium temperatures of approximately 400 K, with stellar insolations of 3.23 and 1.73 times that of Earth, placing them in the Venus zone. The planets also lie in a radius regime signaling the transition between rock-dominated and volatile-rich compositions. They are thus prime targets for follow-up mass measurements to better understand the properties of warm, transition radius planets. The relatively long orbital periods of these two planets provide crucial data that can help shed light on the processes that shape the composition of small planets orbiting M dwarfs., Submitted to AAS Journals

Extremely variable quasars can also show strong changes in broad-line emission strength and are known as changing-look quasars (CLQs). To study the CLQ transition mechanism, we present a pilot sample of CLQs with X-ray observations in both the bright and faint states. From a sample of quasars with bright-state archival SDSS spectra and (Chandra or XMM-Newton) X-ray data, we identified five new CLQs via optical spectroscopic follow-up, and then obtained new target-of-opportunity X-ray observations with Chandra. No strong absorption is detected in either the bright- or the faint-state X-ray spectra. The intrinsic X-ray flux generally changes along with the optical variability, and the X-ray power-law slope becomes harder in the faint state. Large amplitude mid-infrared variability is detected in all five CLQs, and the MIR variability echoes the variability in the optical with a time lag expected from the light-crossing time of the dusty torus for CLQs with robust lag measurements. The changing-obscuration model is not consistent with the observed X-ray spectra and spectral energy distribution changes seen in these CLQs. It is highly likely that the observed changes are due to the changing accretion rate of the supermassive black hole, so the multiwavelength emission varies accordingly, with promising analogies to the accretion states of X-ray binaries., Accepted for publication in ApJ; 30 pages, 12 figures

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is an all-sky survey mission designed to find transiting exoplanets orbiting nearby bright stars. It has identified more than 329 transiting exoplanets, and almost 6,000 candidates remain unvalidated. In this manuscript, we discuss the findings from the ongoing VaTEST (Validation of Transiting Exoplanets using Statistical Tools) project, which aims to validate new exoplanets for further characterization. We validated 11 new exoplanets by examining the light curves of 24 candidates using the LATTE and TESS-Plot tools and computing the False Positive Probabilities using the statistical validation tool TRICERATOPS. These include planets suitable for atmospheric characterization using transmission spectroscopy (TOI-2194b), emission spectroscopy (TOI-3082b and TOI-5704b) and for both transmission and emission spectroscopy (TOI-672b, TOI- 1694b, and TOI-2443b); One super-Earth (TOI-2194b) orbiting a bright (V = 8.42 mag), metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -0.3720 $\pm$ 0.1) star; one short-period Neptune-like planet (TOI-5704) in the Hot Neptune Desert. In total, we validated 1 super-Earth, 7 sub-Neptunes, 1 Neptune-like, and 2 sub-Saturn or super-Neptune-like exoplanets. Additionally, we identify five likely planet candidates (TOI-323, TOI- 1180, TOI-2200, TOI-2408 and TOI-3913) which can be further studied to establish their planetary nature., Accepted for Publication in Astronomical Journal, 28 Pages, 7 Figures

We present the discovery and characterization of HIP 33609 b, a transiting warm brown dwarf orbiting a late B star, discovered by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite TESS as TOI-588 b. HIP 33609 b is a large (R$_{b}$ = 1.580$_{-0.070}^{+0.074}$ R$_{J}$) brown dwarf on a highly eccentric (e = 0.560$_{-0.031}^{+0.029}$) orbit with a 39-day period. The host star is a bright (V = 7.3 mag), T$_{eff}$ = 10,400$_{-660}^{+800}$ K star with a mass of M$_{*}$ = 2.383$_{-0.095}^{+0.10}$ M$_{\odot}$ and radius of R$_{*}$ = 1.863$_{-0.082}^{+0.087}$ R$_{\odot}$, making it the hottest transiting brown dwarf host star discovered to date. We obtained radial velocity measurements from the CHIRON spectrograph confirming the companion's mass of M$_{b}$ = 68.0$_{-7.1}^{+7.4}$ M$_{J}$ as well as the host star's rotation rate ($vsini_{*} = 55.6 \pm 1.8$ km/s). We also present the discovery of a new comoving group of stars, designated as MELANGE-6, and determine that HIP 33609 is a member. We use a combination of rotation periods and isochrone models fit to the cluster members to estimate an age of 150 $\pm$ 25 Myr. With a measured mass, radius, and age, HIP 33609 b becomes a benchmark for substellar evolutionary models., 16 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables, Submitted to AAS Journals

