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1. GJ 3929: High-precision Photometric and Doppler Characterization of an Exo-Venus and Its Hot, Mini-Neptune-mass Companion

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac8480  

   Beard, Corey ; Robertson, Paul ; Kanodia, Shubham ; Lubin, Jack ; Cañas, Caleb I. ; Gupta, Arvind F. ; Holcomb, Rae ; Jones, Sinclaire ; Libby-Roberts, Jessica E. ; Lin, Andrea S. J. ; et al ( August 2022 , The Astrophysical Journal)

   We detail the follow-up and characterization of a transiting exo-Venus identified by TESS, GJ 3929b (TOI-2013b), and its nontransiting companion planet, GJ 3929c (TOI-2013c). GJ 3929b is an Earth-sized exoplanet in its star’s Venus zone (P_b= 2.616272 ± 0.000005 days; S_b=${17.3}_{-0.7}^{+0.8}$S_⊕) orbiting a nearby M dwarf. GJ 3929c is most likely a nontransiting sub-Neptune. Using the new, ultraprecise NEID spectrometer on the WIYN 3.5 m Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, we are able to modify the mass constraints of planet b reported in previous works and consequently improve the significance of the mass measurement to almost 4σconfidence (M_b= 1.75 ± 0.45M_⊕). We further adjust the orbital period of planet c from its alias at 14.30 ± 0.03 days to the likely true period of 15.04 ± 0.03 days, and we adjust its minimum mass to$m\sin i$= 5.71 ± 0.92M_⊕. Using the diffuser-assisted ARCTIC imager on the ARC 3.5 m telescope at Apache Point Observatory, in addition to publicly available TESS and LCOGT photometry, we are able to constrain the radius of planet b toR_p= 1.09 ± 0.04R_⊕. GJ 3929b is a top candidate for transmission spectroscopy in its size regime (TSM = 14more »± 4), and future atmospheric studies of GJ 3929b stand to shed light on the nature of small planets orbiting M dwarfs.

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2. TOI-1075 b: A Dense, Massive, Ultra-short-period Hot Super-Earth Straddling the Radius Gap

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ac9c5b  

   Essack, Zahra ; Shporer, Avi ; Burt, Jennifer A. ; Seager, Sara ; Cambioni, Saverio ; Lin, Zifan ; Collins, Karen A. ; Mamajek, Eric E. ; Stassun, Keivan G. ; Ricker, George R. ; et al ( January 2023 , The Astronomical Journal)

   Populating the exoplanet mass–radius diagram in order to identify the underlying relationship that governs planet composition is driving an interdisciplinary effort within the exoplanet community. The discovery of hot super-Earths—a high-temperature, short-period subset of the super-Earth planet population—has presented many unresolved questions concerning the formation, evolution, and composition of rocky planets. We report the discovery of a transiting, ultra-short-period hot super-Earth orbitingTOI-1075(TIC351601843), a nearby (d= 61.4 pc) late-K/early-M-dwarf star, using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. The newly discovered planet has a radius of 1.791${}_{-0.081}^{+0.116}$R_⊕and an orbital period of 0.605 day (14.5 hr). We precisely measure the planet mass to be 9.95${}_{-1.30}^{+1.36}$M_⊕using radial velocity measurements obtained with the Planet Finder Spectrograph mounted on the Magellan II telescope. Our radial velocity data also show a long-term trend, suggesting an additional planet in the system. While TOI-1075 b is expected to have a substantial H/He atmosphere given its size relative to the radius gap, its high density (${9.32}_{-1.85}^{+2.05}$g cm⁻³) is likely inconsistent with this possibility. We explore TOI-1075 b’s location relative to the M-dwarf radius valley, evaluate the planet’s prospects for atmospheric characterization, andmore »discuss potential planet formation mechanisms. Studying the TOI-1075 system in the broader context of ultra-short-period planetary systems is necessary for testing planet formation and evolution theories and density-enhancing mechanisms and for future atmospheric and surface characterization studies via emission spectroscopy with the JWST.

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3. TOI-150b and TOI-163b: two transiting hot Jupiters, one eccentric and one inflated, revealed by TESS near and at the edge of the JWST CVZ

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2433  

   Kossakowski, Diana ; Espinoza, Néstor ; Brahm, Rafael ; Jordán, Andrés ; Henning, Thomas ; Rojas, Felipe ; Kürster, Martin ; Sarkis, Paula ; Schlecker, Martin ; Pozuelos, Francisco J. ; et al ( September 2019 , Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   We present the discovery of TYC9191-519-1b (TOI-150b, TIC 271893367) and HD271181b (TOI-163b, TIC 179317684), two hot Jupiters initially detected using 30-min cadence Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) photometry from Sector 1 and thoroughly characterized through follow-up photometry (CHAT, Hazelwood, LCO/CTIO, El Sauce, TRAPPIST-S), high-resolution spectroscopy (FEROS, CORALIE), and speckle imaging (Gemini/DSSI), confirming the planetary nature of the two signals. A simultaneous joint fit of photometry and radial velocity using a new fitting package juliet reveals that TOI-150b is a $1.254\pm 0.016\ \rm {R}_ \rm{J}$, massive ($2.61^{+0.19}_{-0.12}\ \rm {M}_ \rm{J}$) hot Jupiter in a 5.857-d orbit, while TOI-163b is an inflated ($R_ \rm{P}$ = $1.478^{+0.022}_{-0.029} \,\mathrm{ R}_ \rm{J}$, $M_ \rm{P}$ = $1.219\pm 0.11 \, \rm{M}_ \rm{J}$) hot Jupiter on a P = 4.231-d orbit; both planets orbit F-type stars. A particularly interesting result is that TOI-150b shows an eccentric orbit ($e=0.262^{+0.045}_{-0.037}$), which is quite uncommon among hot Jupiters. We estimate that this is consistent, however, with the circularization time-scale, which is slightly larger than the age of the system. These two hot Jupiters are both prime candidates for further characterization – in particular, both are excellent candidates for determining spin-orbit alignments via the Rossiter–McLaughlin (RM) effect and for characterizing atmosphericmore »thermal structures using secondary eclipse observations considering they are both located closely to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Continuous Viewing Zone (CVZ).

