skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: A Gap in the Densities of Small Planets Orbiting M Dwarfs: Rigorous Statistical Confirmation Using the Open-source Code RhoPop
Abstract Using mass–radius composition models, small planets (R≲ 2R) are typically classified into three types: iron-rich, nominally Earth-like, and those with solid/liquid water and/or atmosphere. These classes are generally expected to be variations within a compositional continuum. Recently, however, Luque & Pallé observed that potentially Earth-like planets around M dwarfs are separated from a lower-density population by a density gap. Meanwhile, the results of Adibekyan et al. hint that iron-rich planets around FGK stars are also a distinct population. It therefore remains unclear whether small planets represent a continuum or multiple distinct populations. Differentiating the nature of these populations will help constrain potential formation mechanisms. We present theRhoPopsoftware for identifying small-planet populations.RhoPopemploys mixture models in a hierarchical framework and a nested sampler for parameter and evidence estimates. UsingRhoPop, we confirm the two populations of Luque & Pallé with >4σsignificance. The intrinsic scatter in the Earth-like subpopulation is roughly half that expected based on stellar abundance variations in local FGK stars, perhaps implying M dwarfs have a smaller spread in the major rock-building elements (Fe, Mg, Si) than FGK stars. We applyRhoPopto the Adibekyan et al. sample and find no evidence of more than one population. We estimate the sample size required to resolve a population of planets with Mercury-like compositions from those with Earth-like compositions for various mass–radius precisions. Only 16 planets are needed when σ M p = 5 % and σ R p = 1 % . At σ M p = 10 % and σ R p = 2.5 % , however, over 154 planets are needed, an order of magnitude increase.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2143400
PAR ID:
10495608
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
DOI PREFIX: 10.3847
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Planetary Science Journal
Volume:
5
Issue:
3
ISSN:
2632-3338
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: Article No. 71
Size(s):
Article No. 71
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract The cluster mass–richness relation (MRR) is an observationally efficient and potentially powerful cosmological tool for constraining the matter density Ωmand the amplitude of fluctuationsσ8using the cluster abundance technique. We derive the MRR relation usingGalWCat19, a publicly available galaxy cluster catalog we created from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-DR13 spectroscopic data set. In the MRR, cluster mass scales with richness as log M 200 = α + β log N 200 . We find that the MRR we derive is consistent with both the IllustrisTNG and mini-Uchuu cosmological numerical simulations, with a slope ofβ≈ 1. We use the MRR we derived to estimate cluster masses from theGalWCat19catalog, which we then use to set constraints on Ωmandσ8. Utilizing the all-member MRR, we obtain constraints of Ωm= 0.31 0.03 + 0.04 andσ8= 0.82 0.04 + 0.05 , and utilizing the red member MRR only, we obtain Ωm= 0.31 0.03 + 0.04 andσ8= 0.81 0.04 + 0.05 . Our constraints on Ωmandσ8are consistent and very competitive with the Planck 2018 results. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract We combine our dynamical modeling black-hole mass measurements from the Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2016 sample with measured cross-correlation time lags and line widths to recover individual scale factors,f, used in traditional reverberation-mapping analyses. We extend our sample by including prior results from Code for AGN Reverberation and Modeling of Emission Lines (caramel) studies that have utilized our methods. Aiming to improve the precision of black-hole mass estimates, as well as uncover any regularities in the behavior of the broad-line region (BLR), we search for correlations betweenfand other AGN/BLR parameters. We find (i) evidence for a correlation between the virial coefficient log 10 ( f mean , σ ) and black-hole mass, (ii) marginal evidence for a similar correlation between log 10 ( f rms , σ ) and black-hole mass, (iii) marginal evidence for an anticorrelation of BLR disk thickness with log 10 ( f mean , FWHM ) and log 10 ( f rms , FWHM ) , and (iv) marginal evidence for an anticorrelation of inclination angle with log 10 ( f mean , FWHM ) , log 10 ( f rms , σ ) , and log 10 ( f mean , σ ) . Last, we find marginal evidence for a correlation between line-profile shape, when using the root-mean-square spectrum, log 10 ( FWHM / σ ) rms , and the virial coefficient, log 10 ( f rms , σ ) , and investigate how BLR properties might be related to line-profile shape usingcaramelmodels. