Search

Context. Planets with radii of between 2-4 RE closely orbiting solar-type stars are of significant importance for studying the transition from rocky to giant planets. Aims. Our goal is to determine the mass of a transiting planet around the very bright F6 star HD 73344 . This star exhibits high activity and has a rotation period that is close to the orbital period of the planet. Methods. The transiting planet, initially a K2 candidate, is confirmed through TESS observations . We refined its parameters and rule out a false positive with Spitzer observations. We analyzed high-precision RV data from the SOPHIE and HIRES spectrographs. We conducted separate and joint analyses using the PASTIS software. We used a novel observing strategy, targeting the star at high cadence for two consecutive nights with SOPHIE to understand the short-term stellar variability. We modeled stellar noise with two Gaussian processes. Results. High-cadence RV observations provide better constraints on stellar variability and precise orbital parameters for the transiting planet. The derived mean density suggests a sub-Neptune-type composition, but uncertainties in the planet's mass prevent a detailed characterization. In addition, we find a periodic signal in the RV data that we attribute to the signature of a nontransiting exoplanet, without totally excluding the possibility of a nonplanetary origin. Dynamical analyses confirm the stability of the two-planet system and provide constraints on the inclination of the candidate planet; these findings favor a near-coplanar system. Conclusions. While the transiting planet orbits the bright star at a short period, stellar activity prevented us from precise mass measurements. Long-term RV tracking of this planet could improve this measurement, as well as our understanding of the activity of the host star., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Context: The search for extrasolar planets around the nearest M dwarfs is a crucial step towards identifying the nearest Earth-like planets. One of the main challenges in this search is that M dwarfs can be magnetically active and stellar activity can produce radial velocity (RV) signals that could mimic those of a planet. Aims: We aim to investigate whether the 2.2 day period observed in optical RVs of the nearby active M dwarf star Gl 388 (AD Leo) is due to stellar activity or to a planet that corotates with the star as suggested in the past. Methods: We obtained quasi-simultaneous optical RVs of Gl 388 from 2019 to 2021 with SOPHIE (R~75k) at the OHP in France, and near-IR RV and Stokes V measurements with SPIRou at the CFHT (R~70k). Results: The SOPHIE RV time series displays a periodic signal with a 2.23+-0.01 day period and 23.6+-0.5 m/s amplitude, which is consistent with previous HARPS observations obtained in 2005-2006. The SPIRou RV time series is flat at 5 m/s rms and displays no periodic signals. RV signals of amplitude higher than 5.3 m/s at a period of 2.23 days can be excluded with a confidence level higher than 99%. Using the modulation of the longitudinal magnetic field (Bl) measured with SPIRou, we derive a stellar rotation period of 2.2305+-0.0016 days. Conclusions: SPIRou RV measurements provide solid evidence that the periodic variability of the optical RVs of Gl 388 is due to stellar activity rather than to a corotating planet. The magnetic activity nature of the optical RV signal is further confirmed by the modulation of Bl with the same period. The SPIRou campaign on Gl 388 demonstrates the power of near-IR RV to confirm or infirm planet candidates discovered in the optical around active stars. SPIRou observations reiterate how effective spectropolarimetry is at determining the stellar rotation period., Comment: 25 pages, 23 figures, Accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics; [v2] version implementing A&A language editor suggestions; [v3] improved ascii characters for ADS metadata visualization; [v4] minor corrections added in proof

We report the discovery and characterisation of the transiting mini-Neptune HD~207496~b (TOI-1099) as part of a large programme that aims to characterise naked core planets. We obtained HARPS spectroscopic observations, one ground-based transit, and high-resolution imaging which we combined with the TESS photometry to confirm and characterise the TESS candidate and its host star. The host star is an active early K dwarf with a mass of $0.80 \pm 0.04\,$M$_\odot$, a radius of $0.769 \pm 0.026\,$R$_\odot$, and a G magnitude of 8. We found that the host star is young, $\sim 0.52\,$ Myr, allowing us to gain insight into planetary evolution. We derived a planetary mass of $6.1 \pm 1.6\,\mathrm{M}_E$,\, a planetary radius of $2.25 \pm 0.12\,\mathrm{R}_E$,\ and a planetary density of $\rho_p = 3.27_{-0.91}^{+0.97}\,\mathrm{g.cm^{-3}}$. From internal structure modelling of the planet, we conclude that the planet has either a water-rich envelope, a gas-rich envelope, or a mixture of both. We have performed evaporation modelling of the planet. If we assume the planet has a gas-rich envelope, we find that the planet has lost a significant fraction of its envelope and its radius has shrunk. Furthermore, we estimate it will lose all its remaining gaseous envelope in $\sim 0.52\,$ Gyr. Otherwise, the planet could have already lost all its primordial gas and is now a bare ocean planet. Further observations of its possible atmosphere and/or mass-loss rate would allow us to distinguish between these two hypotheses. Such observations would determine if the planet remains above the radius gap or if it will shrink and be below the gap., Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures, 4 tables, A&A accepted

Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, possesses an internal water ocean and jets expelling ocean material into space. Cassini investigations indicated that the subsurface ocean could be a habitable environment having a complex interaction with the rocky core. Further investigation of the composition of the plume formed by the jets is necessary to fully understand the ocean, its potential habitability, and what it tells us about Enceladus' origin. Moonraker has been proposed as an ESA M-class mission designed to orbit Saturn and perform multiple flybys of Enceladus, focusing on traversals of the plume. The proposed Moonraker mission consists of an ESA-provided platform, with strong heritage from JUICE and Mars Sample Return, and carrying a suite of instruments dedicated to plume and surface analysis. The nominal Moonraker mission has a duration of 13.5 years. It includes a 23-flyby segment with 189 days allocated for the science phase, and can be expanded with additional segments if resources allow. The mission concept consists in investigating: i) the habitability conditions of present-day Enceladus and its internal ocean, ii) the mechanisms at play for the communication between the internal ocean and the surface of the South Polar Terrain, and iii) the formation conditions of the moon. Moonraker, thanks to state-of-the-art instruments representing a significant improvement over Cassini's payload, would quantify the abundance of key species in the plume, isotopic ratios, and physical parameters of the plume and the surface. Such a mission would pave the way for a possible future landed mission., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journal

