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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

HAT-P-11: Discovery of a Second Planet and a Clue to Understanding Exoplanet Obliquities

HAT-P-11 is a mid-K dwarf that hosts one of the first Neptune-sized planets found outside the solar system. The orbit of HAT-P-11b is misaligned with the star’s spin—one of the few known cases of a misaligned planet orbiting a star less massive than the Sun. We find an additional planet in the system based on a decade of precision radial velocity (RV) measurements from Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer. HAT-P-11c is similar to Jupiter in its mass (M{sub P}sin i=1.6±0.1 M {sub J}) and orbital period (P=9.3{sub −0.5}{sup +1.0} year), but has a much more eccentric orbit (e = 0.60 ± 0.03). In our joint modeling of RV and stellar activity, we found an activity-induced RV signal of ∼7 m s{sup −1}, consistent with other active K dwarfs, but significantly smaller than the 31 m s{sup −1} reflex motion due to HAT-P-11c. We investigated the dynamical coupling between HAT-P-11b and c as a possible explanation for HAT-P-11b’s misaligned orbit, finding that planet–planet Kozai interactions cannot tilt planet b’s orbit due to general relativistic precession; however, nodal precession operating on million year timescales is a viable mechanism to explain HAT-P-11b’s high obliquity. This leaves open the question of why HAT-P-11c may have such a tilted orbit. At a distance of 38 pc, the HAT-P-11 system offers rich opportunities for further exoplanet characterization through astrometry and direct imaging.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2004

Formation acquisition sensor for the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) mission

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) pre-project, an element of NASA’s Origins Program, is currently investigating multiple implementation architectures for finding earth-like planets around other stars. One of the technologies being developed is the Formation Flying Interferometer (FFI). The FFI is envisioned to consist of up to seven spacecraft, each with an infrared telescope, flying in precise formation within +/- l cm of pre-determined trajectories for synchronized observations. The spacecraft to- spacecraft separations are variable between 20 m to 100m during observations to support various interferometer configurations in the planet-finding mode. The challenges involved with TPF autonomous operations, ranging from formation acquisition and formation maneuvering, to high precision formation flying during science observations are unprecedented for deep space missions. To meet these challenges, the Formation Sensor Testbed (FST) under the TPF technology program will develop and demonstrate the key technology of the formation acquisition sensor. Key performance targets for the acquisition sensor are an instantaneous 4phi-steradian field of view and simultaneous range and bearing-angle measurements for multiple spacecraft with accuracy better than 50 cm and 1 degree, respectively. In this paper, we will describe the TPF FFI mission concept, the key formation flying challenges, the acquisition sensor design, the key design challenges, and the current plan to mitigate these design challenges.

Purcell, George H. Jr.↗
DOE OSTI2024

TOI–757 b: an eccentric transiting mini–Neptune on a 17.5–d orbit

ABSTRACT We report the spectroscopic confirmation and fundamental properties of TOI$-$757 b, a mini$-$Neptune on a 17.5$-$d orbit transiting a bright star ($V\, =\, 9.7$ mag) discovered by the TESS mission. We acquired high$-$precision radial velocity measurements with the HARPS, ESPRESSO, and PFS spectrographs to confirm the planet detection and determine its mass. We also acquired space$-$borne transit photometry with the CHEOPS space telescope to place stronger constraints on the planet radius, supported with ground$-$based LCOGT photometry. WASP and KELT photometry were used to help constrain the stellar rotation period. We also determined the fundamental parameters of the host star. We find that TOI$-$757 b has a radius of $R_{\mathrm{p}} = 2.5 \pm 0.1 R_{\oplus }$ and a mass of $M_{\mathrm{p}} = 10.5^{+2.2}_{-2.1} M_{\oplus }$, implying a bulk density of $\rho _{\text{p}} = 3.6 \pm 0.8$ g cm$^{-3}$. Our internal composition modelling was unable to constrain the composition of TOI$-$757 b, highlighting the importance of atmospheric observations for the system. We also find the planet to be highly eccentric with e = 0.39$^{+0.08}_{-0.07}$, making it one of the very few highly eccentric planets among precisely characterized mini$-$Neptunes. Based on comparisons to other similar eccentric systems, we find a likely scenario for TOI$-$757 b’s formation to be high eccentricity migration due to a distant outer companion. We additionally propose the possibility of a more intrinsic explanation for the high eccentricity due to star$-$star interactions during the earlier epoch of the Galactic disc formation, given the low metallicity and older age of TOI$-$757.

