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At least 793 records · Page 44
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2020

A Habitable-zone Earth-sized Planet Rescued from False Positive Status

We report the discovery of an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of a low-mass star called Kepler-1649. The planet, Kepler-1649 c, is 1.06(+0.15, -0.10.) times the size of Earth and transits its 0.1977 ± 0.0051 Mʘ “mid” M-dwarf host star every 19.5 days. It receives 74% ± 3% the incident flux of Earth, giving it an equilibrium temperature of 234 ± 20 K and placing it firmly inside the circumstellar habitable zone. Kepler-1649 also hosts a previously known inner planet that orbits every 8.7 days and is roughly equivalent to Venus in size and incident flux. Kepler-1649 c was originally classified as a false positive (FP) by the Kepler pipeline, but was rescued as part of a systematic visual inspection of all automatically dispositioned Kepler FPs. This discovery highlights the value of human inspection of planet candidates even as automated techniques improve, and hints that terrestrial planets around mid to late M-dwarfs may be more common than those around more massive stars.

Andrew Vanderburg↗
NASA NTRS2019

A High Binary Fraction for the Most Massive Close-in Giant Planets and Brown Dwarf Desert Members

Stellar multiplicity is believed to influence planetary formation and evolution, although the precise nature and extent of this role remain ambiguous. We present a study aimed at testing the role of stellar multiplicity in the formation and/or evolution of the most massive, close-in planetary and substellar companions. Using past and new direct imaging observations, as well as the Gaia DR2 catalogue, we searched for wide binary companions to 38 stars hosting massive giant planets or brown dwarfs (M > 7 MJup) on orbits shorter than ∼1 au. We report the discovery of a new component in the WASP-14 system, and present an independent confirmation of a comoving companion to WASP-18. From a robust Bayesian statistical analysis, we derived a binary fraction of per cent between 20 and 10 000 au for our sample, twice as high as for field stars with a 3σ significance. This binary frequency was found to be larger than for lower-mass planets on similar orbits, and we observed a marginally higher binary rate for inner companions with periods shorter than 10 d. These results demonstrate that stellar companions greatly influence the formation and/or evolution of these systems, suggesting that the role played by binary companions becomes more important for higher-mass planets, and that this trend may be enhanced for systems with tighter orbits. Our analysis also revealed a peak in binary separation at 250 au, highlighting a shortfall of close binaries among our sample. This indicates that the mechanisms affecting planet and brown dwarf formation or evolution in binaries must operate from wide separations, although we found that the Kozai–Lidov mechanism is unlikely to be the dominant underlying process. We conclude that binarity plays a crucial role in the existence of very massive short-period giant planets and brown dwarf desert inhabitants, which are almost exclusively observed in multiple systems.

C Fontanive↗
NASA NTRS2021

OGLE-2018-BLG-1185b: A Low-mass Microlensing Planet Orbiting a Low-mass Dwarf

We report an analysis of the planetary microlensing event OGLE-2018-BLG-1185, which was observed by a large number of ground-based telescopes and by the Spitzer Space Telescope. The ground-based light curve indicates a low planet–host star mass ratio ofq=(6.9±0.2)×10−5, which is near the peak of the wide-orbit exoplanet mass-ratio distribution. We estimate the host star and planet masses with a Bayesian analysis using the measured angular Einstein radius under the assumption that stars of all masses have an equal probability of hosting the planet. The flux variation observed by Spitzer is marginal, but still places a constraint on the microlens parallax. Imposing a conservative constraint that this flux variation should beΔfSpz<4 instrumental flux units yields a host mass of=-+MM0.37 host 0.210.35 and a planet mass of =-+ÅmM8.4p4.77.9. A Bayesian analysis including the full parallax constraint from Spitzer suggests smaller host star and planet masses of =-+MM0.091 host 0.0180.064 and =-+ÅmM2.1p0.41.5, respectively. Future high-resolution imaging observations with the Hubble Space Telescope or Extremely Large Telescope could distinguish between these two scenarios and help reveal the planetary system properties in more detail.