We report the confirmation of three exoplanets transiting TOI-4010 (TIC-352682207), a metal-rich K dwarf observed by TESS in Sectors 24, 25, 52, and 58. We confirm these planets with HARPS-N radial velocity observations and measure their masses with 8 - 12% precision. TOI-4010 b is a sub-Neptune ($P = 1.3$ days, $R_{p} = 3.02_{-0.08}^{+0.08}~R_{\oplus}$, $M_{p} = 11.00_{-1.27}^{+1.29}~M_{\oplus}$) in the hot Neptune desert, and is one of the few such planets with known companions. Meanwhile, TOI-4010 c ($P = 5.4$ days, $R_{p} = 5.93_{-0.12}^{+0.11}~R_{\oplus}$, $M_{p} = 20.31_{-2.11}^{+2.13}~M_{\oplus}$) and TOI-4010 d ($P = 14.7$ days, $R_{p} = 6.18_{-0.14}^{+0.15}~R_{\oplus}$, $M_{p} = 38.15_{-3.22}^{+3.27}~M_{\oplus}$) are similarly-sized sub-Saturns on short-period orbits. Radial velocity observations also reveal a super-Jupiter-mass companion called TOI-4010 e in a long-period, eccentric orbit ($P \sim 762$ days and $e \sim 0.26$ based on available observations). TOI-4010 is one of the few systems with multiple short-period sub-Saturns to be discovered so far., Comment: 26 pages, 16 figures, published in AJ; (v3) added missing citation

Funding: TGW, ACC, and KH acknowledge support from STFC consolidated grant numbers ST/R000824/1 and ST/V000861/1, and UKSA grant ST/R003203/1. We present the discovery of two exoplanets transiting TOI-836 (TIC 440887364) using data from TESS Sector 11 and Sector 38. TOI-836 is a bright (T = 8.5 mag), high proper motion (∼200 mas yr−1), low metallicity ([Fe/H]≈−0.28) K-dwarf with a mass of 0.68 ± 0.05 M⊙ and a radius of 0.67 ± 0.01 R⊙. We obtain photometric follow-up observations with a variety of facilities, and we use these data-sets to determine that the inner planet, TOI-836 b, is a 1.70 ± 0.07 R⊕ super-Earth in a 3.82 day orbit, placing it directly within the so-called ‘radius valley’. The outer planet, TOI-836 c, is a 2.59 ± 0.09 R⊕ mini-Neptune in an 8.60 day orbit. Radial velocity measurements reveal that TOI-836 b has a mass of 4.5 ± 0.9 M⊕, while TOI-836 c has a mass of 9.6 ± 2.6 M⊕. Photometric observations show Transit Timing Variations (TTVs) on the order of 20 minutes for TOI-836 c, although there are no detectable TTVs for TOI-836 b. The TTVs of planet TOI-836 c may be caused by an undetected exterior planet. Publisher PDF

We present here a validation of sub-Saturn exoplanet TOI-181b orbiting a K spectral type star TOI-181 (Mass: 0.822 $\pm$ 0.04 M$_{\odot}$, Radius: 0.745 $\pm$ 0.02 R$_{\odot}$, Temperature: 4994 $\pm$ 50 K) as a part of Validation of Transiting Exoplanets using Statistical Tools (VaTEST) project. TOI-181b is a planet with radius 6.95 $\pm$ 0.08 R$_{\oplus}$, mass 46.16 $\pm$ 2.71 M$_{\oplus}$, orbiting in a slightly eccentric orbit with eccentricity 0.15 $\pm$ 0.06 and semi-major axis of 0.054 $\pm$ 0.004 AU, with an orbital period of 4.5320 $\pm$ 0.000002 days. The transit photometry data was collected using Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and spectroscopic data for radial velocity analysis was collected using The European Southern Observatory's (ESO) High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) telescope. Based on the radial velocity best-fit model we measured RV semi-amplitude to be 20.56 $\pm$ 2.37 m s$^{-1}$. Additionally, we used \texttt{VESPA} and \texttt{TRICERATOPS} to compute the False Positive Probability (FPP), and the findings were FPP values of $1.68\times10^{-14}$ and $3.81\times10^{-04}$, respectively, which are significantly lower than the 1% threshold. The finding of TOI-181b is significant in the perspective of future work on the formation and migration history of analogous planetary systems since warm sub-Saturns are uncommon in the known sample of exoplanets., 13 pages, 10 figures, submitted to MNRAS, Structural changes are made, New results

We report the discovery of three transiting low-mass companions to aged stars: a brown dwarf (TOI-2336b) and two objects near the hydrogen burning mass limit (TOI-1608b and TOI-2521b). These three systems were first identified using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TOI-2336b has a radius of $1.05\pm 0.04\ R_J$, a mass of $69.9\pm 2.3\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 7.71 days. TOI-1608b has a radius of $1.21\pm 0.06\ R_J$, a mass of $90.7\pm 3.7\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 2.47 days. TOI-2521b has a radius of $1.01\pm 0.04\ R_J$, a mass of $77.5\pm 3.3\ M_J$ and an orbital period of 5.56 days. We found all these low-mass companions are inflated. We fitted a relation between radius, mass and incident flux using the sample of known transiting brown dwarfs and low-mass M dwarfs. We found a positive correlation between the flux and the radius for brown dwarfs and for low-mass stars that is weaker than the correlation observed for giant planets., 20 pages, 13 figures; submitted to MNRAS