Alqasim, A. (ORCID:0000000151025505)↗
DOE OSTI2016

GLOBAL INSTABILITY OF THE EXO-MOON SYSTEM TRIGGERED BY PHOTO-EVAPORATION

Many exoplanets have been found in orbits close to their host stars and thus they are subject to the effects of photo-evaporation. Previous studies have shown that a large portion of exoplanets detected by the Kepler mission have been significantly eroded by photo-evaporation. In this paper, we numerically study the effects of photo-evaporation on the orbital evolution of a hypothesized moon system around a planet. We find that photo-evaporation is crucial to the stability of the moon system. Photo-evaporation can erode the atmosphere of the planet thus leading to significant mass loss. As the planet loses mass, its Hill radius shrinks and its moons increase their orbital semimajor axes and eccentricities. When some moons approach their critical semimajor axes, global instability of the moon system would be triggered, which usually ends up with two, one or even zero surviving moons. Some lost moons could escape from the moon system to become a new planet orbiting the star or run away further to become a free-floating object in the Galaxy. Given the destructive role of photo-evaporation, we speculate that exomoons are less common for close-in planets (<0.1 au), especially those around M-type stars, because they are more X-ray luminous and thus enhancing photo-evaporation. The lessons we learn in this study may be helpful for the target selection of on-going/future exomoon searching programs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2013

Formation of Sharp Eccentric Rings in Debris Disks with Gas but Without Planets

'Debris disks' around young stars (analogues of the Kuiper Belt in our Solar System) show a variety of non-trivial structures attributed to planetary perturbations and used to constrain the properties of those planets. However, these analyses have largely ignored the fact that some debris disks are found to contain small quantities of gas, a component that all such disks should contain at some level. Several debris disks have been measured with a dust-to-gas ratio of about unity, at which the effect of hydrodynamics on the structure of the disk cannot be ignored. Here we report linear and nonlinear modelling that shows that dust-gas interactions can produce some of the key patterns attributed to planets. We find a robust clumping instability that organizes the dust into narrow, eccentric rings, similar to the Fomalhaut debris disk. The conclusion that such disks might contain planets is not necessarily required to explain these systems.

Fomalhaut debris disk↗
DOE OSTI2017

H{sub 2} Fluorescence in M Dwarf Systems: A Stellar Origin

Observations of molecular hydrogen (H{sub 2}) fluorescence are a potentially useful tool for measuring the H{sub 2} abundance in exoplanet atmospheres. This emission was previously observed in M dwarfs with planetary systems. However, low signal-to-noise prevented a conclusive determination of its origin. Possible sources include exoplanetary atmospheres, circumstellar gas disks, and the stellar surface. We use observations from the “Measurements of the Ultraviolet Spectral Characteristics of Low-mass Exoplanet Host Stars” Treasury Survey to study H{sub 2} fluorescence in M dwarfs. We detect fluorescence in Hubble Space Telescope spectra of 8/9 planet-hosting and 5/6 non-planet-hosting M dwarfs. The detection statistics, velocity centroids, and line widths of the emission suggest a stellar origin. We calculate H{sub 2}-to-stellar-ion flux ratios to compare flux levels between stars. For stars with planets, we find an average ratio of 1.7±0.9, using the fluxes of the brightest H{sub 2} feature and two stellar C iv lines. This is compared to 0.9±0.4 for stars without planets, showing that the planet-hosting M dwarfs do not have significant excess H{sub 2} emission. This claim is supported by the direct FUV imaging of GJ 832, where no fluorescence is observed at the expected star–planet separation. Additionally, the 3σ upper limit of 4.9 × 10{sup −17} erg cm{sup −2} s{sup −1} from these observations is two orders of magnitude below the spectroscopically observed H{sub 2} flux. We constrain the location of the fluorescing H{sub 2} using 1D radiative transfer models, and find that it could reside in starspots or a ∼2500–3000 K region in the lower chromosphere. The presence of this emission could complicate efforts to quantify the atmospheric abundance of H{sub 2} in exoplanets orbiting M dwarfs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2020

Securing the legacy of TESS through the care and maintenance of TESS planet ephemerides