The current architecture of a given multi-planetary system is a key fingerprint of its past formation and dynamical evolution history. Long-term follow-up observations are key to complete their picture. In this paper we focus on the confirmation and characterization of the components of the TOI-969 planetary system, where TESS detected a Neptune-size planet candidate in a very close-in orbit around a late K-dwarf star. We use a set of precise radial velocity observations from HARPS, PFS and CORALIE instruments covering more than two years in combination with the TESS photometric light curve and other ground-based follow-up observations to confirm and characterize the components of this planetary system. We find that TOI-969 b is a transiting close-in ($P_b\sim 1.82$ days) mini-Neptune planet ($m_b=9.1^{+1.1}_{-1.0}$ M$_{\oplus}$, $R_b=2.765^{+0.088}_{-0.097}$ R$_{\oplus}$), thus placing it on the {lower boundary} of the hot-Neptune desert ($T_{\rm eq,b}=941\pm31$ K). The analysis of its internal structure shows that TOI-969 b is a volatile-rich planet, suggesting it underwent an inward migration. The radial velocity model also favors the presence of a second massive body in the system, TOI-969 c, with a long period of $P_c=1700^{+290}_{-280}$ days and a minimum mass of $m_{c}\sin{i_c}=11.3^{+1.1}_{-0.9}$ M$_{\rm Jup}$, and with a highly-eccentric orbit of $e_c=0.628^{+0.043}_{-0.036}$. The TOI-969 planetary system is one of the few around K-dwarfs known to have this extended configuration going from a very close-in planet to a wide-separation gaseous giant. TOI-969 b has a transmission spectroscopy metric of 93, and it orbits a moderately bright ($G=11.3$ mag) star, thus becoming an excellent target for atmospheric studies. The architecture of this planetary system can also provide valuable information about migration and formation of planetary systems., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 25 pages, 15 figures, 12 tables

Comet C/2016 R2 PanSTARRS (hereafter C/2016 R2) presents an unusually high N2/CO abundance ratio, as well as a heavy depletion in H2O, making it the only known comet of its kind. Understanding its dynamical history is therefore of essential importance as it would allow us to gain a clearer understanding of the evolution of planetesimal formation in our Solar System. Two studies have independently estimated the possible origin of this comet from building blocks formed in a peculiar region of the protoplanetary disk, near the ice line of CO and N2. We intend to investigate the fates of objects formed from the building blocks in these regions. We hope to find a possible explanation for the lack of C/2016 R2-like comets in our Solar System. Using a numerical simulation of the early stages of Solar System formation, we track the dynamics of these objects in the Jumping Neptune scenario based on five different initial conditions for the protosolar disk. We integrate the positions of 250 000 planetesimals over time in order to analyze the evolution of their orbits and create a statistical profile of their expected permanent orbit. Results. We find that objects formed in the region of the CO- and N2- ice lines are highly likely to be sent towards the Oort Cloud or possibly ejected from the Solar System altogether on a relatively short timescale. In all our simulations, over 90% of clones formed in this region evolved into a hyperbolic trajectory, and between 1% and 10% were potentially captured by the Oort Cloud. The handful of comets that remained were either on long-period, highly eccentric orbits like C/2016 R2, or absorbed into the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt. Comets formed <15 au were predominantly ejected early in the formation timeline. As this is the formation zone likely to produce comets of this composition, this process could explain the lack of similar comets observed in the Solar System, Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures

We present new, ice species-specific New Horizons/Alice upper gas coma production limits from the 01 Jan 2019 MU69/Arrokoth flyby of Gladstone et al. (2021) and use them to make predictions about the rarity of majority hypervolatile (CO, N$_2$, CH$_4$) ices in KBOs and Oort Cloud comets. These predictions have a number of important implications for the study of the Oort Cloud, including: determination of hypervolatile rich comets as the first objects emplaced into the Oort Cloud; measurement of CO/N$_2$/CH$_4$ abundance ratios in the proto-planetary disk from hypervolatile rich comets; and population statistical constraints on early (< 20 Myr) planetary aggregation driven versus later (> 50 Myr) planetary migration driven emplacement of objects into the Oort Cloud. They imply that the phenomenon of ultra-distant active comets like C/2017K2 (Jewitt et al. 2017, Hui et al. 2018) should be rare, and thus not a general characteristic of all comets. They also suggest that interstellar object 2I/Borisov did not originate in a planetary system that was inordinately CO rich (Bodewits et al. 2020), but rather could have been ejected onto an interstellar trajectory very early in its natal system's history., Comment: 16 Pages, 2 Figures, 1 Table; accepted for Publication in PSJ 14-Mar-2022

A stellar occultation by Neptune's main satellite, Triton, was observed on 5 October 2017 from Europe, North Africa, and the USA. We derived 90 light curves from this event, 42 of which yielded a central flash detection. We aimed at constraining Triton's atmospheric structure and the seasonal variations of its atmospheric pressure since the Voyager 2 epoch (1989). We also derived the shape of the lower atmosphere from central flash analysis. We used Abel inversions and direct ray-tracing code to provide the density, pressure, and temperature profiles in the altitude range $\sim$8 km to $\sim$190 km, corresponding to pressure levels from 9 {\mu}bar down to a few nanobars. Results. (i) A pressure of 1.18$\pm$0.03 {\mu}bar is found at a reference radius of 1400 km (47 km altitude). (ii) A new analysis of the Voyager 2 radio science occultation shows that this is consistent with an extrapolation of pressure down to the surface pressure obtained in 1989. (iii) A survey of occultations obtained between 1989 and 2017 suggests that an enhancement in surface pressure as reported during the 1990s might be real, but debatable, due to very few high S/N light curves and data accessible for reanalysis. The volatile transport model analysed supports a moderate increase in surface pressure, with a maximum value around 2005-2015 no higher than 23 {\mu}bar. The pressures observed in 1995-1997 and 2017 appear mutually inconsistent with the volatile transport model presented here. (iv) The central flash structure does not show evidence of an atmospheric distortion. We find an upper limit of 0.0011 for the apparent oblateness of the atmosphere near the 8 km altitude., Comment: 52 pages, 26 figures in the main paper, 2 figures in appendix B, 9 figures in appendix C, 1 long table over 5 pages

Most of the currently known planets are small worlds with radii between that of the Earth and that of Neptune. The characterization of planets in this regime shows a large diversity in compositions and system architectures, with distributions hinting at a multitude of formation and evolution scenarios. Using photometry from the K2 satellite and radial velocities measured with the HARPS and CORALIE spectrographs, we searched for planets around the bright and slightly evolved Sun-like star HD 137496. We precisely estimated the stellar parameters, $M_*$ = 1.035 +/- 0.022 $M_\odot$, $R_*$ = 1.587 +/- 0.028 $R_\odot$, $T_\text{eff}$ = 5799 +/- 61 K, together with the chemical composition of the slightly evolved star. We detect two planets orbiting HD 137496. The inner planet, HD 137496 b, is a super-Mercury (an Earth-sized planet with the density of Mercury) with a mass of $M_b$ = 4.04 +/- 0.55 $M_\oplus$, a radius of $R_b = 1.31_{-0.05}^{+0.06} R_\oplus,$ and a density of $\rho_b = 10.49_{-1.82}^{+2.08}$ $\mathrm{g cm^{-3}}$. With an interior modeling analysis, we find that the planet is composed mainly of iron, with the core representing over 70% of the planet's mass ($M_{core}/M_{total} = 0.73^{+0.11}_{-0.12}$). The outer planet, HD 137496 c, is an eccentric ($e$ = 0.477 +/- 0.004), long period ($P$ = $479.9_{-1.1}^{+1.0}$ days) giant planet ($M_c\sin i_c$ = 7.66 +/- 0.11 $M_{Jup}$) for which we do not detect a transit. HD 137496 b is one of the few super-Mercuries detected to date. The accurate characterization reported here enhances its role as a key target to better understand the formation and evolution of planetary systems. The detection of an eccentric long period giant companion also reinforces the link between the presence of small transiting inner planets and long period gas giants., Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures, 10 tables. To be published in A&A