Context. Long-period transiting planets provide the opportunity to better understand the formation and evolution of planetary systems. Their atmospheric properties remain largely unaltered by tidal or radiative effects of the host star, and their orbital arrangement reflects a different and less extreme migrational history compared to close-in objects. The sample of long-period exoplanets with well-determined masses and radii is still limited, but a growing number of long-period objects reveal themselves in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data. Aims. Our goal is to vet and confirm single-transit planet candidates detected in the TESS space-based photometric data through spectroscopic and photometric follow-up observations with ground-based instruments. Methods. We used high-resolution spectrographs to confirm the planetary nature of the transiting candidates and measure their masses. We also used the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) to photometrically monitor the candidates in order to observe additional transits. Using a joint modeling of the light curves and radial velocities, we computed the orbital parameters of the system and were able to precisely measure the mass and radius of the transiting planets. Results. We report the discovery of two massive, warm Jupiter-size planets, one orbiting the F8-type star TOI-5153 and the other orbiting the G1-type star NGTS-20 (=TOI-5152). From our spectroscopic analysis, both stars are metal rich with a metallicity of 0.12 and 0.15, respectively. Only TOI-5153 presents a second transit in the TESS extended mission data, but NGTS observed NGTS-20 as part of its mono-transit follow-up program and detected two additional transits. Follow-up high-resolution spectroscopic observations were carried out with CORALIE, CHIRON, FEROS, and HARPS. TOI-5153 hosts a planet with a period of 20.33 days, a planetary mass of 3.26−0.17+0.18 Jupiter masses (MJ), a radius of 1.06−0.04+0.04 RJ, and an orbital eccentricity of 0.091−0.026+0.024. NGTS-20 b is a 2.98−0.15+0.16 MJ planet with a radius of 1.07−0.04+0.04 RJ on an eccentric 0.432−0.023+0.023 orbit with an orbital period of 54.19 days. Both planets are metal enriched and their heavy element content is in line with the previously reported mass-metallicity relation for gas giants. Conclusions. Both warm Jupiters orbit moderately bright host stars, making these objects valuable targets for follow-up studies of the planetary atmosphere and measurement of the spin-orbit angle of the system., Astronomy & Astrophysics, 666, ISSN:0004-6361, ISSN:1432-0746

We present the discovery and validation of a temperate sub-Neptune around the nearby mid-M dwarf TIC 470381900 (TOI-1696), with a radius of 3.09 ± 0.11 R_⊕ and an orbital period of 2.5 days, using a combination of Transiting Exoplanets Survey Satellite (TESS) and follow-up observations using ground-based telescopes. Joint analysis of multiband photometry from TESS, Multicolor Simultaneous Camera for studying Atmospheres of Transiting exoplanets (MuSCAT), MuSCAT3, Sinistro, and KeplerCam confirmed the transit signal to be achromatic as well as refined the orbital ephemeris. High-resolution imaging with Gemini/’Alopeke and high-resolution spectroscopy with the Subaru InfraRed Doppler (IRD) confirmed that there are no stellar companions or background sources to the star. The spectroscopic observations with IRD and Infrared Telescope Facility SpeX were used to determine the stellar parameters, and it was found that the host star is an M4 dwarf with an effective temperature of T_(eff) = 3185 ± 76 K and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.336 ± 0.060 dex. The radial velocities measured from IRD set a 2σ upper limit on the planetary mass to be 48.8 M_⊕. The large radius ratio (Rₚ/R_⋆ ∼ 0.1) and the relatively bright near-infrared magnitude (J = 12.2 mag) make this planet an attractive target for further follow-up observations. TOI-1696 b is one of the planets belonging to the Neptunian desert with the highest transmission spectroscopy metric discovered to date, making it an interesting candidate for atmospheric characterizations with JWST.

The Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph (TRES) is a fiber-fed optical spectrograph with a resolution of 44,000. TRES is a workhorse for recon spectroscopy as part of the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP). To date, over 4000 spectra of over 1700 TOIs have been obtained with TRES. In addition, over 200 TOIs have been observed with the Fiber-fed Echelle Spectrograph (FIES). These spectra are carefully examined to search for possible false positives such as double-lined spectra or targets that show large velocity variation indicating a stellar companion. The spectra are also used to derive stellar parameters using the Stellar Parameter Classification (SPC) tool. Extracted spectra along with quick-look stellar classification plots from the TRES pipeline are uploaded to ExoFOP weekly to encourage community collaboration. A full SPC analysis is ableto provide effective temperature, surface gravity, projected rotational velocity and metallicity. A quality flag indicator has also been applied to the classifications based on the quality of the data and the stellar type/parameters. These parameters are be uploaded to ExoFOP on a monthly basis. TRES absolute radial velocities are determined by applying a standard star correction and a correction based on observations of the monitoring of minor planets. Absolute velocities are available by request and will be uploaded to ExoFOP soon!