Much of the science from the exoplanets detected by the TESS mission relies on precisely predicted transit times that are needed for many follow-up characterization studies. We investigate the severity of ephemeris deterioration for simulated TESS planets and find that the ephemerides of 81% of those will have expired (i.e. mid-transit time uncertainties greater than 30 minutes, impeding the efficient scheduling of follow-up observations) one year after their TESS observations. This rapid deterioration is driven primarily by the relatively short time baseline of TESS observations. In particular, of the simulated planets that would be recommended as potential James Webb Space Telescope targets by Kempton et al. (2018), 80% will have 1 mid-transit time uncertainties greater than 30 minutes by the earliest time JWST would observe them. The recently-approved extension to the TESS mission means that the ephemerides of most (though not all) primary mission planets will eventually be rescued, but the benefits of these new observations can only be reaped two years after the primary mission observations. Moreover, even with the advent of the TESS mission extension, the ephemerides of most primary mission TESS planets (as well as those newly discovered during the extended mission) will again have expired by the time future facilities such as the ELTs, Ariel and the possible LUVOIR/OST missions come online. We identify categories of TESS planets for which the ephemeris deterioration is most severe, and provide strategies for maintaining their ephemerides fresh through additional follow- up transit observations. We find that the longer the baseline between the TESS and the follow-up observations, the longer the ephemerides stay fresh, and that 51% of simulated primary mission TESS planets will require space-based observations to refresh their ephemerides.

Surveys↗
DOE OSTI2021

The protoplanetary disc around HD 169142: circumstellar or circumbinary?

ABSTRACT Stellar binaries represent a substantial fraction of stellar systems, especially among young stellar objects. Accordingly, binaries play an important role in setting the architecture of a large number of protoplanetary discs. Binaries in coplanar and polar orientations with respect to the circumbinary disc are stable configurations and could induce non-axisymmetric structures in the dust and gas distributions. In this work, we suggest that the structures shown in the central region of the protoplanetary disc HD 169142 are produced by the presence of an inner stellar binary and a circumbinary (P-type) planet. We find that a companion with a mass ratio of 0.1, semimajor axis of 9.9 au, eccentricity of 0.2, and inclination of 90°, together with a 2 MJ coplanar planet on a circular orbit at 45 au reproduce the structures at the innermost ring observed at 1.3 mm and the shape of spiral features in scattered light observations. The model predicts changes in the disc’s dust structure, and star’s astrometric parameters, which would allow testing its veracity by monitoring this system over the next 20 yr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2010

SIM Lite Astrometric Observatory Progress Report

The SIM Lite Astrometric Observatory (aka SIM Lite), a micro-arcsecond astrometry space mission, has been developed in response to NASA's indefinite deferral of the SIM PlanetQuest mission. The SIM Lite mission, while significantly more affordable than the SIM PlanetQuest mission concept, still addresses the full breadth of SIM science envisioned by two previous National Research Council (NRC) Astrophysics Decadal Surveys at the most stringent 'Goal' level of astrometric measurement performance envisioned in those surveys. Over the past two years, the project has completed the conceptual design of the SIM Lite mission using only the completed SIM technology; published a 250 page book describing the science and mission design (available at the SIM website: http://sim.jpl.nasa.gov); been subject to an independent cost and technical readiness assessment by the Aerospace Corporation; and submitted a number of information responses to the NRC Astro2010 Decadal Survey. The project also conducted an exoplanet-finding capability double blind study that clearly demonstrated the ability of the mission to survey 60 to 100 nearby sun-like dwarf stars for terrestrial, habitable zone planets in complex planetary systems. Additionally, the project has continued Engineering Risk Reduction activities by building brassboard (form, fit and function to flight) version of key instrument elements and subjecting them to flight qualification environmental and performance testing. This paper summarizes the progress over the last two years and the current state of the SIM Lite project.

exoplanet↗
NASA NTRS2000

Production of Star-Grazing and Star-Impacting Planetestimals via Orbital Migration of Extrasolar Planets

During the orbital migration of a giant extrasolar planet via ejection of planetesimals (as studied by Murray et al. in 1998), inner mean-motion resonances can be strong enough to cause planetesimals to graze or impact the star. We integrate numerically the motions of particles which pass through the 3:1 or 4:1 mean-motion resonances of a migrating Jupiter-mass planet. We find that many particles can be trapped in the 3:1 or 4:1 resonances and pumped to high enough eccentricities that they impact the star. This implies that for a planet migrating a substantial fraction of its semimajor axis, a fraction of its mass in planetesimals could impact the star. This process may be capable of enriching the metallicity of the star at a time when the star is no longer fully convective. Upon close approaches to the star, the surfaces of these planetesimals will be sublimated. Orbital migration should cause continuing production of evaporating bodies, suggesting that this process should be detectable with searches for transient absorption lines in young stars. The remainder of the particles will not impact the star but can be ejected subsequently by the planet as it migrates further inward. This allows the planet to migrate a substantial fraction of its initial semimajor axis by ejecting planetesimals.

