Search Publications
Setting the Stage for the Search for Life with the Habitable Worlds Observatory: Properties of 164 Promising Planet-survey Targets
Kane, Stephen R.; Dressing, Courtney D.; Harada, Caleb K. +1 more
The Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020 has recommended that NASA realize a large IR/optical/UV space telescope optimized for high-contrast imaging and spectroscopy of ∼25 exo-Earths and transformative general astrophysics. The NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP) has subsequently released a list of 164 nearby (d < 25 pc) tar…
The GAPS Programme at TNG. LV. Multiple molecular species in the atmosphere of HAT-P-11 b and review of the HAT-P-11 planetary system
Scandariato, G.; Poretti, E.; Sozzetti, A. +29 more
Context. The atmospheric characterisation of hot and warm Neptune-size exoplanets is challenging mainly due to their relatively small radius and atmospheric scale height, which reduce the amplitude of atmospheric spectral features. The warm-Neptune HAT-P-11 b is a remarkable target for atmospheric characterisation because of the large brightness o…
The SOPHIE search for northern extrasolar planets: XIX. A system including a cold sub-Neptune potentially transiting a V = 6.5 star HD 88986
Bouchy, F.; Deleuil, M.; Moutou, C. +51 more
Transiting planets with orbital periods longer than 40 d are extremely rare among the 5000+ planets discovered so far. The lack of discoveries of this population poses a challenge to research into planetary demographics, formation, and evolution. Here, we present the detection and characterization of HD 88986 b, a potentially transiting sub-Neptun…
Gaia uncovers difference in B and Be star binarity at small scales: evidence for mass transfer causing the Be phenomenon
Oudmaijer, René D.; Vioque, Miguel; Dodd, Jonathan M. +2 more
Be stars make up almost 20 per cent of the B star population, and are rapidly rotating stars surrounded by a disc; however the origin of this rotation remains unclear. Mass transfer within close binaries provides the leading hypothesis, with previous detections of stripped companions to Be stars supporting this. Here, we exploit the exquisite astr…
Direct-imaging Discovery of a Substellar Companion Orbiting the Accelerating Variable Star HIP 39017
Salama, Maïssa; Currie, Thayne; Lewis, Briley L. +23 more
We present the direct-imaging discovery of a substellar companion (a massive planet or low-mass brown dwarf) to the young, γ Doradus (γ Dor)-type variable star HIP 39017 (HD 65526). The companion's SCExAO/CHARIS JHK (1.1–2.4 µm) spectrum and Keck/NIRC2 $L^{\prime} $ photometry indicate that it is an L/T transition object. A comparison of the…
Observations with the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument. XI. First Year of Observations from Apache Point Observatory
Majewski, Steven R.; Henry, Todd J.; Chanover, Nancy J. +18 more
The Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI) was relocated to the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5 m telescope at Apache Point Observatory (APO) in early 2022. Here we present results from the first year of observations along with an updated instrument description for DSSI at APO, including a detailed description of a new internal slit m…
Dynamical Architectures of S-type Transiting Planets in Binaries. I. Target Selection Using Hipparcos and Gaia Proper Motion Anomalies
Tan, Thiam-Guan; Huber, Daniel; Weiss, Lauren M. +16 more
The effect of stellar multiplicity on planetary architecture and orbital dynamics provides an important context for exoplanet demographics. We present a volume-limited catalog of up to 300 pc of 66 stars hosting planets and planet candidates from Kepler, K2, and TESS with significant Hipparcos-Gaia proper motion anomalies, which indicates the pres…
The discovery of two new benchmark brown dwarfs with precise dynamical masses at the stellar-substellar boundary
Ségransan, D.; Udry, S.; Forveille, T. +7 more
Aims: Measuring dynamical masses of substellar companions is a powerful tool for testing models of mass-luminosity-age relations as well as for determining observational features that constrain the boundary between stellar and substellar companions. In order to dynamically constrain the mass of such companions, we use multiple exoplanet measu…
Atmospheric properties of AF Lep b with forward modeling
Tremblin, P.; De Rosa, R. J.; Boccaletti, A. +11 more
Context. About a year ago, a super-Jovian planet was directly imaged around the nearby young solar-type star AF Lep. The 2.8 MJup planet orbiting at a semimajor axis of 8.2 au matches the predicted location based on the HIPPARCOS-Gaia astrometric acceleration.
Aims: Our aim is to expand the atmospheric exploration of AF Lep b by mo…
VLTI/GRAVITY Provides Evidence the Young, Substellar Companion HD 136164 Ab Formed Like a "Failed Star"
Lutz, D.; Genzel, R.; Sturm, E. +94 more
Young, low-mass brown dwarfs orbiting early-type stars, with low mass ratios (q ≲ 0.01), appear to be intrinsically rare and present a formation dilemma: could a handful of these objects be the highest-mass outcomes of "planetary" formation channels (bottom up within a protoplanetary disk), or are they more representative of the lowest-mass "faile…