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We report a search for excess absorption in the 1083.2 nm line of ortho (triplet) helium during transits of TOI-1807b and TOI-2076b, 1.25 and 2.5-R⊕ planets on 0.55- and 10.4-d orbits around nearby ∼200 Myr-old K dwarf stars. We limit the equivalent width of any transit-associated absorption to <4 and <8 mÅ, respectively. We limit the escape of solar-composition atmospheres from TOI-1807b and TOI-2076b to ≲1 and ≲0.1M⊕Gyr−1, respectively, depending on wind temperature. The absence of a H/He signature for TOI-1807b is consistent with a measurement of mass indicating a rocky body and the prediction by a hydrodynamic model that any H-dominated atmosphere would be unstable and already have been lost. Differential spectra obtained during the transit of TOI-2076b contain a He i-like feature, but this closely resembles the stellar line and extends beyond the transit interval. Until additional transits are observed, we suspect this to be the result of variation in the stellar He i line produced by rotation of active regions and/or flaring on the young, active host star. Non-detection of escape could mean that TOI-2076b is more massive than expected, the star is less EUV luminous, the models overestimate escape, or the planet has a H/He-poor atmosphere that is primarily molecules such as H2O. Photochemical models of planetary winds predict a semimajor axis at which triplet He i observations are most sensitive to mass-loss: TOI-2076b orbits near this optimum. Future surveys could use a distance criterion to increase the yield of detections.

 

Abstract Observed changes in protostellar brightness can be complicated to interpret. In our James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) Transient Monitoring Survey, we discovered that a young binary protostar, HOPS 373, is undergoing a modest 30% brightness increase at 850 μ m, caused by a factor of 1.8–3.3 enhancement in the accretion rate. The initial burst occurred over a few months, with a sharp rise and then a shallower decay. A second rise occurred soon after the decay, and the source is still bright one year later. The mid-IR emission, the small-scale CO outflow mapped with ALMA, and the location of variable maser emission indicate that the variability is associated with the SW component. The near-IR and NEOWISE W1 and W2 emission is located along the blueshifted CO outflow, spatially offset by ∼3 to 4″ from the SW component. The K -band emission imaged by UKIRT shows a compact H 2 emission source at the edge of the outflow, with a tail tracing the outflow back to the source. The W1 emission, likely dominated by scattered light, brightens by 0.7 mag, consistent with expectations based on the submillimeter light curve. The signal of continuum variability in K band and W2 is masked by stable H 2 emission, as seen in our Gemini/GNIRS spectrum, and perhaps by CO emission. These differences in emission sources complicate IR searches for variability of the youngest protostars. 

Silicon and strontium are key elements to explore the nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution of the Galaxy by measurements of very metal-poor stars. There are, however, only a few useful spectral lines of these elements in the optical range that are measurable for such low-metallicity stars. Here we report on abundances of these two elements determined from near-infrared high-resolution spectra obtained with the Subaru Telescope Infrared Doppler instrument. Si abundances are determined for as many as 26 Si lines for six very and extremely metal-poor stars (−4.0 < [Fe/H] < −1.5), which significantly improves the reliability of the abundance measurements. All six stars, including three carbon-enhanced objects, show over-abundances of Si ([Si/Fe] ∼ +0.5). Two stars with [Fe/H] ∼ −1.5 have relatively small over-abundances. The [Mg/Si] ratios agree with the solar value, except for one metal-poor star with carbon excess. Strontium abundances are determined from the triplet lines for four stars, including two for the first time. The consistency of the Sr abundances determined from near-infrared and optical spectra require further examination from additional observations.

 

We are building a next-generation laser adaptive optics system, Robo-AO-2, for the UH 2.2-m telescope that will deliver robotic, diffraction-limited observations at visible and near-infrared wavelengths in unprecedented numbers. The superior Maunakea observing site, expanded spectral range and rapid response to high-priority events represent a significant advance over the prototype. Robo-AO-2 will include a new reconfigurable natural guide star sensor for exquisite wavefront correction on bright targets and the demonstration of potentially transformative hybrid AO techniques that promise to extend the faintness limit on current and future exoplanet adaptive optics systems.