Quillen, A. C.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Possible Outcomes of Coplanar High-eccentricity Migration: Hot Jupiters, Close-in Super-Earths, and Counter-orbiting Planets

We investigate the formation of close-in planets in near-coplanar eccentric hierarchical triple systems via the secular interaction between an inner planet and an outer perturber (Coplanar High-eccentricity Migration; CHEM). We generalize the previous work on the analytical condition for successful CHEM for point masses interacting only through gravity by taking into account the finite mass effect of the inner planet. We find that efficient CHEM requires that the systems should have m {sub 1}≪m {sub 0} and m {sub 1} ≪ m {sub 2}. In addition to the gravity for point masses, we examine the importance of the short-range forces, and provide an analytical estimate of the migration timescale. We perform a series of numerical simulations in CHEM for systems consisting of a Sun-like central star, giant gas inner planet, and planetary outer perturber, including the short-range forces and stellar and planetary dissipative tides. We find that most of such systems end up with a tidal disruption; a small fraction of the systems produce prograde hot Jupiters (HJs), but no retrograde HJ. In addition, we extend CHEM to super-Earth mass range, and show that the formation of close-in super-Earths in prograde orbits is also possible. Finally, we carry out CHEM simulation for the observed hierarchical triple and counter-orbiting HJ systems. We find that CHEM can explain a part of the former systems, but it is generally very difficult to reproduce counter-orbiting HJ systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2018

A Planet for Goldilocks: The Search for Evidence of Life Beyond Earth

A Planet for Goldilocks: The Search for Evidence of Life Beyond Earth "Not too hot, not too cold" begins the prescription for a world that's just right for life as we know it. Finding evidence of life beyond Earth is one of the primary goals of science agencies around the world thanks in large part to NASA's Kepler Mission which launched in 2009 with the objective of finding Goldilocks planets orbiting other stars like our Sun. Indeed, the space telescope opened our eyes to the terrestrial-sized planets that populate the galaxy as well as exotic worlds unlike anything that exists in the solar system. The mission ignited the search for life beyond earth via remote detection of atmospheric biosignatures on exoplanets. Most recently, our collective imagination was awakened by the discovery of Goldilocks worlds orbiting some of the nearest neighbors to the Sun, turning abstractions into destinations. Dr. Batalha will give an overview of the science legacy of the Kepler Mission and other key discoveries. She'll give a preview of what's to come by highlighting the missions soon to launch and those that are concepts taking shape on the drawing board.

Batalha, Natalie M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Characterization of Turbulence in the Mars Plasma Environment with MAVEN Observations

We characterize turbulence in the Mars plasma environment in a global scale for the first time by computing spectral indices for magnetic field fluctuations (slopes in the magnetic field power spectra) and determining how they vary with frequency and in different regions. In the magnetosheath, unlike in the solar wind, we find an absence of the inertial range which has a spectral index value equal to the Kolmogorov scaling value of minus 5 divided by 3. Instead, as observed in the magnetosheaths of other planets, we find that the spectral indices transition from low negative values close to minus 0.5 at low frequencies (less than proton gyrofrequency) to values much lower than minus 5 divided by 3 at high frequencies (greater than proton gyrofrequency). This indicates that the pristine solar wind is modified at the Martian bow shock and that the fluctuations are dominated by locally generated fluctuations in the magnetosheath. The absence of spectral indices with the Kolmogorov scaling value indicates that the fluctuations in the magnetosheath do not have sufficient time to interact with one another leading to a fully developed energy cascade. Spectral index values near the Kolmogorov scaling value are observed for the low-frequency range near the magnetic pileup boundary, and this indicates the presence of fully developed energy cascade. In the wake, we find that the spectral indices have approximately the same values, typically near minus 2, for both the low- and high-frequency ranges. We observe seasonal variations of the spectral indices, mainly in the upstream region, which indicate the seasonal variations of the proton cyclotron waves.

