Search Publications
New Mass and Radius Constraints on the LHS 1140 Planets: LHS 1140 b Is either a Temperate Mini-Neptune or a Water World
Wade, Gregg A.; Dang, Lisa; Cowan, Nicolas B. +43 more
The two-planet transiting system LHS 1140 has been extensively observed since its discovery in 2017, notably with Spitzer, HST, TESS, and ESPRESSO, placing strong constraints on the parameters of the M4.5 host star and its small temperate exoplanets, LHS 1140 b and c. Here, we reanalyze the ESPRESSO observations of LHS 1140 with the novel line-by-…
Muted Features in the JWST NIRISS Transmission Spectrum of Hot Neptune LTT 9779b
Johnstone, Doug; Dang, Lisa; Cowan, Nicolas B. +13 more
The hot Neptune desert is one of the most sparsely populated regions of the exoplanet parameter space, and atmosphere observations of its few residents can provide insights into how such planets have managed to survive in such an inhospitable environment. Here, we present transmission observations of LTT 9779 b, the only known hot Neptune to have …
A population of neutron star candidates in wide orbits from Gaia astrometry
Bieryla, Allyson; Latham, David W.; Rix, Hans-Walter +10 more
We report discovery and spectroscopic follow-up of 21 astrometric binaries containing solar-type stars and dark companions with masses near 1.4 M⊙. The simplest interpretation is that the companions are dormant neutron stars (NSs), though ultramassive white dwarfs (WDs) and tight WD+WD binaries cannot be fully excluded. We selected targets from Ga…
The SPHERE view of the Taurus star-forming region. The full census of planet-forming disks with GTO and DESTINYS programs
Pinte, C.; Ménard, F.; Quanz, S. P. +31 more
The sample of planet-forming disks observed by high-contrast imaging campaigns over the last decade is mature enough to enable the demographical analysis of individual star-forming regions. We present the full census of Taurus sources with VLT/SPHERE polarimetric images available. The whole sample sums up to 43 targets (of which 31 have not been p…
The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program. V. DOLPHOT Stellar Photometry for NIRCam and NIRISS
Gennaro, Mario; McQuinn, Kristen B. W.; Dolphin, Andrew E. +38 more
We present NIRCam and NIRISS modules for DOLPHOT, a widely used crowded-field stellar photometry package. We describe details of the modules including pixel masking, astrometric alignment, star finding, photometry, catalog creation, and artificial star tests. We tested these modules using NIRCam and NIRISS images of M92 (a Milky Way globular clust…
A far-ultraviolet–driven photoevaporation flow observed in a protoplanetary disk
Hartigan, Patrick; Zhang, Yong; Gordon, Karl D. +144 more
Most low-mass stars form in stellar clusters that also contain massive stars, which are sources of far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation. Theoretical models predict that this FUV radiation produces photodissociation regions (PDRs) on the surfaces of protoplanetary disks around low-mass stars, which affects planet formation within the disks. We report Ja…
Insights from super-metal-rich stars: Is the Milky Way bar young?
Guiglion, G.; Chiappini, C.; Queiroz, A. B. +6 more
Context. Bar formation and merger events can contribute to the rearrangement of stars within the Galaxy in addition to triggering star formation (SF) epochs. Super-metal-rich (SMR) stars found in the solar neighbourhood (SNd) can be used as tracers of such events as they are expected to originate only in the inner Galaxy and to have definitely mig…
Clouds and Clarity: Revisiting Atmospheric Feature Trends in Neptune-size Exoplanets
Fortney, Jonathan J.; Mikal-Evans, Thomas; Lothringer, Joshua D. +12 more
Over the last decade, precise exoplanet transmission spectroscopy has revealed the atmospheres of dozens of exoplanets, driven largely by observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope. One major discovery has been the ubiquity of atmospheric aerosols, often blocking access to exoplanet chemical inventories. Tentative trends have been identified, s…
MINDS: JWST/NIRCam imaging of the protoplanetary disk PDS 70. A spiral accretion stream and a potential third protoplanet
Waters, L. B. F. M.; Olofsson, G.; Kamp, I. +28 more
Context. Two protoplanets have recently been discovered within the PDS 70 protoplanetary disk. JWST/NIRCam offers a unique opportunity to characterize them and their birth environment at wavelengths that are difficult to access from the ground.
Aims: We image the circumstellar environment of PDS 70 at 1.87 µm and 4.83 µm, assess t…
Constraining stellar and orbital co-evolution through ensemble seismology of solar-like oscillators in binary systems. A census of oscillating red giants and dwarf stars in Gaia DR3 binaries
Allende Prieto, C.; Merc, J.; Holl, B. +23 more
Context. Binary systems constitute a valuable astrophysics tool for testing our understanding of stellar structure and evolution. Systems containing at least one oscillating component are interesting in this regard because asteroseismology offers independent parameters for the oscillating component that aid in the analysis. Systems of particular i…