Gravitational microlensing↗
NASA NTRS2021

Systematic KMTNet Planetary Anomaly Search. I. OGLE-2019-BLG-1053Lb, a BuriedTerrestrial Planet

In order to exhume the buried signatures of “missing planetary caustics” in Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) data, we conducted a systematic anomaly search of the residuals from point-source point-lens fits, based on a modified version of the KMTNet Event Finder algorithm. This search revealed the lowest-mass-ratio planetary caustic to date in the microlensing event OGLE-2019-BLG-1053, for which the planetary signal had not been noticed before. The planetary system has a planet–host mass ratio ofq= (1.25±0.13) × 10−5. A Bayesian analysis yielded estimates of the mass of the host star, Mhost =-0.61+0.29 -0.24 Mo, the mass of its planet, Mplanet =-2.48 +1.19 -0.98 Mo, the projected planet – host separation, a^= 3.4 +0.5/-0.5 au, and the lens distance, DL =-6.8 +0.6 -0.90kpc.The discovery of this very-low-mass-ratio planet illustrates the utility of our method and opens a new window for a large and homogeneous sample to study the microlensing planet–host mass ratio function down to q∼ 10−5.

Exoplanet detection methods↗
NASA NTRS2022

Giant Planet Atmospheres: Dynamics and Variability from UV to Near-IR Hubble and Adaptive Optics Imaging

Abstract: Each of the giant planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, has been observed by at least one robotic spacecraft mission. However, these missions are infrequent; Uranus and Neptune have only had a single flyby by Voyager 2. The Hubble Space Telescope, particularly the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) instruments, and large ground-based telescopes with adaptive optics systems have enabled high spatial resolution imaging at a higher cadence, and over a longer time, than can be achieved with targeted missions to these worlds. These facilities offer a powerful combination of high spatial resolution, often <0.05”, and broad wavelength coverage, from the ultraviolet through the near infrared, resulting in compelling studies of the clouds, winds, and atmospheric vertical structure. This coverage allows comparisons of atmospheric properties between the planets, as well as in different regions across each planet. Temporal variations in winds, cloud structure, and color over time scales of days to years, have been measured for all four planets. With several decades of data already obtained, we can now begin to investigate seasonal influences on dynamics and aerosol properties, despite orbital periods ranging from 12 to 165 years. Future facilities will enable even greater spatial resolution and, combined with our existing long record of data, will continue to advance our understanding of atmospheric evolution on the giant planets.

Amy A Simon↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Update on Planetary, Lunar, & Asteroid Natural Environment Testbed (PLANET)

At ISMSE15, the Planetary, Lunar, & Asteroid Natural Environment Testbed (PLANET) was introduced as an upcoming high-fidelity, combined-effects planetary surface environment laboratory. This year, we will present an update on the facility status, describing the procurement, installation, commissioning of the chamber in Huntsville, Alabama (USA). With NASA’s push to return to the Moon through the Artemis program, there is a clear need for more high-fidelity test chambers that can replicate multiple aspects of the lunar surface, especially the fine, dusty lunar soil known as regolith. The PLANET chamber is designed to fill this gap, enabling research & development, qualification, and verification testing in a combined lunar surface environment, at an affordable price, for government, commercial/industry, and academic partners. Features include a large regolith simulant bed, low energy electron and ion sources to replicate the solar wind, full-spectrum UV and Solar simulation, and a liquid nitrogen cryogenic shroud, all in a high-vacuum environment (as low as 10^-7 mbar). PLANET’s initial focus will be on the lunar environment, but other surface environments (Martian, asteroid, etc.) are also possible to simulate. Besides the environmental instrumentation, PLANET will be equipped with specialized test systems that the Space Environmental Effects Team has developed over the past two years, including an in-situ tribometer and uniform dust distribution system. The chamber is currently being manufactured, with plans to install in May 2024. This will be followed by outfitting and commissioning. The challenges and accomplishments seen during this process will be detailed, and data from the first tests performed in PLANET will be shared with the community.

