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This content will become publicly available on September 2, 2026

Title: KMT-2018-BLG-0029Lb and OGLE-2019-BLG-0960Lb: Mass Measurements for Two Super-Earth Microlensing Planets
Abstract KMT-2018-BLG-0029Lb and OGLE-2019-BLG-0960Lb were the lowest mass-ratio microlensing planets at the time of discovery. For both events, microlensing parallax measurements from the Spitzer Space Telescope implied lens systems that were more distant and massive than those inferred from the ground-based parallax. Here, we report on the detection of excess flux aligned to the event locations using Keck Adaptive Optics imaging, which is consistent with the expected brightness of main-sequence hosts under the ground-based parallax, but inconsistent with that predicted by Spitzer. Based on the excess flux, ground-based parallax, and angular Einstein radius, we determine KMT-2018-BLG-0029Lb to be a 4.2 ± 0.5Mplanet orbiting a 0.70 ± 0.07Mhost at a projected separation of 3.1 ± 0.3 au, and OGLE-2019-BLG-0960Lb to be a 2.0 ± 0.2Mplanet orbiting a 0.40 ± 0.03Mhost at a projected separation of 1.7 ± 0.1 au. We report on additional light-curve models for KMT-2018-BLG-0029 under the generalized inner-outer (offset) degeneracy, which were not reported in the original analysis. We point out inconsistencies in the inner/outer labeling of the degenerate models in the lens and source planes, and advocate for the lens-plane convention, which refers to the planet being closer or further to the host star compared to the image it perturbs. Lastly, we discuss the possibility of breaking this degeneracy via ground concurrent observations with the Roman Space Telescope.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2206744
PAR ID:
10641441
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
American Astronomical Society
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astronomical Journal
Volume:
170
Issue:
4
ISSN:
0004-6256
Page Range / eLocation ID:
198
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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