We present the discovery and characterization of a transiting sub-Neptune orbiting with a 16.20 day period around a nearby (28 pc) and bright(V=8.37) K0V star HD207897 (TOI-1611). This discovery is based on photometric measurements from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS) mission and radial velocity (RV) observations from the SOPHIE, Automated Planet Finder (APF) and HIRES high precision spectrographs. We used EXOFASTv2 for simultaneously modeling the parameters of the planet and its host star, combining photometric and RV data to determine the planetary system parameters. We show that the planet has a radius of 2.50+/-0.08 RE and a mass of either 14.4+/-1.6 ME or 15.9+/-1.6 ME with nearly equal probability; the two solutions correspond to two possibilities for the stellar activity period. Hence, the density is either 5.1+/-0.7 g cm^-3 or 5.5^{+0.8}_{-0.7} g cm^-3, making it one of the relatively rare dense sub-Neptunes. The existence of such a dense planet at only 0.12 AU from its host star is unusual in the currently observed sub-Neptune (2

Distinguishing classes within substellar objects and understanding their formation and evolution need larger samples of substellar companions such as exoplanets, brown dwarfs, and low-mass stars. In this paper, we look for substellar companions using radial velocity surveys of FGK stars with the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence. We assign here the radial velocity variations of 27 stars to their orbital motion induced by low-mass companions. We also constrained their plane-of-the-sky motion using HIPPARCOS and Gaia Data Release 1 measurements, which constrain the true masses of some of these companions. We report the detection and characterization of six cool Jupiters, three brown dwarf candidates, and 16 low-mass stellar companions. We additionally update the orbital parameters of the low-mass star HD 8291 B, and we conclude that the radial velocity variations of HD 204277 are likely due to stellar activity despite resembling the signal of a giant planet. One of the new giant planets, BD+631405 b, adds to the population of highly eccentric cool Jupiters, and it is presently the most massive member. Two of the cool Jupiter systems also exhibit signatures of an additional outer companion. The orbital periods of the new companions span 30 days to 11.5 years, their masses 0.72 Jupiter mass to 0.61 Solar mass, and their eccentricities 0.04 to 0.88. These discoveries probe the diversity of substellar objects and low-mass stars, which will help constrain the models of their formation and evolution., Comment: 27 pages, 14 figures, 13 tables, Accepted in A&A

In this paper we report the discovery of TOI-220 $b$, a new sub-Neptune detected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and confirmed by radial velocity follow-up observations with the HARPS spectrograph. Based on the combined analysis of TESS transit photometry and high precision radial velocity measurements we estimate a planetary mass of 13.8 $\pm$ 1.0 M$_{Earth}$ and radius of 3.03 $\pm$ 0.15 R$_{Earth}$, implying a bulk density of 2.73 $\pm$ 0.47 $\textrm{g cm}^{-3}$. TOI-220 $b$ orbits a relative bright (V=10.4) and old (10.1$\pm$1.4 Gyr) K dwarf star with a period of $\sim$10.69 d. Thus, TOI-220 $b$ is a new warm sub-Neptune with very precise mass and radius determinations. A Bayesian analysis of the TOI-220 $b$ internal structure indicates that due to the strong irradiation it receives, the low density of this planet could be explained with a steam atmosphere in radiative-convective equilibrium and a supercritical water layer on top of a differentiated interior made of a silicate mantle and a small iron core., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

LHS 1140 is an M dwarf known to host two known transiting planets at orbital periods of 3.77 and 24.7 days. The external planet (LHS 1140 b) is a rocky super-Earth that is located in the middle of the habitable zone of this low-mass star, placing this system at the forefront of the habitable exoplanet exploration. We further characterize this system by improving the physical and orbital properties and search for additional planetary-mass components in the system, also exploring the possibility of co-orbitals. We collected 113 new radial velocity observations with ESPRESSO over a 1.5-year time span with an average photon-noise precision of 1.07 m/s. We determine new masses with a precision of 6% for LHS 1140 b ($6.48 \pm 0.46~M_{\oplus}$) and 9% for LHS 1140 c ($m_c=1.78 \pm 0.17~M_{\oplus}$), reducing by half the previously published uncertainties. Although both planets have Earth-like bulk compositions, the internal structure analysis suggests that LHS 1140 b might be iron-enriched. In both cases, the water content is compatible to a maximum fraction of 10-12% in mass, which is equivalent to a deep ocean layer of $779 \pm 650$ km for the habitable-zone planet LHS 1140 b. Our results also provide evidence for a new planet candidate in the system ($m_d= 4.8\pm1.1~M_{\oplus}$) on a ~78.9-day orbital period, which is detected through three independent methods. The analysis also allows us to discard other planets above 0.5 $M_{\oplus}$ for periods shorter than 10 days and above 2 $M_{\oplus}$ for periods up to one year. Finally, our analysis discards co-orbital planets of LHS 1140 b down to 1 $M_{\oplus}$. Indications for a possible co-orbital signal in LHS 1140 c are detected in both radial velocity and photometric data, however. The new characterization of the system make it a key target for atmospheric studies of rocky worlds at different stellar irradiations, Comment: 22 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables, published in A&A journal (see https://www.aanda.org/component/article?access=doi&doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202038922)

We discuss in a thermodynamic, geologically empirical way the long-term nature of the stable majority ices that could be present in Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69 after its 4.6 Gyr residence in the EKB as a cold classical object. Considering the stability versus sublimation into vacuum for the suite of ices commonly found on comets, Centaurs, and KBOs at the average ~40K sunlit surface temperature of MU69 over Myr to Gyr, we find only 3 common ices that are truly refractory: HCN, CH3OH, and H2O (in order of increasing stability). NH3 and H2CO ices are marginally stable and may be removed by any positive temperature excursions in the EKB, as produced every 1e8 - 1e9 yrs by nearby supernovae and passing O/B stars. To date the NH team has reported the presence of abundant CH3OH and evidence for H2O on MU69s surface (Lisse et al. 2017, Grundy et al. 2020). NH3 has been searched for, but not found. We predict that future absorption feature detections will be due to an HCN or poly-H2CO based species. Consideration of the conditions present in the EKB region during the formation era of MU69 lead us to infer that it formed "in the dark", in an optically thick mid-plane, unable to see the nascent, variable, highly luminous Young Stellar Object-TTauri Sun, and that KBOs contain HCN and CH3OH ice phases in addition to the H2O ice phases found in their Short Period comet descendants. Finally, when we apply our ice thermal stability analysis to bodies/populations related to MU69, we find that methanol ice may be ubiquitous in the outer solar system; that if Pluto is not a fully differentiated body, then it must have gained its hypervolatile ices from proto-planetary disk sources in the first few Myr of the solar systems existence; and that hypervolatile rich, highly primordial comet C/2016 R2 was placed onto an Oort Cloud orbit on a similar timescale., Comment: 34 Pages, 5 Figures, 2 SOM Tables