environmental testing↗
NASA NTRS2024

TOI 762Ab and TIC 46432937b: Two Giant Planets Transiting M-dwarf Stars

We present the discovery of TOI 762 A b and TIC 46432937 b, two giant planets transiting M-dwarf stars. Transits of both systems were first detected from observations by the NASA TESS mission, and the transiting objects are confirmed as planets through high-precision radial velocity observations carried out with Very Large Telescope/ESPRESSO. TOI 762 A b is a warm sub-Saturn with a mass of 0.251±0.042MJ, a radius of 0.744±0.017RJ, and an orbital period of 3.4717 days. It transits a mid-M-dwarf star with a mass of 0.442±0.025M☉and a radius of0.4250±0.0091R☉. The star TOI 762 A has a resolved binary star companion, TOI 762 B, that is separated fromTOI 762 A by 32(∼319 au)and has an estimated mass of 0.227±0.010M☉. The planet TIC 46432937 b is a warm super-Jupiter with a mass of 3.20±0.11MJ and radius of 1.188±0.030RJ. The planet’s orbital period isP=1.4404 days, and it undergoes grazing transits of its early M-dwarf host star, which has a mass of0.563±0.029M☉and a radius of 0.5299±0.0091R☉. TIC 46432937 b is one of the highest-mass planets found to date transiting an M-dwarf star. TIC 46432937 b is also a promising target for atmospheric observations, having the highest transmission spectroscopy metric or emission spectroscopy metric value of any known warm super-Jupiter(mass greater than 3.0MJ, equilibrium temperature below 1000 K).

Exoplanet systems↗
DOE OSTI2014

HAT-P-49b: a 1.7 M {sub J} planet transiting a bright 1.5 M {sub ☉} F-star

We report the discovery of the transiting extrasolar planet HAT-P-49b. The planet transits the bright (V = 10.3) slightly evolved F-star HD 340099 with a mass of 1.54 M {sub ☉} and a radius of 1.83 R {sub ☉}. HAT-P-49b is orbiting one of the 25 brightest stars to host a transiting planet which makes this a favorable candidate for detailed follow-up. This system is an especially strong target for Rossiter-McLaughlin follow-up due to the host star's fast rotation, 16 km s{sup –1}. The planetary companion has a period of 2.6915 days, mass of 1.73 M {sub J}, and radius of 1.41 R {sub J}. The planetary characteristics are consistent with that of a classical hot Jupiter but we note that this is the fourth most massive star to host a transiting planet with both M{sub p} and R{sub p} well determined.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A TREND BETWEEN COLD DEBRIS DISK TEMPERATURE AND STELLAR TYPE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF WIDE-ORBIT PLANETS

Cold debris disks trace the limits of planet formation or migration in the outer regions of planetary systems, and thus have the potential to answer many of the outstanding questions in wide-orbit planet formation and evolution. We characterized the infrared excess spectral energy distributions of 174 cold debris disks around 546 main-sequence stars observed by both the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. We found a trend between the temperature of the inner edges of cold debris disks and the stellar type of the stars they orbit. This argues against the importance of strictly temperature-dependent processes (e.g., non-water ice lines) in setting the dimensions of cold debris disks. Also, we found no evidence that delayed stirring causes the trend. The trend may result from outward planet migration that traces the extent of the primordial protoplanetary disk, or it may result from planet formation that halts at an orbital radius limited by the efficiency of core accretion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The anglo-australian planet search. XXIII. Two new Jupiter analogs

We report the discovery of two long-period giant planets from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. HD 154857c is in a multiple-planet system, while HD 114613b appears to be solitary. HD 114613b has an orbital period P = 10.5 yr, and a minimum mass msin i of 0.48 M {sub Jup}; HD 154857c has P = 9.5 yr and msin i = 2.6 M {sub Jup}. These new data confirm the planetary nature of the previously unconstrained long-period object in the HD 154857 system. We have performed detailed dynamical stability simulations which show that the HD 154857 two-planet system is stable on timescales of at least 10{sup 8} yr. These results highlight the continued importance of 'legacy' surveys with long observational baselines; these ongoing campaigns are critical for determining the population of Jupiter analogs, and hence of those planetary systems with architectures most like our own solar system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hot Stars with Kepler Planets Have High Obliquities