We present new methodological developments regarding the treatment of the asteroseismic surface term in stars with mixed modes. Models of solar-like oscillators yield acoustic modes at different frequencies than would be seen in actual stars possessing identical interior structure, due to modelling error near the surface. This asteroseismic ``surface term'' must be corrected when mode frequencies are used to infer stellar structure. This is typically done by way of likelihood functions intended to diagnose whether or not differences between two sets of mode frequencies are consistent with a structural perturbation localised to the stellar surface. Different choices of these prescriptions modify the posterior distributions of fundamental stellar properties — such as the mass, radius, and age — inferred from individual stars using asteroseismology. These in turn induce population-level systematic biases. Existing prescriptions developed for p-modes are also not immediately applicable to the mixed modes seen in more evolved solar-like oscillators. We examine some outstanding issues in how the surface term is currently treated in stellar modelling with asteroseismology, and how these new methods may address these shortcomings, with a particular focus on the interaction between mode mixing and these systematic effects.

We describe in the underlying investigation the discovery of two eclipsing binary systems. In both cases, the companions are most likely fully convective low-mass stars. The TESS team initially alerted the systems as TOI-1830 (TIC20182165, HD133725) and TOI-1312 (TIC405904232), and we subsequently observed them with spectroscopy. The TESS light curves and spectroscopic observations were analyzed in a combined data-driven framework to estimate the systems’ parameters. Radial velocity (RV) measurements with LCO/NRES, NOT/FIES, SONG, and TRES indicated for the TOI-1830 system a companion mass of 0.11 M☉ in a 9.781-day eccentric orbit and a 0.10 M☉ companion in an 11.080-day eccentric orbit for the TOI-1312 system. At the same time, the spectroscopic observations were used to estimate the spectral type of the main stars for TOI-1830 and TOI-1312. We measured the radii ratio from the TESS light curves and estimated the companions’ radii, assuming the main stars’ radii as measured from spectroscopy and isochrones. Given the youth of TOI-1830 and the evolved age of TOI-1312, both systems will provide valuable insights into the stellar evolution of close binary systems.

The Tillinghast Reflector Echelle Spectrograph (TRES) is a fiber-fed optical spectrograph with a resolution of 44,000. TRES is a workhorse for recon spectroscopy as part of the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP). To date, over 2500 spectra of over 1000 TOIs have been obtained with TRES. In addition, over 200 TOIs have been observed with the Fiber-fed Echelle Spectrograph (FIES). These spectra are carefully examined to search for possible false positives such as double-lined spectra or targets that show large velocity variation indicating a stellar companion. The spectra are also used to derive stellar parameters using the Stellar Parameter Classification (SPC) tool. Extracted spectra along with quick-look stellar classification plots from the TRES pipeline are uploaded to ExoFOP-TESS weekly to encourage community collaboration. A full SPC analysis of all TRES and FIES spectra is being run to provide effective temperature, surface gravity, projected rotational velocity and metallicity. A quality flag indicator will also be applied to the classifications based on the quality of the data and the stellar type/parameters. These parameters will be uploaded to ExoFOP-TESS once the analysis is complete for community use., {"references":["Buchhave L. A., et al. 2010, ApJ. Vol. 720. Iss. 2. pp. 1118. arXiv:1005.2009","Buchhave L. A., et al. 2012, Nature, Vol. 486, Iss. 7403, pp. 375. arXiv:10.1038/nature11121","Kurucz, R. L., 1992, Model Atmospheres for Population Synthesis bibcode:https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992IAUS..149..225K/abstract"]}

At the end of the K2 mission, just before it ran out of fuel, Campaign 19 was conducted but cut short which resulted in an extremely short set of observations. The small amount of data recorded makes discovering exoplanets within the Campaign 19 dataset difficult. To our knowledge, no other teams have been able to find exoplanets in the Campaign 19 dataset yet. We are using this dataset to search for single transits and characterize new planetary systems. Despite the short duration of the dataset provided from K2, we are still able to determine important characteristics of the star and planet, such as radius, mass, period, and the likelihood of the planet residing in the habitable zone. We are complementing the K2 data with observations from ground-based telescopes. Our work will help ensure that all K2 data is utilized to its full potential so that no planets are left behind. These techniques can be adapted and applied to single transit systems recorded by other telescopes such as TESS., {"references":["Kreidberg, L. 2015, PASP, 127, 1161, doi: 10.1086/683602","Foreman-Mackey, D., Hogg, D. W., Lang, D., & Goodman, J. 2013, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 125, 306–312, doi: 10.1086/670067","da Silva, L., Girardi, L., Pasquini, L., et al. 2006, A&A, 458, 609, doi: 10.1051/0004-6361:20065105","Mann, A. W., Feiden, G. A., Gaidos, E., Boyajian, T., & Braun, K. v. 2015, The Astrophysical Journal, 804, 64, doi: 10.1088/0004-637x/804/1/64","Vanderburg, A., Mann, A. W., Rizzuto, A., et al. 2018, AJ, 156, 46, doi: 10.3847/1538-3881/aac894","Kipping, D. 2014, ECCSAMPLES: Bayesian Priors for Orbital Eccentricity. http://ascl.net/1411.017","Kopparapu, R. K., Ramirez, R. M., SchottelKotte, J., et al. 2014, The Astrophysical Journal, 787, L29, doi: 10.1088/2041-8205/787/2/l29"]}