Observations of ultra-hot Jupiters indicate the existence of thermal inversion in their atmospheres with day-side temperatures greater than 2200 K. Various physical mechanisms such as non-local thermal equilibrium, cloud formation, disequilibrium chemistry, ionisation, hydrodynamic waves and associated energy, have been omitted in previous spectral retrievals while they play an important role on the thermal structure of their upper atmospheres.We aim at exploring the atmospheric properties of WASP-19b to understand its largely featureless thermal spectra using a state-of-the-art atmosphere code that includes a detailed treatment of the most important physical and chemical processes at play in such atmospheres.We used the one-dimensional line-by-line radiative transfer code PHOENIX in its spherical symmetry configuration including the BT-Settl cloud model and C/O disequilibrium chemistry to analyse the observed thermal spectrum of WASP-19b. Results. We find evidence for a thermal inversion in the day-side atmosphere of the highly irradiated ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-19b with Teq ~ 2700 K. At these high temperatures we find that H2O dissociates thermally at pressure below 10^-2 bar. The inverted temperature-pressure profiles of WASP-19b show the evidence of CO emission features at 4.5 micron in its secondary eclipse spectra.We find that the atmosphere ofWASP-19b is thermally inverted.We infer that the thermal inversion is due to the strong impinging radiation. We show that H2O is partially dissociated in the upper atmosphere above about tau = 10^-2, but is still a significant contributor to the infrared-opacity, dominated by CO. The high-temperature and low-density conditions cause H2O to have a flatter opacity profile than in non-irradiated brown dwarfs.Altogether these factors makes H2O more difficult to identify in WASP-19b., Comment: 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

High-precision planetary densities are key to derive robust atmospheric properties for extrasolar planets. Measuring precise masses is the most challenging part, especially in multi-planetary systems. We measure the masses and densities of a four-planet near resonant chain system (K2-32), and a young ($\sim400$ Myr old) planetary system consisting of three close-in small planets (K2-233). We obtained 199 new HARPS observations for K2-32 and 124 for K2-233 covering a more than three year baseline. We find that K2-32 is a compact scaled-down version of the Solar System's architecture, with a small rocky inner planet (M$_e=2.1^{+1.3}_{-1.1}$~M$_{\oplus}$, P$_e\sim4.35$~days) followed by an inflated Neptune-mass planet (M$_b=15.0^{+1.8}_{-1.7}$~M$_{\oplus}$, P$_b\sim8.99$~days) and two external sub-Neptunes (M$_c=8.1\pm2.4$~M$_{\oplus}$, P$_c\sim20.66$~days; M$_d=6.7\pm2.5$~M$_{\oplus}$, P$_d\sim31.72$~days). K2-32 becomes one of the few multi-planetary systems with four or more planets known with measured masses and radii. Additionally, we constrain the masses of the three planets in K2-233. For the two inner Earth-size planets we constrain their masses to be smaller than M$_b<11.3$ M$_{\oplus}$ (P$_b\sim2.47$~days), M$_c<12.8$ M$_{\oplus}$ (P$_c\sim7.06$~days). The outer planet is a sub-Neptune size planet with an inferred mass of M$_d=8.3^{+5.2}_{-4.7}$ M$_{\oplus}$ (M$_d<21.1$ M$_{\oplus}$, P$_d\sim24.36$~days). Our observations of these two planetary systems confirm for the first time the rocky nature of two planets orbiting a young star, with relatively short orbital periods ($<7$ days). They provide key information for planet formation and evolution models of telluric planets. Additionally, the Neptune-like derived masses of the three planets K2-32 b, c, d puts them in a relatively unexplored regime of incident flux and planet mass, key for transmission spectroscopy studies., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 21 pages, 12 figures, 11 Tables

We investigate the enrichment patterns of several delivery scenarios of the volatiles to the atmospheres of ice giants, having in mind that the only well constrained determination made remotely, i.e. the carbon abundance measurement, suggests that their envelopes possess highly supersolar metallicities, i.e. close to two orders of magnitude above that of the protosolar nebula. In the framework of the core accretion model, only the delivery of volatiles in solid forms (amorphous ice, clathrates, pure condensates) to these planets can account for the apparent supersolar metallicity of their envelopes. In contrast, because of the inward drift of icy particles through various snowlines, all mechanisms invoking the delivery of volatiles in vapor forms predict subsolar abundances in the envelopes of Uranus and Neptune. Alternatively, even if the disk instability mechanism remains questionable in our solar system, it might be consistent with the supersolar metallicities observed in Uranus and Neptune, assuming the two planets suffered subsequent erosion of their H-He envelopes. The enrichment patterns derived for each delivery scenario considered should be useful to interpret future in situ measurements by atmospheric entry probes., Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, TESS, is currently carrying out an all-sky search for small planets transiting bright stars. In the first year of the TESS survey, steady progress was made in achieving the mission's primary science goal of establishing bulk densities for 50 planets smaller than Neptune. During that year, TESS's observations were focused on the southern ecliptic hemisphere, resulting in the discovery of three mini-Neptunes orbiting the star TOI-125, a V=11.0 K0 dwarf. We present intensive HARPS radial velocity observations, yielding precise mass measurements for TOI-125b, TOI-125c and TOI-125d. TOI-125b has an orbital period of 4.65 days, a radius of $2.726 \pm 0.075 ~\mathrm{R_{\rm E}}$, a mass of $ 9.50 \pm 0.88 ~\mathrm{M_{\rm E}}$ and is near the 2:1 mean motion resonance with TOI-125c at 9.15 days. TOI-125c has a similar radius of $2.759 \pm 0.10 ~\mathrm{R_{\rm E}}$ and a mass of $ 6.63 \pm 0.99 ~\mathrm{M_{\rm E}}$, being the puffiest of the three planets. TOI-125d, has an orbital period of 19.98 days and a radius of $2.93 \pm 0.17~\mathrm{R_{\rm E}}$ and mass $13.6 \pm 1.2 ~\mathrm{M_{\rm E}}$. For TOI-125b and TOI-125d we find unusual high eccentricities of $0.19\pm 0.04$ and $0.17^{+0.08}_{-0.06}$, respectively. Our analysis also provides upper mass limits for the two low-SNR planet candidates in the system; for TOI-125.04 ($R_P=1.36 ~\mathrm{R_{\rm E}}$, $P=$0.53 days) we find a $2\sigma$ upper mass limit of $1.6~\mathrm{M_{\rm E}}$, whereas TOI-125.05 ( $R_P=4.2^{+2.4}_{-1.4} ~\mathrm{R_{\rm E}}$, $P=$ 13.28 days) is unlikely a viable planet candidate with upper mass limit $2.7~\mathrm{M_{\rm E}}$. We discuss the internal structure of the three confirmed planets, as well as dynamical stability and system architecture for this intriguing exoplanet system., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