It has been known for a decade that hot stars with hot Jupiters tend to have high obliquities. Less is known about the degree of spin–orbit alignment for hot stars with other kinds of planets. Here, we reassess the obliquities of hot Kepler stars with transiting planets smaller than Neptune, based on spectroscopic measurements of their projected rotation velocities (vsin i). The basis of the method is that a lower obliquity—all other things being equal—causes sin i to be closer to unity and increases the value of vsin i. We sought evidence for this effect using a sample of 150 Kepler stars with effective temperatures between 5950 and 6550 K and a control sample of 101 stars with matching spectroscopic properties and random orientations. The planet hosts have systematically higher values of vsin i than the control stars, but not by enough to be compatible with perfect spin–orbit alignment. The mean value of sin i is 0.856 ± 0.036, which is 4σ away from unity (perfect alignment), and 2σ away from π/4 (random orientations). There is also evidence that the hottest stars have a broader obliquity distribution: when modeled separately, the stars cooler than 6250 K have 〈sin i〉=0.928±0.042 while the hotter stars are consistent with random orientations. This is similar to the pattern previously noted for stars with hot Jupiters. Based on these results, obliquity excitation for early-G and late-F stars appears to be a general outcome of star and planet formation, rather than being exclusively linked to hot Jupiter formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

The hunt for planet nine: atmosphere, spectra, evolution, and detectability

We investigate the physical characteristics of the solar system’s proposed Planet Nine using modeling tools with a heritage of studying Uranus and Neptune. For a range of plausible masses and interior structures, we find upper limits on the intrinsic T{sub eff}, from ∼35 to 50 K for masses of 5–20 M {sub ⊕}, and we also explore lower T{sub eff} values. Possible planetary radii could readily span from 2.7 to 6 R {sub ⊕}, depending on the mass fraction of any H/He envelope. Given its cold atmospheric temperatures, the planet encounters significant methane condensation, which dramatically alters the atmosphere away from simple Neptune-like expectations. We find that the atmosphere is strongly depleted in molecular absorption at visible wavelengths, suggesting a Rayleigh scattering atmosphere with a high geometric albedo approaching 0.75. We highlight two diagnostics for the atmosphere’s temperature structure: (1) the value of the methane mixing ratio above the methane cloud and (2) the wavelength at which cloud scattering can be seen, which yields the cloud-top pressure. Surface reflection may be seen if the atmosphere is thin. Due to collision-induced opacity of H{sub 2} in the infrared, the planet would be extremely blue instead of red in the shortest wavelength WISE colors if methane is depleted and would, in some cases, exist on the verge of detectability by WISE. For a range of models, thermal fluxes from ∼3 to 5 μm are ∼20 orders of magnitude larger than blackbody expectations. We report a search of the AllWISE Source Catalog for Planet Nine, but find no detection.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2002

Remote sensing of planetary properties and biosignatures on extrasolar terrestrial planets

The major goals of NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and the European Space Agency's Darwin missions are to detect terrestrial-sized extrasolar planets directly and to seek spectroscopic evidence of habitable conditions and life. Here we recommend wavelength ranges and spectral features for these missions. We assess known spectroscopic molecular band features of Earth, Venus, and Mars in the context of putative extrasolar analogs. The preferred wavelength ranges are 7-25 microns in the mid-IR and 0.5 to approximately 1.1 microns in the visible to near-IR. Detection of O2 or its photolytic product O3 merits highest priority. Liquid H2O is not a bioindicator, but it is considered essential to life. Substantial CO2 indicates an atmosphere and oxidation state typical of a terrestrial planet. Abundant CH4 might require a biological source, yet abundant CH4 also can arise from a crust and upper mantle more reduced than that of Earth. The range of characteristics of extrasolar rocky planets might far exceed that of the Solar System. Planetary size and mass are very important indicators of habitability and can be estimated in the mid-IR and potentially also in the visible to near-IR. Additional spectroscopic features merit study, for example, features created by other biosignature compounds in the atmosphere or on the surface and features due to Rayleigh scattering. In summary, we find that both the mid-IR and the visible to near-IR wavelength ranges offer valuable information regarding biosignatures and planetary properties; therefore both merit serious scientific consideration for TPF and Darwin.

