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The Gaia mission has detected many white dwarfs (WDs) in binary and triple configurations, and while observations suggest that triple-stellar systems are common in our Galaxy, not much attention was devoted to WDs in triples. For stability reasons, these triples must have hierarchical configurations, i.e., two stars are on a tight orbit (the inner binary), with the third companion on a wider orbit about the inner binary. In such a system, the two orbits torque each other via the eccentric Kozai–Lidov mechanism, which can alter the orbital configuration of the inner binary. We simulate thousands of triple-stellar systems for over 10 Gyr, tracking gravitational interactions, tides, general relativity, and stellar evolution up to their WD fate. As demonstrated here, three-body dynamics coupled with stellar evolution is a critical channel to form tight WD binaries or merge a WD binary. Among these triples, we explore their manifestations as cataclysmic variables, Type Ia supernovae, and gravitational-wave events. The simulated systems are then compared to a sample of WD triples selected from the Gaia catalog. We find that including the effect of mass-loss-induced kicks is crucial for producing a distribution of the inner binary–tertiary separations that is consistent with Gaia observations. Lastly, we leverage this consistency to estimate that, at minimum, 30% of solar-type stars in the local 200 pc were born in triples.

 

The orbits of close-in exoplanets provide clues to their formation and evolutionary history. Many close-in exoplanets likely formed far out in their protoplanetary disks and migrated to their current orbits, perhaps via high-eccentricity migration (HEM), a process that can also excite obliquities. A handful of known exoplanets are perhaps caught in the act of HEM, as they are observed on highly eccentric orbits with tidal circularization timescales shorter than their ages. One such exoplanet is Kepler-1656 b, which is also the only known nongiant exoplanet (<100M_⊕) with an extreme eccentricity (e= 0.84). We measured the sky-projected obliquity of Kepler-1656 b by observing the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect during a transit with the Keck Planet Finder. Our data are consistent with an aligned orbit but are also consistent with moderate misalignment withλ< 50° at 95% confidence, with the most likely solution of${35.0}_{-21.6}^{+14.9}$deg. A low obliquity would be an unlikely outcome of most eccentricity-exciting scenarios, but we show that the properties of the outer companion in the system are consistent with the coplanar HEM mechanism. Alternatively, if the system is not relatively coplanar (≲20° mutual inclination), Kepler-1656 b may be presently at a rare snapshot of long-lived eccentricity oscillations that do not induce migration. Kepler-1656 b is only the fourth exoplanet withe> 0.8 to have its obliquity constrained; expanding this population will help establish the degree to which orbital misalignment accompanies migration. Future work that constrains the mutual inclinations of outer perturbers will be key for distinguishing plausible mechanisms.

 

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.

 

The structure of protoplanetary disks plays an essential role in planet formation. A disk that is highly inclined, or “edge-on,” is of particular interest since its geometry provides a unique opportunity to study the disk’s vertical structure and radial extent. Candidate edge-on protoplanetary disks are typically identified via their unique spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and subsequently confirmed through high-resolution imaging. However, this selection process is likely biased toward the largest, most-massive disks, and the resulting sample may not accurately represent the underlying disk population. To investigate this, we generated a grid of protoplanetary disk models using radiative transfer simulations and determined which sets of disk parameters produce edge-on systems that could be recovered by the aforementioned detection techniques—i.e., identified by their SEDs and confirmed through follow-up imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope. In doing so, we adopt a quantitative working definition of “edge-on disks” (EODs) that is observation driven and agnostic about the disk inclination or other properties. Folding in empirical disk demographics, we predict an occurrence rate of 6.2% for EODs and quantify biases toward highly inclined, massive disks. We also find that EODs are underrepresented in samples of Spitzer-studied young stellar objects, particularly for disks with host masses ofM≲ 0.5M_⊙. Overall, our analysis suggests that several dozen EODs remain undiscovered in nearby star-forming regions, and provides a universal selection process to identify EODs for consistent, population-level demographic studies.

 

The extreme environments of ultra-short-period planets (USPs) make excellent laboratories to study how exoplanets obtain, lose, retain, and/or regain gaseous atmospheres. We present the confirmation and characterization of the USP TOI-1347 b, a 1.8 ± 0.1R_⊕planet on a 0.85 day orbit that was detected with photometry from the TESS mission. We measured radial velocities of the TOI-1347 system using Keck/HIRES and HARPS-N and found the USP to be unusually massive at 11.1 ± 1.2M_⊕. The measured mass and radius of TOI-1347 b imply an Earth-like bulk composition. A thin H/He envelope (>0.01% by mass) can be ruled out at high confidence. The system is between 1 and 1.8 Gyr old; therefore, intensive photoevaporation should have concluded. We detected a tentative phase-curve variation (3σ) and a secondary eclipse (2σ) in TESS photometry, which, if confirmed, could indicate the presence of a high-mean-molecular-weight atmosphere. We recommend additional optical and infrared observations to confirm the presence of an atmosphere and investigate its composition.