Since 2011, the SOPHIE spectrograph has been used to search for Neptunes and super-Earths in the Northern Hemisphere. As part of this observational program, 290 radial velocity measurements of the 6.4 V magnitude star HD 158259 were obtained. Additionally, TESS photometric measurements of this target are available. We present an analysis of the SOPHIE data and compare our results with the output of the TESS pipeline. The radial velocity data, ancillary spectroscopic indices, and ground-based photometric measurements were analyzed with classical and $\ell_1$ periodograms. The stellar activity was modeled as a correlated Gaussian noise and its impact on the planet detection was measured with a new technique. The SOPHIE data support the detection of five planets, each with $m \sin i \approx 6 M_\oplus$, orbiting HD 158259 in 3.4, 5.2, 7.9, 12, and 17.4 days. Though a planetary origin is strongly favored, the 17.4 d signal is classified as a planet candidate due to a slightly lower statistical significance and to its proximity to the expected stellar rotation period. The data also present low frequency variations, most likely originating from a magnetic cycle and instrument systematics. Furthermore, the TESS pipeline reports a significant signal at 2.17 days corresponding to a planet of radius $\approx 1.2 R_\oplus$. A compatible signal is seen in the radial velocities, which confirms the detection of an additional planet and yields a $\approx 2 M_\oplus$ mass estimate. We find a system of five planets and a strong candidate near a 3:2 mean motion resonance chain orbiting HD 158259. The planets are found to be outside of the two and three body resonances., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Transiting extrasolar planets are key objects in the study of the formation, migration, and evolution of planetary systems. In particular, the exploration of the atmospheres of giant planets, through transmission spectroscopy or direct imaging, has revealed a large diversity in their chemical composition and physical properties. Studying these giant planets allows one to test the global climate models that are used for the Earth and other solar system planets. However, these studies are mostly limited either to highly-irradiated transiting giant planets or directly-imaged giant planets at large separations. Here we report the physical characterisation of the planets in a bright multi-planetary system (HIP41378) in which the outer planet, HIP41378 f is a Saturn-sized planet (9.2 $\pm$ 0.1 R$_\oplus$) with an anomalously low density of 0.09 $\pm$ 0.02 g cm$^{-3}$ that is not yet understood. Its equilibrium temperature is about 300 K. Therefore, it represents a planet with a mild temperature, in between the hot Jupiters and the colder giant planets of the Solar System. It opens a new window for atmospheric characterisation of giant exoplanets with a moderate irradiation, with the next-generation space telescopes such as JWST and ARIEL as well as the extremely-large ground-based telescopes. HIP41378 f is thus an important laboratory to understand the effect of the irradiation on the physical properties and chemical composition of the atmosphere of planets., Comment: Preprint submitted to Nature Astronomy. The results have not been peer-reviewed yet. Supplementary informations available as ancillary file

The detection of low-mass transiting exoplanets in multiple systems brings new constraints to planetary formation and evolution processes and challenges the current planet formation theories. Nevertheless, only a mere fraction of the small planets detected by Kepler and K2 have precise mass measurements, which are mandatory to constrain their composition. We aim to characterise the planets that orbit the relatively bright star K2-138. This system is dynamically particular as it presents the longest chain known to date of planets close to the 3:2 resonance. We obtained 215 HARPS spectra from which we derived the radial-velocity variations of K2-138. Via a joint Bayesian analysis of both the K2 photometry and HARPS radial-velocities (RVs), we constrained the parameters of the six planets in orbit. The masses of the four inner planets, from b to e, are 3.1, 6.3, 7.9, and 13.0 $\mathrm{M}_{\oplus}$ with a precision of 34%, 20%, 18%, and 15%, respectively. The bulk densities are 4.9, 2.8, 3.2, and 1.8 g cm$^{-3}$, ranging from Earth to Neptune-like values. For planets f and g, we report upper limits. Finally, we predict transit timing variations of the order two to six minutes from the masses derived. Given its peculiar dynamics, K2-138 is an ideal target for transit timing variation (TTV) measurements from space with the upcoming CHaracterizing ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS) to study this highly-packed system and compare TTV and RV masses.

We present the detection of a Warm Neptune orbiting the M-dwarf Gl378, using radial velocity measurements obtained with the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence. The star was observed in the context of the SOPHIE exoplanets consortium's subprogramme dedicated to finding planets around M-dwarfs. Gl378 is an M1 star, of solar metallicity, at a distance of 14.96 pc. The single planet detected, Gl378 b, has a minimum mass of 13.02 $\rm M_{Earth}$ and an orbital period of 3.82 days, which place it at the lower boundary of the Hot Neptune desert. As one of only a few such planets around M-dwarfs, Gl378 b provides important clues to the evolutionary history of these close-in planets. In particular, the eccentricity of 0.1 may point to a high-eccentricity migration. The planet may also have lost part of its envelope due to irradiation., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Periodic radial velocity variations in the nearby M-dwarf star Gl411 are reported, based on measurements with the SOPHIE spectrograph. Current data do not allow us to distinguish between a 12.95-day period and its one-day alias at 1.08 days, but favour the former slightly. The velocity variation has an amplitude of 1.6 m/s, making this the lowest-amplitude signal detected with SOPHIE up to now. We have performed a detailed analysis of the significance of the signal and its origin, including extensive simulations with both uncorrelated and correlated noise, representing the signal induced by stellar activity. The signal is significantly detected, and the results from all tests point to its planetary origin. Additionally, the presence of an additional acceleration in the velocity time series is suggested by the current data. On the other hand, a previously reported signal with a period of 9.9 days, detected in HIRES velocities of this star, is not recovered in the SOPHIE data. An independent analysis of the HIRES dataset also fails to unveil the 9.9-day signal. If the 12.95-day period is the real one, the amplitude of the signal detected with SOPHIE implies the presence of a planet, called Gl411 b, with a minimum mass of around three Earth masses, orbiting its star at a distance of 0.079 AU. The planet receives about 3.5 times the insolation received by Earth, which implies an equilibrium temperature between 255 K and 350 K, and makes it too hot to be in the habitable zone. At a distance of only 2.5 pc, Gl411 b, is the third closest low-mass planet detected to date. Its proximity to Earth will permit probing its atmosphere with a combination of high-contrast imaging and high-dispersion spectroscopy in the next decade., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 17 pages, 15 figures (plus Appendices). Added new co-author; minor changes in text