Planets↗
NASA NTRS2006

Status of the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I)

The interferometric version of the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF-I) has the potential to find and characterize earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of over 250 nearby stars and to search for life using biomarkers in the atmospheres of any planets found. The scientific case for such a mission continues to be strengthened by on-going progress in the detection of planets via indirect means. This paper summarizes the status of TPF-I, illustrative scientific requirements for the mission, and its enabling technologies.

Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF)↗
NASA NTRS2005

Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph 2005: Overview of Technology Development and System Design Studies

Technology research, design trades, and modeling and analysis guide the definition of a Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph Mission that will search for and characterize earth-like planets around near-by stars. Operating in visible wavebands, this mission will use coronagraphy techniques to suppress starlight to enable capturing and imaging the reflected light from a planet orbiting in the habitable zone of its parent star. The light will be spectrally characterized to determine the presence of life-indicating chemistry in the planet atmosphere.

coronagraph↗
NASA NTRS2018

Abiotic O2 Levels on Planets around F, G, K, and M Stars: Effects of Lightning-Produced Catalysts in Eliminating Oxygen False Positives

Within the last several years, a number of authors (Hu et al., 2012; Tian et al., 302014; Harman et al., 2015; Domagal-Goldman et al., 2015;Gao et al., 2015) have suggested that, under certain circumstances, molecular oxygen (O 2 ) or ozone (O 3 ) generated by abiotic processes may accumulate to detectable concentrations in a habitable terrestrial planet’s atmosphere, producing so-called ‘false positives’ for life. But the models have occasionally disagreed with each other, with some predicting false positives, and some not, for the same apparent set of circumstances. We show here that photochemical false positives derive either from inconsistencies in the treatment of atmospheric and global redox balance or from the treatment (or lack thereof) of lightning. For habitable terrestrial planets with even trace amounts of atmospheric N 2 , NO produced by lightning catalyzes the recombination of CO and O derived from CO 2 photolysis and should be sufficient to eliminate all reported false positives. O 2 thus remains a useful biosignature gas for Earth-like extrasolar planets, provided that the planet resides within the conventional liquid water habitable zone and did not experience distinctly non-Earth-like, irrecoverable water loss.

planet–star interactions↗
NASA NTRS2002

Selected mission architectures for the terrestrial planet finder (TPF): large, medium and small

Four team incorporating scientists and engineers from more than 50 universities and 20 engineering firms have assessed techniques for detecting and characterizing terrestrial planets orbiting nearby stars. The primary conclusion from the effort of the past two years is that with suitable technology investment starting now, a mission to detect terrestrial planets around 150 nearby stars could be launched within a decade. Missions of smaller scale could carry out more modest programs capable of detecting and characterizing gas giant planets around tens of stars and of detecting terrestrial planets around the nearest stars.

Terrestrial↗
NASA NTRS2016

Planet Formation Imager (PFI): Science Vision and Key Requirements

The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) project aims to provide a strong scientific vision for ground-based optical astronomy beyond the upcoming generation of Extremely Large Telescopes. We make the case that a breakthrough in angular resolution imaging capabilities is required in order to unravel the processes involved in planet formation. PFI will be optimised to provide a complete census of the protoplanet population at all stellocentric radii and over the age range from 0.1 to ~ 100 Myr. Within this age period, planetary systems undergo dramatic changes and the final architecture of planetary systems is determined. Our goal is to study the planetary birth on the natural spatial scale where the material is assembled, which is the “Hill Sphere” of the forming planet, and to characterise the protoplanetary cores by measuring their masses and physical properties. Our science working group has investigated the observational characteristics of these young protoplanets as well as the migration mechanisms that might alter the system architecture. We simulated the imprints that the planets leave in the disk and study how PFI could revolutionise areas ranging from exoplanet to extragalactic science. In this contribution we outline the key science drivers of PFI and discuss the requirements that will guide the technology choices, the site selection, and potential science/technology tradeoffs.

Planet formation↗