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4. A Close-in Puffy Neptune with Hidden Friends: The Enigma of TOI 620

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ac658b  

   Reefe, Michael A. ; Luque, Rafael ; Gaidos, Eric ; Beard, Corey ; Plavchan, Peter P. ; Cointepas, Marion ; Cale, Bryson L. ; Palle, Enric ; Parviainen, Hannu ; Feliz, Dax L. ; et al ( May 2022 , The Astronomical Journal)

   We present the validation of a transiting low-density exoplanet orbiting the M2.5 dwarf TOI 620 discovered by the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. We utilize photometric data from both TESS and ground-based follow-up observations to validate the ephemerides of the 5.09 day transiting signal and vet false-positive scenarios. High-contrast imaging data are used to resolve the stellar host and exclude stellar companions at separations ≳0.″2. We obtain follow-up spectroscopy and corresponding precise radial velocities (RVs) with multiple precision radial velocity (PRV) spectrographs to confirm the planetary nature of the transiting exoplanet. We calculate a 5σupper limit ofM_P< 7.1M_⊕andρ_P< 0.74 g cm⁻³, and we identify a nontransiting 17.7 day candidate. We also find evidence for a substellar (1–20M_J) companion with a projected separation ≲20 au from a combined analysis of Gaia, adaptive optics imaging, and RVs. With the discovery of this outer companion, we carry out a detailed exploration of the possibilities that TOI 620 b might instead be a circum-secondary planet or a pair of eclipsing binary stars orbiting the host in a hierarchical triple system. We find, under scrutiny, that we can exclude both of these scenarios from the multiwavelength transit photometry, thus validating TOI 620more »b as a low-density exoplanet transiting the central star in this system. The low density of TOI 620 b makes it one of the most amenable exoplanets for atmospheric characterization, such as with the James Webb Space Telescope and Ariel, validated or confirmed by the TESS mission to date.

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5. A pair of sub-Neptunes transiting the bright K-dwarf TOI-1064 characterized with CHEOPS

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab3799  

   Wilson, Thomas G. ; Goffo, Elisa ; Alibert, Yann ; Gandolfi, Davide ; Bonfanti, Andrea ; Persson, Carina M. ; Collier Cameron, Andrew ; Fridlund, Malcolm ; Fossati, Luca ; Korth, Judith ; et al ( January 2022 , Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   We report the discovery and characterization of a pair of sub-Neptunes transiting the bright K-dwarf TOI-1064 (TIC 79748331), initially detected in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) photometry. To characterize the system, we performed and retrieved the CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS), TESS, and ground-based photometry, the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) high-resolution spectroscopy, and Gemini speckle imaging. We characterize the host star and determine $T_{\rm eff, \star }=4734\pm 67\,\mathrm{ K}$, $R_{\star }=0.726\pm 0.007\, \mathrm{ R}_{\odot }$, and $M_{\star }=0.748\pm 0.032\, \mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$. We present a novel detrending method based on point spread function shape-change modelling and demonstrate its suitability to correct flux variations in CHEOPS data. We confirm the planetary nature of both bodies and find that TOI-1064 b has an orbital period of Pb = 6.44387 ± 0.00003 d, a radius of Rb = 2.59 ± 0.04 R⊕, and a mass of $M_{\rm b} = 13.5_{-1.8}^{+1.7}$ M⊕, whilst TOI-1064 c has an orbital period of $P_{\rm c} = 12.22657^{+0.00005}_{-0.00004}$ d, a radius of Rc = 2.65 ± 0.04 R⊕, and a 3σ upper mass limit of 8.5 M⊕. From the high-precision photometry we obtain radius uncertainties of ∼1.6 per cent, allowing us to conduct internal structure and atmospheric escape modelling. TOI-1064 b is one of the densest, well-characterized sub-Neptunes, withmore »a tenuous atmosphere that can be explained by the loss of a primordial envelope following migration through the protoplanetary disc. It is likely that TOI-1064 c has an extended atmosphere due to the tentative low density, however further radial velocities are needed to confirm this scenario and the similar radii, different masses nature of this system. The high-precision data and modelling of TOI-1064 b are important for planets in this region of mass–radius space, and it allow us to identify a trend in bulk density–stellar metallicity for massive sub-Neptunes that may hint at the formation of this population of planets.

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