Planetary system around the nearby M dwarf GJ 357 including a transiting, hot, Earth-sized planet optimal for atmospheric characterization

We report the detection of a transiting Earth-size planet around GJ 357, a nearby M2.5 V star, using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). GJ 357 b (TOI-562.01) is a transiting, hot, Earth-sized planet (T-eq = 525 +/- 11 K) with a radius of R-b = 1.217 +/- 0.084 R-circle plus and an orbital period of P-b = 3.93 d. Precise stellar radial velocities from CARMENES and PFS, as well as archival data from HIRES, UVES, and HARPS also display a 3.93-day periodicity, confirming the planetary nature and leading to a planetary mass of M-b = 1.84 +/- 0.31 M-circle plus. In addition to the radial velocity signal for GJ 357 b, more periodicities are present in the data indicating the presence of two further planets in the system: GJ 357 c, with a minimum mass of M-c = 3.40 +/- 0.46 M-circle plus in a 9.12 d orbit, and GJ 357 d, with a minimum mass of M-d = 6.1 +/- 1.0 M-circle plus in a 55.7 d orbit inside the habitable zone. The host is relatively inactive and exhibits a photometric rotation period of P-rot = 78 +/- 2 d. GJ 357 b is to date the second closest transiting planet to the Sun, making it a prime target for further investigations such as transmission spectroscopy. Therefore, GJ 357 b represents one of the best terrestrial planets suitable for atmospheric characterization with the upcoming JWST and ground-based ELTs.© ESO 2019