We present ground- and space-based photometric observations of TOI-270 (L231-32), a system of three transiting planets consisting of one super-Earth and two sub-Neptunes discovered by TESS around a bright (K-mag = 8.25) M3V dwarf. The planets orbit near low-order mean-motion resonances (5:3 and 2:1) and are thus expected to exhibit large transit timing variations (TTVs). Following an extensive observing campaign using eight different observatories between 2018 and 2020, we now report a clear detection of TTVs for planets c and d, with amplitudes of ∼10 min and a super-period of ∼3 yr, as well as significantly refined estimates of the radii and mean orbital periods of all three planets. Dynamical modelling of the TTVs alone puts strong constraints on the mass ratio of planets c and d and on their eccentricities. When incorporating recently published constraints from radial velocity observations, we obtain masses of $M_{\mathrm{b}}=1.48\pm 0.18\, M_\oplus$, $M_{\mathrm{c}}=6.20\pm 0.31\, M_\oplus$, and $M_{\mathrm{d}}=4.20\pm 0.16\, M_\oplus$ for planets b, c, and d, respectively. We also detect small but significant eccentricities for all three planets : eb = 0.0167 ± 0.0084, ec = 0.0044 ± 0.0006, and ed = 0.0066 ± 0.0020. Our findings imply an Earth-like rocky composition for the inner planet, and Earth-like cores with an additional He/H2O atmosphere for the outer two. TOI-270 is now one of the best constrained systems of small transiting planets, and it remains an excellent target for atmospheric characterization.
We report on the discovery and characterization of three planets orbiting the F8 star HD 28109, which sits comfortably in ${TESS}$’s continuous viewing zone. The two outer planets have periods of $\rm 56.0067 \pm 0.0003~d$ and $\rm 84.2597_{-0.0008}^{+0.0010}~d$, which implies a period ratio very close to that of the first-order 3:2 mean motion resonance, exciting transit timing variations (TTVs) of up to $\rm 60\, min$. These two planets were first identified by ${TESS}$, and we identified a third planet in the ${TESS}$photometry with a period of $\rm 22.8911 \pm 0.0004~d$. We confirm the planetary nature of all three planetary candidates using ground-based photometry from Hazelwood, ${ASTEP}$, and LCO, including a full detection of the $\rm \sim 9\, h$ transit of HD 28109 c from Antarctica. The radii of the three planets are ${\it R}_b=2.199_{-0.10}^{+0.098} ~{\rm R}_{\oplus }$, ${\it R}_c=4.23\pm 0.11~ {\rm R}_{\oplus }$, and ${\it R}_d=3.25\pm 0.11 ~{\rm R}_{\oplus }$; we characterize their masses using TTVs and precise radial velocities from ESPRESSO and HARPS, and find them to be ${\it M}_b=18.5_{-7.6}^{+9.1}~M_{\oplus }$, ${\it M}_c=7.9_{-3.0}^{+4.2}~{\rm M}_{\oplus }$, and ${\it M}_d=5.7_{-2.1}^{+2.7}~{\rm M}_{\oplus }$, making planet b a dense, massive planet while c and d are both underdense. We also demonstrate that the two outer planets are ripe for atmospheric characterization using transmission spectroscopy, especially given their position in the CVZ of James Webb Space Telescope. The data obtained to date are consistent with resonant (librating) and non-resonant (circulating) solutions; additional observations will show whether the pair is actually locked in resonance or just near-resonant.
more » « less- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10433874
- Author(s) / Creator(s):
- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Volume:
- 515
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 0035-8711
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 1328-1345
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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