 

Highly eccentric orbits are one of the major surprises of exoplanets relative to the solar system and indicate rich and tumultuous dynamical histories. One system of particular interest is Kepler-1656, which hosts a sub-Jovian planet with an eccentricity of 0.8. Sufficiently eccentric orbits will shrink in the semimajor axis due to tidal dissipation of orbital energy during periastron passage. Here our goal was to assess whether Kepler-1656b is currently undergoing such high-eccentricity migration, and to further understand the system’s origins and architecture. We confirm a second planet in the system withM_c= 0.40 ± 0.09M_jupand P_c= 1919 ± 27 days. We simulated the dynamical evolution of planet b in the presence of planet c and find a variety of possible outcomes for the system, such as tidal migration and engulfment. The system is consistent with an in situ dynamical origin of planet b followed by subsequent eccentric Kozai–Lidov perturbations that excite Kepler-1656b’s eccentricity gently, i.e., without initiating tidal migration. Thus, despite its high eccentricity, we find no evidence that planet b is or has migrated through the high-eccentricity channel. Finally, we predict the outer orbit to be mutually inclined in a nearly perpendicular configuration with respect to the inner planet orbit based on the outcomes of our simulations and make observable predictions for the inner planet’s spin–orbit angle. Our methodology can be applied to other eccentric or tidally locked planets to constrain their origins, orbital configurations, and properties of a potential companion.

 

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered hundreds of new worlds, with TESS planet candidates now outnumbering the total number of confirmed planets from Kepler. Owing to differences in survey design, TESS continues to provide planets that are better suited for subsequent follow-up studies, including mass measurement through radial velocity (RV) observations, compared to Kepler targets. In this work, we present the TESS-Keck Survey’s (TKS) Mass Catalog: a uniform analysis of all TKS RV survey data that has resulted in mass constraints for 126 planets and candidate signals. This includes 58 mass measurements that have reached ≥5σprecision. We confirm or validate 32 new planets from the TESS mission either by significant mass measurement (15) or statistical validation (17), and we find no evidence of likely false positives among our entire sample. This work also serves as a data release for all previously unpublished TKS survey data, including 9,204 RV measurements and associated activity indicators over our three-year survey. We took the opportunity to assess the performance of our survey and found that we achieved many of our goals, including measuring the mass of 38 small (<4R_⊕) planets, nearly achieving the TESS mission’s basic science requirement. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the Automated Planet Finder as survey support and observed meaningful constraints on system parameters, due to its more uniform phase coverage. Finally, we compared our measured masses to those predicted by commonly used mass–radius relations and investigated evidence of systematic bias.

 

With JWST’s successful deployment and unexpectedly high fuel reserves, measuring the masses of sub-Neptunes transiting bright, nearby stars will soon become the bottleneck for characterizing the atmospheres of small exoplanets via transmission spectroscopy. Using a carefully curated target list and observations from more than 2 yr of APF-Levy and Keck-HIRES Doppler monitoring, the TESS-Keck Survey is working toward alleviating this pressure. Here we present mass measurements for 11 transiting planets in eight systems that are particularly suited to atmospheric follow-up with JWST. We also report the discovery and confirmation of a temperate super-Jovian-mass planet on a moderately eccentric orbit. The sample of eight host stars, which includes one subgiant, spans early-K to late-F spectral types (T_eff= 5200–6200 K). We homogeneously derive planet parameters using a joint photometry and radial velocity modeling framework, discuss the planets’ possible bulk compositions, and comment on their prospects for atmospheric characterization.

 

Abstract We report the discovery of HIP-97166b (TOI-1255b), a transiting sub-Neptune on a 10.3 day orbit around a K0 dwarf 68 pc from Earth. This planet was identified in a systematic search of TESS Objects of Interest for planets with eccentric orbits, based on a mismatch between the observed transit duration and the expected duration for a circular orbit. We confirmed the planetary nature of HIP-97166b with ground-based radial-velocity measurements and measured a mass of M b = 20 ± 2 M ⊕ along with a radius of R b = 2.7 ± 0.1 R ⊕ from photometry. We detected an additional nontransiting planetary companion with M c sin i = 10 ± 2 M ⊕ on a 16.8 day orbit. While the short transit duration of the inner planet initially suggested a high eccentricity, a joint RV-photometry analysis revealed a high impact parameter b = 0.84 ± 0.03 and a moderate eccentricity. Modeling the dynamics with the condition that the system remain stable over >10 5 orbits yielded eccentricity constraints e b = 0.16 ± 0.03 and e c < 0.25. The eccentricity we find for planet b is above average for the small population of sub-Neptunes with well-measured eccentricities. We explored the plausible formation pathways of this system, proposing an early instability and merger event to explain the high density of the inner planet at 5.3 ± 0.9 g cc −1 as well as its moderate eccentricity and proximity to a 5:3 mean-motion resonance.