Context. Being the most numerous and oldest stars in the galaxy, M dwarfs are objects of great interest for exoplanet searches. The presence of molecules in their atmosphere complicates our understanding of their atmospheric properties. But great advances have recently been made in the modeling of M dwarfs due to the revision of solar abundances. Aims. We aim to determine stellar parameters of M dwarfs using high resolution spectra (R = 90 000) simultaneously in the visible and the near-infrared. The high resolution spectra and broad wavelength coverage provide an unique opportunity to understand the onset of dust and cloud formation at cool temperatures. Furthermore, this study will help in understanding the physical processes which occur in a cool atmospheres, particularly, the redistribution of energy from the optical to the near-infrared. Methods. The stellar parameters of M dwarfs in our sample have been determined by comparing the high resolution spectra both in the optical and in the near-infrared simultaneously observed by CARMENES with the synthetic spectra obtained from the BT-Settl model atmosphere. The detailed spectral synthesis of these observed spectra both in the optical and in the near-infrared helps to understand the missing continuum opacity. Results. For the first time, we derive fundamental stellar parameters of M dwarfs using the high resolution optical and near-infrared spectra simultaneously. We determine Teff , log g and [M/H] for 292 M dwarfs of spectral type M0 to M9, where the formation of dust and clouds are important. The derived Teff for the sample ranges from 2300 to 4000 K, values of log g ranges from 4.5 geq log g leq 5.5 and the resulting metallicity ranges from -0.5 geq [M/H] leq +0.5. We have also explored the possible differences in Teff , log g and [M/H] by comparing them with other studies of the same sample of M dwarfs., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&A

We report the discovery of the super-Earth K2-265 b detected with K2 photometry. The planet orbits a bright (V_mag = 11.1) star of spectral type G8V with a period of 2.37 days. We obtained high-precision follow-up radial velocity measurements from HARPS, and the joint Bayesian analysis showed that K2-265 b has a radius of 1.71 +/- 0.11 R_earth and a mass of 6.54 +/- 0.84 M_earth, corresponding to a bulk density of 7.1 +/- 1.8 g/cm^3 . Composition analysis of the planet reveals an Earth-like, rocky interior, with a rock mass fraction of 80%. The short orbital period and small radius of the planet puts it below the lower limit of the photoevaporation gap, where the envelope of the planet could have eroded due to strong stellar irradiation, leaving behind an exposed core. Knowledge of the planet core composition allows us to infer the possible formation and evolution mechanism responsible for its current physical parameters., Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A

We report the detection of two exoplanets and a further tentative candidate around the M-dwarf stars Gl96 and Gl617A, based on radial velocity measurements obtained with the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence. Both stars were observed in the context of the SOPHIE exoplanet consortium's dedicated M-dwarf subprogramme, which aims to detect exoplanets around nearby M-dwarf stars through a systematic survey. For Gl96, we present the discovery of a new exoplanet at 73.9 d with a minimum mass of 19.66 earth masses. Gl96 b has an eccentricity of 0.44, placing it among the most eccentric planets orbiting M stars. For Gl617A we independently confirm a recently reported exoplanet at 86.7 d with a minimum mass of 31.29 earth masses. Both Gl96 b and Gl617A b are potentially within the habitable zone, though Gl96 b's high eccentricity may take it too close to the star at periapsis., Comment: 22 pages, 23 figures

The Earth, Venus, Mars, and some extrasolar terrestrial planets have a mass and radius that is consistent with a mass fraction of about 30% metallic core and 70% silicate mantle. At the inner frontier of the solar system, Mercury has a completely different composition, with a mass fraction of about 70% metallic core and 30% silicate mantle. Several formation or evolution scenarios are proposed to explain this metal-rich composition, such as a giant impact, mantle evaporation, or the depletion of silicate at the inner-edge of the proto-planetary disk. These scenarios are still strongly debated. Here we report the discovery of a multiple transiting planetary system (K2-229), in which the inner planet has a radius of 1.165+/-0.066 Rearth and a mass of 2.59+/-0.43 Mearth. This Earth-sized planet thus has a core-mass fraction that is compatible with that of Mercury, while it was expected to be similar to that of the Earth based on host-star chemistry. This larger Mercury analogue either formed with a very peculiar composition or it has evolved since, e.g. by losing part of its mantle. Further characterisation of Mercury-like exoplanets like K2-229 b will help putting the detailed in-situ observations of Mercury (with Messenger and BepiColombo) into the global context of the formation and evolution of solar and extrasolar terrestrial planets., Comment: Accepted preprint in Nature Astronomy. Publisher-edited version available at http://rdcu.be/JRE7 Supplement materials available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-018-0420-5

Molecular oxygen has been detected in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko with a mean abundance of 3.80 $\pm$ 0.85\% by the ROSINA mass spectrometer on board the Rosetta spacecraft. To account for the presence of this species in comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko, it has been shown that the radiolysis of ice grains precursors of comets is a viable mechanism in low-density environments, such as molecular clouds. Here, we investigate the alternative possibility that the icy grains present in the midplane of the protosolar nebula were irradiated during their vertical transport between the midplane and the upper layers over a large number of cycles, as a result of turbulent mixing. Consequently, these grains spent a non-negligible fraction of their lifetime in the disk's upper regions, where the irradiation by cosmic rays was strong. To do so, we used a coupled disk-transport-irradiation model to calculate the time evolution of the molecular oxygen abundance radiolytically produced in ice grains. Our computations show that, even if a significant fraction of the icy particles have followed a back and forth cycle towards the upper layers of the disk over 10 million of years, a timespan far exceeding the formation timescale of comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko, the amount of produced molecular oxygen is at least two orders of magnitude lower than the Rosetta observations. We conclude that the most likely scenario remains the formation of molecular oxygen in low-density environments, such as the presolar cloud, prior to the genesis of the protosolar nebula., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Modeling the interior of exoplanets is essential to go further than the conclusions provided by mean density measurements. In addition to the still limited precision on the planets' fundamental parameters, models are limited by the existence of degeneracies on their compositions. Here we present a model of internal structure dedicated to the study of solid planets up to ~10 Earth masses, i.e. Super-Earths. When the measurement is available, the assumption that the bulk Fe/Si ratio of a planet is similar to that of its host star allows us to significantly reduce the existing degeneracy and more precisely constrain the planet's composition. Based on our model, we provide an update of the mass-radius relationships used to provide a first estimate of a planet's composition from density measurements. Our model is also applied to the cases of two well-known exoplanets, CoRoT-7b and Kepler-10b, using their recently updated parameters. The core mass fractions of CoRoT-7b and Kepler-10b are found to lie within the 10-37% and 10-33% ranges, respectively, allowing both planets to be compatible with an Earth-like composition. We also extend the recent study of Proxima Centauri b, and show that its radius may reach 1.94 Earth radii in the case of a 5 Earth masses planet, as there is a 96.7% probability that the real mass of Proxima Centauri b is below this value., Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures - Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