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract We present13CO(J= 1 → 0) observations for the EDGE-CALIFA survey, which is a mapping survey of 126 nearby galaxies at a typical spatial resolution of 1.5 kpc. Using detected12CO emission as a prior, we detect13CO in 41 galaxies via integrated line flux over the entire galaxy and in 30 galaxies via integrated line intensity in resolved synthesized beams. Incorporating our CO observations and optical IFU spectroscopy, we perform a systematic comparison between the line ratio 12 / 13 I [ 12 CO ( J = 1 0 ) ] / I [ 13 CO ( J = 1 0 ) ] and the properties of the stars and ionized gas. Higher 12 / 13 values are found in interacting galaxies compared to those in noninteracting galaxies. The global 12 / 13 slightly increases with infrared colorF60/F100but appears insensitive to other host-galaxy properties such as morphology, stellar mass, or galaxy size. We also present azimuthally averaged 12 / 13 profiles for our sample up to a galactocentric radius of 0.4r25(∼6 kpc), taking into account the13CO nondetections by spectral stacking. The radial profiles of 12 / 13 are quite flat across our sample. Within galactocentric distances of 0.2r25, the azimuthally averaged 12 / 13 increases with the star formation rate. However, Spearman rank correlation tests show the azimuthally averaged 12 / 13 does not strongly correlate with any other gas or stellar properties in general, especially beyond 0.2r25from the galaxy centers. Our findings suggest that in the complex environments in galaxy disks, 12 / 13 is not a sensitive tracer for ISM properties. Dynamical disturbances, like galaxy interactions or the presence of a bar, also have an overall impact on 12 / 13 , which further complicates the interpretations of 12 / 13 variations. 
    more » « less
  4. Abstract Polyatomic molecules have been identified as sensitive probes of charge-parity violating and parity violating physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). For example, many linear triatomic molecules are both laser-coolable and have parity doublets in the ground electronic X ˜ 2 Σ + ( 010 ) state arising from the bending vibration, both features that can greatly aid BSM searches. Understanding the X ˜ 2 Σ + ( 010 ) state is a crucial prerequisite to precision measurements with linear polyatomic molecules. Here, we characterize the fundamental bending vibration of 174 YbOH using high-resolution optical spectroscopy on the nominally forbidden X ˜ 2 Σ + ( 010 ) A ˜ 2 Π 1 / 2 ( 000 ) transition at 588 nm. We assign 39 transitions originating from the lowest rotational levels of the X ˜ 2 Σ + ( 010 ) state, and accurately model the state’s structure with an effective Hamiltonian using best-fit parameters. Additionally, we perform Stark and Zeeman spectroscopy on the X ˜ 2 Σ + ( 010 ) state and fit the molecule-frame dipole moment to D m o l = 2.16 ( 1 ) Dand the effective electrong-factor to g S = 2.07 ( 2 ) . Further, we use an empirical model to explain observed anomalous line intensities in terms of interference from spin–orbit and vibronic perturbations in the excited A ˜ 2 Π 1 / 2 ( 000 ) state. Our work is an essential step toward searches for BSM physics in YbOH and other linear polyatomic molecules. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract Objective.In vivoimaging assessments of skeletal muscle structure and function allow for longitudinal quantification of tissue health. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) non-invasively quantifies tissue mechanical properties, allowing for evaluation of skeletal muscle biomechanics in response to loading, creating a better understanding of muscle functional health.Approach. In this study, we analyze the anisotropic mechanical response of calf muscles using MRE with a transversely isotropic, nonlinear inversion algorithm (TI-NLI) to investigate the role of muscle fiber stiffening under load. We estimate anisotropic material parameters including fiber shear stiffness ( μ 1 ), substrate shear stiffness ( μ 2 ), shear anisotropy ( ϕ ), and tensile anisotropy ( ζ ) of the gastrocnemius muscle in response to both passive and active tension.Main results. In passive tension, we found a significant increase in μ 1 , ϕ , and ζ with increasing muscle length. While in active tension, we observed increasing μ 2 and decreasing ϕ and ζ during active dorsiflexion and plantarflexion—indicating less anisotropy—with greater effects when the muscles act as agonist.Significance. The study demonstrates the ability of this anisotropic MRE method to capture the multifaceted mechanical response of skeletal muscle to tissue loading from muscle lengthening and contraction. 
    more » « less