Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-20-2020

Published In

Monthly Notices Of The Royal Astronomical Society

Abstract

The Neptune desert is a feature seen in the radius-period plane, whereby a notable dearth of short period, Neptune-like planets is found. Here, we report the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovery of a new short-period planet in the Neptune desert, orbiting the G-type dwarf TYC 8003-1117-1 (TOI-132). TESS photometry shows transit-like dips at the level of ∼1400 ppm occurring every ∼2.11 d. High-precision radial velocity follow-up with High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher confirmed the planetary nature of the transit signal and provided a semi-amplitude radial velocity variation of 11.38 +0.84−0.85 m s−1, which, when combined with the stellar mass of 0.97 ± 0.06 M⊙, provides a planetary mass of 22.40+1.90−1.92 M⊕. Modelling the TESS light curve returns a planet radius of 3.42+0.13−0.14 R⊕, and therefore the planet bulk density is found to be 3.08+0.44−0.46 g cm−3. Planet structure models suggest that the bulk of the planet mass is in the form of a rocky core, with an atmospheric mass fraction of 4.3+1.2−2.3 per cent. TOI-132 b is a TESS Level 1 Science Requirement candidate, and therefore priority follow-up will allow the search for additional planets in the system, whilst helping to constrain low-mass planet formation and evolution models, particularly valuable for better understanding of the Neptune desert.

Keywords

techniques: photometric, techniques: radial velocities, planets and satellites: fundamental parameters, planetary systems

Comments

This article has been published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

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