The multi-planetary system HD 106315 was recently found in K2 data . The planets have periods of $P_b \sim9.55$ and $P_c \sim 21.06\,$days, and radii of $ r_b = 2.44 \pm 0.17\, $ and $r_c = 4.35 \pm 0.23\, $ $R_{\oplus}$. The brightness of the host star (V=9.0 mag) makes it an excellent target for transmission spectroscopy. However, to interpret transmission spectra it is crucial to measure the planetary masses. We obtained high precision radial velocities for HD~106315 to determine the mass of the two transiting planets discovered with Kepler K2. Our successful observation strategy was carefully tailored to mitigate the effect of stellar variability. We modelled the new radial velocity data together with the K2 transit photometry and a new ground-based partial transit of HD 106315c to derive system parameters. We estimate the mass of HD 106315b to be 12.6 $\pm$ 3.2 $M_{\oplus}$ and the density to be $4.7 \pm 1.7\, g\,cm^{-3}$, while for HD 106315c we estimate a mass of 15.2 $\pm$ 3.7 $M_{\oplus}$ and a density of $1.01 \pm 0.29\, $g\,cm$^{-3}$. Hence, despite planet c having a radius almost twice as large as planet b, their masses are consistent with one another. We conclude that HD 106315c has a thick hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope. A detailed investigation of HD 106315b using a planetary interior model constrains the core mass fraction to be 5-29\%, and the water mass fraction to be 10-50\%. An alternative, not considered by our model, is that HD 106315b is composed of a large rocky core with a thick H-He envelope. Transmission spectroscopy of these planets will give insight into their atmospheric compositions and also help constrain their core compositions., Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, A\&A accepted

M dwarfs are an important source of information when studying and probing the lower end of the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram, down to the hydrogen-burning limit. Being the most numerous and oldest stars in the galaxy, they carry fundamental information on its chemical history. The presence of molecules in their atmospheres, along with various condensed species, complicates our understanding of their physical properties and thus makes the determination of their fundamental stellar parameters more challenging and difficult. The aim of this study is to perform a detailed spectroscopic analysis of the high-resolution H-band spectra of M dwarfs in order to determine their fundamental stellar parameters and to validate atmospheric models. The present study will also help us to understand various processes, including dust formation and depletion of metals onto dust grains in M dwarf atmospheres. The high spectral resolution also provides a unique opportunity to constrain other chemical and physical processes that occur in a cool atmosphere The high-resolution APOGEE spectra of M dwarfs, covering the entire H-band, provide a unique opportunity to measure their fundamental parameters. We have performed a detailed spectral synthesis by comparing these high-resolution H-band spectra to that of the most recent BT-settl model and have obtained fundamental parameters such as effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity (Teff, log g and [Fe/H]) respectively., Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

The ice giants Uranus and Neptune are the least understood class of planets in our solar system but the most frequently observed type of exoplanets. Presumed to have a small rocky core, a deep interior comprising ~70% heavy elements surrounded by a more dilute outer envelope of H2 and He, Uranus and Neptune are fundamentally different from the better-explored gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. Because of the lack of dedicated exploration missions, our knowledge of the composition and atmospheric processes of these distant worlds is primarily derived from remote sensing from Earth-based observatories and space telescopes. As a result, Uranus's and Neptune's physical and atmospheric properties remain poorly constrained and their roles in the evolution of the Solar System not well understood. Exploration of an ice giant system is therefore a high-priority science objective as these systems (including the magnetosphere, satellites, rings, atmosphere, and interior) challenge our understanding of planetary formation and evolution. Here we describe the main scientific goals to be addressed by a future in situ exploration of an ice giant. An atmospheric entry probe targeting the 10-bar level, about 5 scale heights beneath the tropopause, would yield insight into two broad themes: i) the formation history of the ice giants and, in a broader extent, that of the Solar System, and ii) the processes at play in planetary atmospheres. The probe would descend under parachute to measure composition, structure, and dynamics, with data returned to Earth using a Carrier Relay Spacecraft as a relay station. In addition, possible mission concepts and partnerships are presented, and a strawman ice-giant probe payload is described. An ice-giant atmospheric probe could represent a significant ESA contribution to a future NASA ice-giant flagship mission., Comment: Submitted to Planetary and Space Science

Because of the high fraction of refractory material present in comets, the heat produced by the radiogenic decay of elements such as aluminium and iron can be high enough to induce the loss of ultravolatile species such as nitrogen, argon or carbon monoxide during their accretion phase in the protosolar nebula. Here, we investigate how heat generated by the radioactive decay of 26Al and 60Fe influences the formation of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, as a function of its accretion time and size of parent body. We use an existing thermal evolution model that includes various phase transitions, heat transfer in the ice-dust matrix, and gas diffusion throughout the porous material, based on thermodynamic parameters derived from Rosetta observations. Two possibilities are considered: either, to account for its bilobate shape, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was assembled from two primordial ~2 kilometer-sized planetesimals, or it resulted from the disruption of a larger parent body with a size corresponding to that of comet Hale-Bopp (~70 km). To fully preserve its volatile content, we find that either 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's formation was delayed between ~2.2 and 7.7 Myr after that of Ca-Al-rich Inclusions in the protosolar nebula or the comet's accretion phase took place over the entire time interval, depending on the primordial size of its parent body and the composition of the icy material considered. Our calculations suggest that the formation of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is consistent with both its accretion from primordial building blocks formed in the nebula or from debris issued from the disruption of a Hale-Bopp-like body., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Anhydrous pyroxene-rich interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) have been proposed as surface analogs for about two-thirds of all C-complex asteroids. However, this suggestion appears to be inconsistent with the presence of hydrated silicates on the surfaces of some of these asteroids including Ceres. Here we report the presence of enstatite (pyroxene) on the surface of two C-type asteroids (Ceres and Eugenia) based on their spectral properties in the mid-infrared range. The presence of this component is particularly unexpected in the case of Ceres because most thermal evolution models predict a surface consisting of hydrated compounds only. The most plausible scenario is that Ceres' surface has been partially contaminated by exogenous enstatite-rich material, possibly coming from the Beagle asteroid family. This scenario questions a similar origin for Ceres and the remaining C-types, and it possibly supports recent results obtained by the Dawn mission (NASA) that Ceres may have formed in the very outer solar system. Concerning the smaller C-types such as Eugenia, both their derived surface composition (enstatite and amorphous silicates) and low density suggest that these bodies accreted from the same building blocks, namely chondritic porous, pyroxene-rich IDPs and volatiles (mostly water ice), and that a significant volume fraction of these bodies has remained unaffected by hydrothermal activity likely implying a late accretion. In addition, their current heliocentric distance may best explain the presence or absence of water ice at their surfaces. Finally, we raise the possibility that CI chondrites, Tagish Lake-like material, or hydrated IDPs may be representative samples of the cores of these bodies.

