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Pioneering photometric, astrometric, and spectroscopic surveys is helping exoplanetary scientists better constrain the fundamental properties of stars within our galaxy and the planets these stars host. In this study, we use the third data release from the stellar spectroscopic GALAH Survey, coupled with astrometric data of eDR3 from the Gaia satellite, and other data from NASA's Exoplanet Archive, to refine our understanding of 279 confirmed and candidate exoplanet host stars and their exoplanets. This homogenously analysed data set comprises 105 confirmed exoplanets, along with 146 K2 candidates, 95 TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), and 52 Community TOIs (CTOIs). Our analysis significantly shifts several previously (unknown) planet parameters while decreasing the uncertainties for others. Our radius estimates suggest that 35 planet candidates are more likely brown dwarfs or stellar companions due to their new radius values. We are able to refine the radii and masses of WASP-47 e, K2-106 b, and CoRoT-7 b to their most precise values yet to less than 2.3 per cent and 8.5 per cent, respectively. We also use stellar rotational values from GALAH to show that most planet candidates will have mass measurements that will be tough to obtain with current ground-based spectrographs. With GALAH's chemical abundances, we show through chemo-kinematics that there are five planet hosts that are associated with the galaxy's thick disc, including NGTS-4, K2-183, and K2-337. Finally, we show that there is no statistical difference between the chemical properties of hot Neptune and hot rocky exoplanet hosts, with the possibility that short-period rocky worlds might be the remnant cores of hotter, gaseous worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unprecedented number of exoplanets are being discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Determining the orbital parameters of these exoplanets, and especially their mass and radius, will depend heavily upon the measured physical characteristics of their host stars. We have cross-matched spectroscopic, photometric, and astrometric data from GALAH Data Release 2, the TESS Input Catalog and Gaia Data Release 2, to create a curated, self-consistent catalogue of physical and chemical properties for 47 285 stars. Using these data, we have derived isochrone masses and radii that are precise to within 5 per cent. We have revised the parameters of three confirmed, and twelve candidate, TESS planetary systems. These results cast doubt on whether CTOI-20125677 is indeed a planetary system, since the revised planetary radii are now comparable to stellar sizes. Our GALAH– TESS catalogue contains abundances for up to 23 elements. We have specifically analysed the molar ratios for C/O, Mg/Si, Fe/Si, and Fe/Mg, to assist in determining the composition and structure of planets with Rp < 4R⊕. From these ratios, 36 per cent fall within 2 |$\sigma$| sigma of the Sun/Earth values, suggesting that these stars may host rocky exoplanets with geological compositions similar to planets found within our own Solar system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a warm sub-Saturn, TOI-257b (HD 19916b), based on data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The transit signal was detected by TESS and confirmed to be of planetary origin based on radial velocity observations. An analysis of the TESS photometry, the Minerva -Australis, FEROS, and HARPS radial velocities, and the asteroseismic data of the stellar oscillations reveals that TOI-257b has a mass of MP  = 0.138 ± 0.023  |$\rm {M_J}$| (43.9 ± 7.3  |$\, M_{\rm \oplus}$|⁠), a radius of RP  = 0.639 ± 0.013  |$\rm {R_J}$| (7.16 ± 0.15  |$\, \mathrm{ R}_{\rm \oplus}$|⁠), bulk density of |$0.65^{+0.12}_{-0.11}$| (cgs), and period |$18.38818^{+0.00085}_{-0.00084}$|   |$\rm {days}$|⁠. TOI-257b orbits a bright (V = 7.612 mag) somewhat evolved late F-type star with M * = 1.390 ± 0.046  |$\rm {M_{sun}}$|⁠ , R * = 1.888 ± 0.033  |$\rm {R_{sun}}$|⁠ , T eff = 6075 ± 90  |$\rm {K}$|⁠ , and v sin  i  = 11.3 ± 0.5 km s−1. Additionally, we find hints for a second non-transiting sub-Saturn mass planet on a ∼71 day orbit using the radial velocity data. This system joins the ranks of a small number of exoplanet host stars (∼100) that have been characterized with asteroseismology. Warm sub-Saturns are rare in the known sample of exoplanets, and thus the discovery of TOI-257b is important in the context of future work studying the formation and migration history of similar planetary systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and precise radius estimates of transiting exoplanets are critical for understanding their compositions and formation mechanisms. To know the planet, we must know the host star in as much detail as possible. We present complete results for planet-candidate hosts from the K2-HERMES survey, which uses the HERMES multi-object spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope to obtain |$R\sim 28\, 000$| spectra for more than 30 000 K2 stars. We present complete host-star parameters and planet-candidate radii for 224 K2 candidate planets from C1–C13. Our results cast severe doubt on 30 K2 candidates, as we derive unphysically large radii, larger than 2 R Jup. This work highlights the importance of obtaining accurate, precise, and self-consistent stellar parameters for ongoing large planet search programs – something that will only become more important in the coming years, as TESS begins to deliver its own harvest of exoplanets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of dust in the interstellar medium (ISM) nearest the Sun are poorly understood because the low column densities of dust toward nearby stars induce little photometric reddening, rendering the grains largely undetectable. Stellar polarimetry offers one pathway to deducing the properties of this diffuse material. Here we present multi-wavelength aperture polarimetry measurements of seven bright stars chosen to probe interstellar polarization near the edge of the Local Hot Bubble (LHB) – an amorphous region of relatively low-density interstellar gas and dust extending ∼70–150 pc from the Sun. The measurements were taken using the HIgh Precision Polarimetric Instrument (HIPPI) on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope. HIPPI is an aperture stellar polarimeter with a demonstrated sensitivity of 4.3 parts-per-million (ppm). Of the stars observed two are polarized to a much greater degree than the others; they have a wavelength of maximum polarization (λmax) of ∼550 ± 20 nm – similar to that of stars beyond the LHB – and we conclude that they are in the wall of the LHB. The remaining five stars have polarizations of ∼70–160 ppm, of these four have a much bluer λmax, ∼350 ± 50 nm. Bluer values of λmax may indicate grains shocked during the evolution of the Loop I Superbubble. The remaining star, HD 4150 is not well fit by a Serkowski curve, and may be intrinsically polarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detecting the small velocity amplitudes (≤ 10 m/s) produced by habitable zone rocky planets around M Dwarfs requires radial velocity precisions of a few m s−1. However, an iodine absorption cell, commonly used as a high precision wavelength reference on non-stabilised spectrographs, is not efficient for very red and faint objects like M Dwarfs. Instead, arc lamps have to be used. With the exception of the ultra-stabilised HARPS spectrograph, achieving ~m s−1 calibration with arc lamps has not been possible because typical spectrographs experience drifts of several hundred m s−1 due to local atmospheric changes in pressure and temperature. We outline and present results from an innovative differential wavelength calibration method that enables ~m s−1 precision from non-stabilised, high-resolution spectrographs. This technique allows the detection of rocky planets with radial velocity amplitudes of a few m s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We measured the spin-orbit misalignment for WASP-79b, a transiting hot Jupiter from the WASP survey. Using the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect during the transit event, we determined the sky-projected obliquity to be λ = −106+10−8○. This result indicates that the planet is in a nearly polar orbit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]