We report the discovery of two planetary systems around comoving stars; TOI-2076 (TIC 27491137) and TOI-1807 (TIC 180695581). TOI-2076 is a nearby (41.9 pc) multi-planetary system orbiting a young (204$\pm$50 Myr), bright (K = 7.115 in TIC v8.1). TOI-1807 hosts a single transiting planet, and is similarly nearby (42.58pc), similarly young (180$\pm$40 Myr), and bright. Both targets exhibit significant, periodic variability due to star spots, characteristic of their young ages. Using photometric data collected by TESS we identify three transiting planets around TOI-2076 with radii of R$_b$=3.3$\pm$0.04$R_\oplus$, R$_c$=4.4$\pm$0.05$R_\oplus$, and R$_d$=4.1$\pm$0.07$R_\oplus$. Planet TOI-2076b has a period of P$_b$=10.356 d. For both TOI 2076c and d, TESS observed only two transits, separated by a 2-year interval in which no data were collected, preventing a unique period determination. A range of long periods (>17d) are consistent with the data. We identify a short-period planet around TOI-1807 with a radius of R$_b$=1.8$\pm$0.04$R_\oplus$ and a period of P$_b$=0.549 d. Their close proximity, and bright, cool host stars, and young ages, make these planets excellent candidates for follow-up. TOI-1807b is one of the best known small ($R, 27 pages, 13 figures, 6 tables

We report the discovery by the ground-based HATNet survey of the transiting exoplanet HAT-P-68b, which has a mass of 0.724 $\pm$ 0.043 $M_{Jup}$, and radius of 1.072 $\pm$ 0.012 $R_{Jup}$. The planet is in a circular P = 2.2984-day orbit around a moderately bright V = 13.937 $\pm$ 0.030 magnitude K dwarf star of mass 0.673 $+$ 0.020 $-$0.014 $M_{\odot}$, and radius 0.6726 $\pm$ 0.0069 $R_{\odot}$. The planetary nature of this system is confirmed through follow-up transit photometry obtained with the FLWO~1.2m telescope, high-precision RVs measured using Keck-I/HIRES, FLWO~1.5m/TRES, and OHP~1.9m/Sophie, and high-spatial-resolution speckle imaging from WIYN~3.5m/DSSI. HAT-P-68 is at an ecliptic latitude of $+3^{\circ}$ and outside the field of view of both the NASA TESS primary mission and the K2 mission. The large transit depth of 0.036 mag ($r$-band) makes HAT-P-68b a promising target for atmospheric characterization via transmission spectroscopy., submitted to AJ on October 1, 2020; accepted on October 27. 15 pages, 8 figures, 6 tables

We determined the rotational periods of 3122 Florence, 3830 Trelleborg, and (131077) 2000 YH105 with the Harvard Clay Telescope and KeplerCam at the Fred L. Whipple Observatory. We found the rotational periods to be 2.3580 $\pm$ 0.0015 h, 17.059 $\pm$ 0.017 h, and 1.813 $\pm$ 0.00003 h, respectively. Our measurement of 3122 Florence's period agrees with Warner (2016), who reported 2.3580 $\pm$ 0.0002 h., 2 pages, 4 figures

We present the discovery of two new 10-day period giant planets from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite ($TESS$) mission, whose masses were precisely determined using a wide diversity of ground-based facilities. TOI-481 b and TOI-892 b have similar radii ($0.99\pm0.01$ $\rm R_{J}$ and $1.07\pm0.02$ $\rm R_{J}$, respectively), and orbital periods (10.3311 days and 10.6266 days, respectively), but significantly different masses ($1.53\pm0.03$ $\rm M_{J}$ versus $0.95\pm0.07$ $\rm M_{J}$, respectively). Both planets orbit metal-rich stars ([Fe/H]= $+0.26\pm 0.05$ dex and [Fe/H] = $+0.24 \pm 0.05$ dex, for TOI-481 and TOI-892, respectively) but at different evolutionary stages. TOI-481 is a $\rm M_{\star}$ = $1.14\pm0.02$ $\rm M_{\odot}$, $\rm R_{\star}$ = $1.66\pm0.02$ $\rm R_{\odot}$ G-type star ($T_{\rm eff}$ = $5735 \pm 72$ K), that with an age of 6.7 Gyr, is in the turn-off point of the main sequence. TOI-892, on the other hand, is a F-type dwarf star ($T_{\rm eff}$ = $6261 \pm 80$ K), which has a mass of $\rm M_{\star}$ = $1.28\pm0.03$ $\rm M_{\odot}$, and a radius of $\rm R_{\star}$ = $1.39\pm0.02$ $\rm R_{\odot}$. TOI-481 b and TOI-892 b join the scarcely populated region of transiting gas giants with orbital periods longer than 10 days, which is important to constrain theories of the formation and structure of hot Jupiters., 19 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in AJ

