Exoplanets and Stellar Physics

Abstract:

Abstract After a successful launch, the James Webb Space Telescope is preparing to undertake one of its principal mission objectives, the characterization of the atmospheres of exoplanets. The Single Object Slitless Spectroscopy (SOSS) mode of the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) is the only observing mode that has been specifically designed for this objective. It features a wide simultaneous spectral range (0.6–2.8 μ m) through two spectral diffraction orders. However, due to mechanical constraints, these two orders overlap slightly over a short range, potentially introducing a “contamination” signal in the extracted spectrum. We show that for a typical box extraction, this contaminating signal amounts to 1% or less over the 1.6–2.8 μ m range (order 1), and up to 1% over the 0.85–0.95 μ m range (order 2). For observations of exoplanet atmospheres (transits, eclipses or phase curves) where only temporal variations in flux matter, the contamination signal typically biases the results by order of 1% of the planetary atmosphere spectral features strength. To address this problem, we developed the Algorithm to Treat Order ContAmination (ATOCA). By constructing a linear model of each pixel on the detector, treating the underlying incident spectrum as a free variable, ATOCA is able to perform a simultaneous extraction of both orders. We show that, given appropriate estimates of the spatial trace profiles, the throughputs, the wavelength solutions, as well as the spectral resolution kernels for each order, it is possible to obtain an extracted spectrum accurate to within 10 ppm over the full spectral range.

Abstract:

Abstract Based on recently-taken and archival HARPS, FEROS, and HIRES radial velocities (RVs), we present evidence for a new planet orbiting the first ascent red giant star HD 33142 (with an improved mass estimate of M1.52 ± 0.03 M ⊙ ), already known to host two planets. We confirm the Jovian-mass planets HD 33142b and c, with periods of P b = 330.0 − 0.4 + 0.4 days and P c = 810.2 − 4.2 + 3.8 days and minimum dynamical masses of m b sin i = 1.26 − 0.05 + 0.05 M Jup and m c sin i = 0.89 − 0.05 + 0.06 M Jup , respectively. Furthermore, our periodogram analysis of the precise RVs shows strong evidence for a short-period Doppler signal in the residuals of a two-planet Keplerian fit, which we interpret as a third, Saturn-mass planet with m d sin i = 0.20 − 0.03 + 0.02 M Jup in a close-in orbit with an orbital period of P d = 89.9 − 0.1 + 0.1 days. We study the dynamical behavior of the three-planet system configuration with an N -body integration scheme, finding it to be long-term stable with the planets alternating between low and moderate eccentricity episodes. We also perform N -body simulations, including stellar evolution and second-order dynamical effects such as planet–stellar tides and stellar mass loss on the way to the white dwarf phase. We find that planets HD 33142b, c, and d are likely to be engulfed near the tip of the red giant branch phase due to tidal migration. These results make the HD 33142 system an essential b.

Abstract:

Stars and planetary system