Mid-infrared 7-20 $\mu$m imaging of Jupiter demonstrates that the increased albedo of Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt (SEB) during the `fade' (whitening) event of 2009-2010 was correlated with changes to atmospheric temperature and aerosol opacity. The opacity of the tropospheric condensation cloud deck at pressures less than 800 mbar increased by 80% between May 2008 and July 2010, making the SEB ($7-17^\circ$ S) as opaque in the thermal infrared as the adjacent equatorial zone. After the cessation of discrete convective activity within the SEB in May 2009, a cool quiescent band of high aerosol opacity (the SEB zone at $11-15^\circ$ S) was observed separating the cloud-free northern and southern SEB components. The cooling of the SEBZ (with peak-to-peak contrasts of $1.0\pm0.5$ K), as well as the increased aerosol opacity at 4.8 and 8.6 $\mu$m, preceded the visible whitening of the belt by several months. A chain of five warm, cloud-free `brown barges' (subsiding airmasses) were observed regularly in the SEB between June 2009 and June 2010, by which time they too had been obscured by the enhanced aerosol opacity of the SEB, although the underlying warm circulation was still present in July 2010. The cool temperatures and enhanced aerosol opacity of the SEBZ after July 2009 are consistent with an upward flux of volatiles from deeper levels (e.g., ammonia-laden air) and enhanced condensation, obscuring the blue-absorbing chromophore and whitening the SEB by April 2010. Revival of the dark SEB coloration in the coming months will ultimately require sublimation of these ices by subsidence and warming of volatile-depleted air. [Abridged], Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures, published in Icarus (2011)

S2 has been observed for decades in comets, including comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Despite the fact that this molecule appears ubiquitous in these bodies, the nature of its source remains unknown. In this study, we assume that S2 is formed by irradiation (photolysis and/or radiolysis) of S-bearing molecules embedded in the icy grain precursors of comets, and that the cosmic ray flux simultaneously creates voids in ices within which the produced molecules can accumulate. We investigate the stability of S2 molecules in such cavities, assuming that the surrounding ice is made of H2S or H2O. We show that the stabilization energy of S2 molecules in such voids is close to that of the H2O ice binding energy, implying that they can only leave the icy matrix when this latter sublimates. Because S2 has a short lifetime in the vapor phase, we derive that its formation in grains via irradiation must occur only in low density environments such as the ISM or the upper layers of the protosolar nebula, where the local temperature is extremely low. In the first case, comets would have agglomerated from icy grains that remained pristine when entering the nebula. In the second case, comets would have agglomerated from icy grains condensed in the protosolar nebula and that would have been efficiently irradiated during their turbulent transport towards the upper layers of the disk. Both scenarios are found consistent with the presence of molecular oxygen in comets., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

We explore the possible Proxima Centauri b's interiors assuming the planet belongs to the class of dense solid planets (rocky with possible addition of water) and derive the corresponding radii. To do so, we use an internal structure model that computes the radius of the planet along with the locations of the different layers of materials, assuming that its mass and bulk composition are known. Lacking detailed elementary abundances of the host star to constrain the planet's composition, we base our model on solar system values. We restrained the simulations to the case of solid planets without massive atmospheres. With these assumptions, the possible radius of Proxima Centauri b spans the 0.94--1.40 $R_\oplus$ range. The minimum value is obtained considering a 1.10 $M_\oplus$ Mercury-like planet with a 65% core mass fraction, whereas the highest radius is reached for 1.46 $M_\oplus$ with 50% water in mass, constituting an ocean planet. Although this range of radii still allows very different planet compositions, it helps characterizing many aspects of Proxima Centauri b, such as the formation conditions of the system or the current amount of water on the planet. This work can also help ruling out future measurements of the planet's radius that would be physically incompatible with a solid planetary body., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures - Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Context. M-type subdwarfs are metal-poor low-mass stars and probe for the old populations in our Galaxy. Accurate knowledge of their atmospheric parameters and especially the composition is essential for understanding the chemical history of our Galaxy. Aims. The purpose of this work is to perform a detailed study of M-subdwarf spectra covering the full wavelength range from the optical to the near-infrared. It allows to do a more detailed analysis of the atmospheric composition in order to determine the stellar parameters, and to constrain the atmospheric models. The study will allow us to further understand physical and chemical processes such as increasing condensation of gas into dust, to point out the missing continuum opacities and see how the main band features are reproduced by the models. The spectral resolution and the large wavelength coverage used is a unique combination to constrain the process that occur in cool atmosphere. Methods. We obtained medium-resolution (R = 5000-7000) spectra over the wavelength range 0.3-2.5 {\mu}m of ten M-type subdwarfs with X-SHOOTER at VLT. These data constitute an unique atlas of M-subdwarfs from optical to near-infrared. We performed spectral synthesis analysis using a full grid of synthetic spectra computed from BT-Settl models and obtained consistent stellar parameters such as effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicity. Results. We show that state-of the-art atmospheric models correctly represent the overall shape of their spectral energy distribution, as well as atomic and molecular line profiles both in the optical and near-infrared. We found that the actual fitted gravities of almost all our sample are consistent with old objects, except for LHS 73 where it is found surprisingly low., Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

The nature of the icy material accreted by comets during their formation in the outer regions of the protosolar nebula is a major open question in planetary science. Some scenarios of comet formation predict that these bodies agglomerated from crystalline ices condensed in the protosolar nebula. Concurrently, alternative scenarios suggest that comets accreted amorphous ice originating from the interstellar cloud or from the very distant regions of the protosolar nebula. On the basis of existing laboratory and modeling data, we find that the N$_2$/CO and Ar/CO ratios measured in the coma of the Jupiter family comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the ROSINA instrument aboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft match those predicted for gases trapped in clathrates. If these measurements are representative of the bulk N$_2$/CO and Ar/CO ratios in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, it implies that the ices accreted by the comet formed in the nebula and do not originate from the interstellar medium, supporting the idea that the building blocks of outer solar system bodies have been formed from clathrates and possibly from pure crystalline ices. Moreover, because 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is impoverished in Ar and N$_2$, the volatile enrichments observed in Jupiter's atmosphere cannot be explained solely via the accretion of building blocks with similar compositions and require an additional delivery source. A potential source may be the accretion of gas from the nebula that has been progressively enriched in heavy elements due to photoevaporation., Comment: The Astrophysical Journal Letters, in press