The discovery of thousands of planetary systems by Kepler has demonstrated that planets are ubiquitous. However, a major challenge has been the confirmation of Kepler planet candidates, many of which still await confirmation. One of the most enigmatic examples is KOI 4.01, Kepler's first discovered planet candidate detection (as KOI 1.01, 2.01, and 3.01 were known prior to launch). Here we present the confirmation and characterization of KOI 4.01 (now Kepler-1658), using a combination of asteroseismology and radial velocities. Kepler-1658 is a massive, evolved subgiant (Mstar = 1.45 +/- 0.06 Msun, Rstar = 2.89 +/- 0.12 Rsun) hosting a massive (Mp = 5.88 +/- 0.47 MJ, Rp = 1.07 +/- 0.05 RJ) hot Jupiter that orbits every 3.85 days. Kepler-1658 joins a small population of evolved hosts with short-period (= 4.826 x 10^3 for the tidal quality factor in evolved stars. With an effective temperature Teff ~6200 K, Kepler-1658 sits close to the spin-orbit misalignment boundary at ~6250 K, making it a prime target for follow-up observations to better constrain its obliquity and to provide insight into theories for hot Jupiter formation and migration., 18 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables; accepted for publication in AJ

(Abridged) In this white paper, we outline the major barriers to access within the educational and professional practice of astronomy. We present current best practices for inclusivity and accessibility, including classroom practices, institutional culture, support for infrastructure creation, hiring processes, and outreach initiatives. We present specific ways--beyond simple compliance with the ADA--that funding agencies, astronomers, and institutions can work together to make astronomy as a field more accessible, inclusive, and equitable. In particular, funding agencies should include the accessibility of institutions during proposal evaluation, hold institutions accountable for inaccessibility, and support efforts to gather data on the status and progress of astronomers and astronomy students with disabilities., Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, Astro2020 APC White paper, State of the Profession Consideration

We present the discovery of KELT-22Ab, a hot Jupiter from the KELT-South survey. KELT-22Ab transits the moderately bright ($V\sim 11.1$) Sun-like G2V star TYC 7518-468-1. The planet has an orbital period of $P = 1.3866529 \pm 0.0000027 $ days, a radius of $R_{P} = 1.285_{-0.071}^{+0.12}~R_{J}$, and a relatively large mass of $M_{P} = 3.47_{-0.14}^{+0.15}~ M_{J}$. The star has $R_{\star} = 1.099_{-0.046}^{+0.079}~ R_{\odot}$, $M_{\star} = 1.092_{-0.041}^{+0.045}~ M_{\odot}$, ${T_{\rm eff}\,} = 5767_{-49}^{+50}~$ K, ${\log{g_\star}} = 4.393_{-0.060}^{+0.039}~$ (cgs), and [m/H] = $+0.259_{-0.083}^{+0.085}~$, and thus, other than its slightly super-solar metallicity, appears to be a near solar twin. Surprisingly, KELT-22A exhibits kinematics and a Galactic orbit that are somewhat atypical for thin disk stars. Nevertheless, the star is rotating quite rapidly for its estimated age, shows evidence of chromospheric activity, and is somewhat metal rich. Imaging reveals a slightly fainter companion to KELT-22A that is likely bound, with a projected separation of 6\arcsec ($\sim$1400 AU). In addition to the orbital motion caused by the transiting planet, we detect a possible linear trend in the radial velocity of KELT-22A suggesting the presence of another relatively nearby body that is perhaps non-stellar. KELT-22Ab is highly irradiated (as a consequence of the small semi-major axis of $a/R_{\star} = 4.97$), and is mildly inflated. At such small separations, tidal forces become significant. The configuration of this system is optimal for measuring the rate of tidal dissipation within the host star. Our models predict that, due to tidal forces, the semi-major axis of KELT-22Ab is decreasing rapidly, and is thus predicted to spiral into the star within the next Gyr., Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables

We report the discovery of the first likely black hole in a non-interacting binary system with a field red giant. By combining radial velocity measurements from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) with photometric variability data from the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), we identified the bright rapidly-rotating giant 2MASS J05215658+4359220 as a binary system with a massive unseen companion. Subsequent radial velocity measurements reveal a system with an orbital period of 83 days and near-zero eccentricity. The photometric variability period of the giant is consistent with the orbital period, indicative of star spots and tidal synchronization. Constraints on the giant's mass and radius from its luminosity, surface gravity, and temperature imply an unseen companion with mass of $3.3^{+2.8}_{-0.7}$ M$_\odot$, indicating a low-mass black hole or an exceedingly massive neutron star. Measurement of the astrometric binary motion by {\it Gaia} will further characterize the system. This discovery demonstrates the potential of massive spectroscopic surveys like APOGEE and all-sky, high-cadence photometric surveys like ASAS-SN to revolutionize our understanding of the compact object mass function, and to test theories of binary star evolution and the supernova mechanism., Comment: Submitted. 57 pages, 12 figures; main text and supplementary material updated

