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The energy provided in the radioactive decay of thorium (Th) and uranium (U) isotopes, embedded in planetary mantles, sustains geodynamics important for surface habitability such as the generation of a planetary magnetic dynamo. In order to better understand the thermal evolution of nearby exoplanets, stellar photospheric abundances can be used to infer the material composition of orbiting planets. Here we constrain the intrinsic dispersion of the r-process element europium (Eu) (measured in relative abundance [Eu/H]) as a proxy for Th and U in local F, G, and K type dwarf stars. Adopting stellar-chemical data from two high quality spectroscopic surveys, we have determined a small intrinsic scatter of 0.025 dex in [Eu/H] within the disk. We further investigate the stellar anti-correlation in [Eu/ α] vs [ α/H] at late metallicities to probe in what regimes planetary radiogenic heating may lead to periods of extended dynamo collapse. We find that only near-solar metallicity stars in the disk have Eu inventories supportive of a persistent dynamo in attendant planets, supporting the notion of a ``metallicity Goldilocks zone'' in the galactic disk. The observed anti-correlation further provides novel evidence regarding the nature of r-processes injection by substantiating α element production is decoupled from Eu injection. This suggests either a metallicity-dependent r-process in massive core-collapse supernovae, or that neutron-star merger events dominate r-process production in the recent universe. 

Abstract Exoplanet discoveries have revealed a dramatic diversity of planet sizes across a vast array of orbital architectures. Sub-Neptunes are of particular interest; due to their absence in our own solar system, we rely on demographics of exoplanets to better understand their bulk composition and formation scenarios. Here, we present the discovery and characterization of TOI-1437 b, a sub-Neptune with a 18.84 day orbit around a near-solar analog (M_⋆= 1.10 ± 0.10M_☉,R_⋆=1.17 ± 0.12R_☉). The planet was detected using photometric data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission and radial velocity (RV) follow-up observations were carried out as a part of the TESS-Keck Survey using both the HIRES instrument at Keck Observatory and the Levy Spectrograph on the Automated Planet Finder telescope. A combined analysis of these data reveal a planet radius ofR_p= 2.24 ± 0.23R_⊕and a mass measurement ofM_p= 9.6 ± 3.9M_⊕). TOI-1437 b is one of few (∼50) known transiting sub-Neptunes orbiting a solar-mass star that has a RV mass measurement. As the formation pathway of these worlds remains an unanswered question, the precise mass characterization of TOI-1437 b may provide further insight into this class of planet. 

Abstract We combine multiple campaigns of K2 photometry with precision radial velocity measurements from Keck-HIRES to measure the masses of three sub-Neptune-sized planets. We confirm the planetary nature of the massive sub-Neptune K2-182 b ( P b = 4.7 days, R b = 2.69 R ⊕ ) and derive refined parameters for K2-199 b and c ( P b = 3.2 days, R b = 1.73 R ⊕ and P c = 7.4 days, R c = 2.85 R ⊕ ). These planets provide valuable data points in the mass–radius plane, especially as TESS continues to reveal an increasingly diverse sample of sub-Neptunes. The moderately bright ( V = 12.0 mag) early K dwarf K2-182 (EPIC 211359660) was observed during K2 campaigns 5 and 18. We find that K2-182 b is potentially one of the densest sub-Neptunes known to date (20 ± 5 M ⊕ and 5.6 ± 1.4 g cm −3 ). The K5V dwarf K2-199 (EPIC 212779596; V = 12.3 mag), observed in K2 campaigns 6 and 17, hosts two recently confirmed planets. We refine the orbital and planetary parameters for K2-199 b and c by modeling both campaigns of K2 photometry and adding 12 Keck-HIRES measurements to the existing radial velocity data set ( N = 33). We find that K2-199 b is likely rocky, at 6.9 ± 1.8 M ⊕ and 7.2 − 2.0 + 2.1 g cm −3 , and that K2-199 c has an intermediate density at 12.4 ± 2.3 M ⊕ and 2.9 − 0.6 + 0.7 g cm −3 . We contextualize these planets on the mass–radius plane, discuss a small but intriguing population of “superdense” sub-Neptunes ( R p < 3 R ⊕ , M p >20 M ⊕ ), and consider our prospects for the planets’ atmospheric characterization.