We report the discovery of a warm brown dwarf transiting a solar analog in the benchmark open cluster Ruprecht 147 (R147, 3 Gyr, 300 pc). Using K2 precision photometry, we detect a0.96 Jupiter radius object transiting the solar analog every 5.29 days. With TRES radial velocities, we derive a mass of 35 times Jupiter's and an orbital eccentricity, e = 0.19. The solar analog is chromospherically overactive for its age, and given its 12.7 day rotation period, we suggest that the brown dwarf orbit is in the process of circularizing, which is spinning up the solar analog and enhancing its magnetic dynamo. &nbsp

The origin of short timescale (weeks/months) variability of AGN, whether due to intrinsic disc variations or reprocessing of X-ray emission by a surrounding accretion disc, has been a puzzle for many years. However recently a number of observational programmes, particularly of NGC5548 with Swift, have shown that the UV/optical variations lag behind the X-ray variations in a manner strongly supportive of X-ray reprocessing. Somewhat surprisingly the implied size of the accretion disc is ~3x greater than expected from a standard, smooth, Shakura-Sunyaev thin disc model. Although the difference may be explained by a clumpy accretion disc, it is not clear whether the difference will occur in all AGN or whether it may change as, eg, a function of black hole mass, accretion rate or disc temperature. Measurements of interband lags for most AGN require long timescale monitoring, which is hard to arrange. However for low mass (, 6 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomische Nachrichten

We report the discovery of KELT-7b, a transiting hot Jupiter with a mass of 1.28 ± 0.18 MJ, radius of 1.533^(+0.046)_(-0.047) R_J, and an orbital period of 2.7347749 ± 0.0000039 days. The bright host star (HD 33643; KELT-7) is an F-star with V = 8.54, T_(eff) = 6789^(+50)_(-49)K, [Fe/H] = 0.139^(+0.075)_(-0.081), and log g = 4.149 ± 0.019. It has a mass of 1.535^(+0.066)_(-0. 054) M⊙, a radius of 1.732^(+0.043)_(-0.045) R⊙, and is the fifth most massive, fifth hottest, and the ninth brightest star known to host a transiting planet. It is also the brightest star around which Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) has discovered a transiting planet. Thus, KELT-7b is an ideal target for detailed characterization given its relatively low surface gravity, high equilibrium temperature, and bright host star. The rapid rotation of the star (73 ± 0.5 km s^(−1)) results in a Rossiter–McLaughlin effect with an unusually large amplitude of several hundred m s−1. We find that the orbit normal of the planet is likely to be well-aligned with the stellar spin axis, with a projected spin–orbit alignment of λ = 9 7 ± 5 2. This is currently the second most rapidly rotating star to have a reflex signal (and thus mass determination) due to a planetary companion measured.

We report the discovery of KELT-7b, a transiting hot Jupiter with a mass of $1.28 \pm 0.18$ MJ, radius of $1.53_{-0.047}^{+0.046}$ RJ, and an orbital period of $2.7347749 \pm 0.0000039$ days. The bright host star (HD33643; KELT-7) is an F-star with $V=8.54$, Teff $=6789_{-49}^{+50}$ K, [Fe/H] $=0.139_{-0.081}^{+0.075}$, and $\log{g}=4.149 \pm 0.019$. It has a mass of $1.535_{-0.054}^{+0.066}$ Msun, a radius of $1.732_{-0.045}^{+0.043}$ Rsun, and is the fifth most massive, fifth hottest, and the ninth brightest star known to host a transiting planet. It is also the brightest star around which KELT has discovered a transiting planet. Thus, KELT-7b is an ideal target for detailed characterization given its relatively low surface gravity, high equilibrium temperature, and bright host star. The rapid rotation of the star ($73 \pm 0.5$ km/s) results in a Rossiter-McLaughlin effect with an unusually large amplitude of several hundred m/s. We find that the orbit normal of the planet is likely to be well-aligned with the stellar spin axis, with a projected spin-orbit alignment of $\lambda=9.7 \pm 5.2$ degrees. This is currently the second most rapidly rotating star to have a reflex signal (and thus mass determination) due to a planetary companion measured., Comment: Accepted to The Astronomical Journal

The Kepler mission has revealed a great diversity of planetary systems and architectures, but most of the planets discovered by Kepler orbit faint stars. Using new data from the K2 mission, we present the discovery of a five planet system transiting a bright (V = 8.9, K = 7.7) star called HIP 41378. HIP 41378 is a slightly metal-poor late F-type star with moderate rotation (v sin(i) = 7 km/s) and lies at a distance of 116 +/- 18 from Earth. We find that HIP 41378 hosts two sub-Neptune sized planets orbiting 3.5% outside a 2:1 period commensurability in 15.6 and 31.7 day orbits. In addition, we detect three planets which each transit once during the 75 days spanned by K2 observations. One planet is Neptune sized in a likely ~160 day orbit, one is sub-Saturn sized likely in a ~130 day orbit, and one is a Jupiter sized planet in a likely ~1 year orbit. We show that these estimates for the orbital periods can be made more precise by taking into account dynamical stability considerations. We also calculate the distribution of stellar reflex velocities expected for this system, and show that it provides a good target for future radial velocity observations. If a precise orbital period can be determined for the outer Jovian planet through future observations, it will be an excellent candidate for follow-up transit observations to study its atmosphere and measure its oblateness.

We announce the discovery of a highly inflated transiting hot Jupiter by the KELT-North survey. A global analysis including constraints from isochrones indicates that the V = 10.8 host star (HD 343246) is a mildly evolved, G dwarf with K, , , an inferred mass , and radius . The planetary companion has a mass MJ, radius RJ, surface gravity , and density g cm−3. The planet is on a roughly circular orbit with semimajor axis AU and eccentricity . The best-fit linear ephemeris is and days. This planet is one of the most inflated of all known transiting exoplanets, making it one of the few members of a class of extremely low density, highly irradiated gas giants. The low stellar and large implied radius are supported by stellar density constraints from follow-up light curves, as well as an evolutionary and space motion analysis. We also develop a new technique to extract high-precision radial velocities from noisy spectra that reduces the observing time needed to confirm transiting planet candidates. This planet boasts deep transits of a bright star, a large inferred atmospheric scale height, and a high equilibrium temperature of K, assuming zero albedo and perfect heat redistribution, making it one of the best targets for future atmospheric characterization studies.

We present high-precision radial velocities (RVs) from the HARPS-N spectrograph for HD79210 and HD79211, two M0V members of a gravitationally-bound binary system. We detect a planet candidate with a period of $24.421^{+0.016}_{-0.017}$ days around HD79211 in these HARPS-N RVs, validating the planet candidate originally identified in CARMENES RV data alone. Using HARPS-N, CARMENES and HIRES RVs spanning a total of 25 years, we further refine the planet candidate parameters to $P=24.422\pm0.014$ days, $K=3.19\pm0.27$ m/s, $M$ sin $i = 10.6 \pm 1.2 M_\oplus$, and $a = 0.142 \pm0.005$ au. We do not find any additional planet candidate signals in the data of HD79211 nor do we find any planet candidate signals in HD79210. This system adds to the number of exoplanets detected in binaries with M dwarf members, and serves as a case study for planet formation in stellar binaries., Comment: Accepted for publication in AJ, 29 pages, 17 figures

Characterizing the bulk compositions of transiting exoplanets within the M dwarf radius valley offers a unique means to establish whether the radius valley emerges from an atmospheric mass loss process or is imprinted by planet formation itself. We present the confirmation of such a planet orbiting an early M dwarf ($T_{\rm mag} = 11.0294 \pm 0.0074, M_s = 0.513 \pm 0.012\ M_\odot, R_s = 0.515 \pm 0.015\ R_\odot, T_{\rm eff} =3690\pm 50 K$): TOI-1695 b ($P = 3.13$ days, $R_p = 1.90^{+0.16}_{-0.14}\ R_\oplus$). TOI-1695 b's radius and orbital period situate the planet between model predictions from thermally-driven mass loss versus gas depleted formation, offering an important test case for radius valley emergence models around early M dwarfs. We confirm the planetary nature of TOI-1695 b based on five sectors of TESS data and a suite of follow-up observations including 49 precise radial velocity measurements taken with the HARPS-N spectrograph. We measure a planetary mass of $6.36 \pm 1.00\ M_\oplus$, which reveals that TOI-1695 b is inconsistent with a purely terrestrial composition of iron and magnesium silicate, and instead is likely a water-rich planet. Our finding that TOI-1695 b is not terrestrial is inconsistent with the planetary system being sculpted by thermally driven mass loss. We present a statistical analysis of seven well-characterized planets within the M dwarf radius valley demonstrating that a thermally-driven mass loss scenario is unlikely to explain this population., 22 pages, 11 figures. Accepted in AJ

We present mass and radius measurements of K2-79b and K2-222b, two transiting exoplanets orbiting active G-type stars. Their respective 10.99d and 15.39d orbital periods fall near periods of signals induced by stellar magnetic activity. The two signals might therefore interfere and lead to an inaccurate estimate of exoplanet mass. We present a method to mitigate these effects when radial velocity and activity indicator observations are available over multiple observing seasons and the orbital period of the exoplanet is known. We perform correlation and periodogram analyses on sub-sets composed of each target's two observing seasons, in addition to the full data sets. For both targets, these analyses reveal an optimal season with little to no interference at the orbital period of the known exoplanet. We make a confident mass detection of each exoplanet by confirming agreement between fits to the full radial velocity set and the optimal season. For K2-79b, we measure a mass of 11.8 $\pm$ 3.6 $M_{Earth}$ and a radius of 4.09 $\pm$ 0.17 $R_{Earth}$. For K2-222b, we measure a mass of 8.0 $\pm$ 1.8 $M_{Earth}$ and a radius of 2.35 $\pm$ 0.08 $R_{Earth}$. According to model predictions, K2-79b is a highly irradiated Uranus-analog and K2-222b hosts significant amounts of water ice. We also present an RV solution for a candidate second companion orbiting K2-222 at 147.5d., Comment: 33 pages, 17 figures, 13 tables