Magnetosheath↗
DOE OSTI2013

BULK COMPOSITION OF GJ 1214b AND OTHER SUB-NEPTUNE EXOPLANETS

GJ 1214b stands out among the detected low-mass exoplanets, because it is, so far, the only one amenable to transmission spectroscopy. Up to date there is no consensus about the composition of its envelope although most studies suggest a high molecular weight atmosphere. In particular, it is unclear if hydrogen and helium are present or if the atmosphere is water dominated. Here, we present results on the composition of the envelope obtained by using an internal structure and evolutionary model to fit the mass and radius data. By examining all possible mixtures of water and H/He, with the corresponding opacities, we find that the bulk amount of H/He of GJ 1214b is at most 7% by mass. In general, we find the radius of warm sub-Neptunes to be most sensitive to the amount of H/He. We note that all (Kepler-11b,c,d,f, Kepler-18b, Kepler-20b, 55Cnc-e, Kepler-36c, and Kepler-68b) but two (Kepler-11e and Kepler-30b) of the discovered low-mass planets so far have less than 10% H/He. In fact, Kepler-11e and Kepler-30b have 10%-18% and 5%-15% bulk H/He. Conversely, little can be determined about the H{sub 2}O or rocky content of sub-Neptune planets. We find that although a 100% water composition fits the data for GJ 1214b, based on formation constraints the presence of heavier refractory material on this planet is expected, and hence, so is a component lighter than water required. The same is true for Kepler-11f. A robust determination by transmission spectroscopy of the composition of the upper atmosphere of GJ 1214b will help determine the extent of compositional segregation between the atmosphere and the envelope.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1998

Searching for Planets Around other Stars

In this colloquim presentation, Professor of Astronomy, Geoffrey Marcy discusses the discovery of planets orbiting other stars. Using the Doppler shift caused by stellar wobble that is caused by nearby planetary mass, astronomers have been able to infer the existence of Jupiter-sized planets around other stars. Using a special spectrometer at Lick Observatory, the wobble of several stars have been traced over the years required to generate an accurate pattern required to infer the stellar wobble. Professor Marcy, discusses the findings of planets around 47 Ursae Majoris, 16 Cygni B, 51 Pegasus, and 56 Rho 1 Cne. In the case of 56 Rho 1 Cne the planet appears to be close to the star, within 1.5 astronomical units. The observations from the smaller Lick Observatory will be augmented by new observations from the larger telescope at the Kek observatory. This move will allow observations of smaller planets, as opposed to the massive planets thus far discovered. The astronomers also hope to observe smaller stars with the Kek data. Future spaceborne observations will allow the discovery of even smaller planets. A spaceborne interferometer is in the planning stages, and an even larger observatory, called the Terrestrial Planet Finder, is hoped for. Professor Marcy shows artists' renderings of two of the planets thus far discovered. He also briefly discusses planetary formation and shows slides of both observations from the Orion Nebula and models of stellar system formation.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2013

PLANET HUNTERS: A TRANSITING CIRCUMBINARY PLANET IN A QUADRUPLE STAR SYSTEM

We report the discovery and confirmation of a transiting circumbinary planet (PH1b) around KIC 4862625, an eclipsing binary in the Kepler field. The planet was discovered by volunteers searching the first six Quarters of publicly available Kepler data as part of the Planet Hunters citizen science project. Transits of the planet across the larger and brighter of the eclipsing stars are detectable by visual inspection every {approx}137 days, with seven transits identified in Quarters 1-11. The physical and orbital parameters of both the host stars and planet were obtained via a photometric-dynamical model, simultaneously fitting both the measured radial velocities and the Kepler light curve of KIC 4862625. The 6.18 {+-} 0.17 R{sub Circled-Plus} planet orbits outside the 20 day orbit of an eclipsing binary consisting of an F dwarf (1.734 {+-} 0.044 R{sub Sun }, 1.528 {+-} 0.087 M{sub Sun }) and M dwarf (0.378 {+-} 0.023 R{sub Sun }, 0.408 {+-} 0.024 M{sub Sun }). For the planet, we find an upper mass limit of 169 M{sub Circled-Plus} (0.531 Jupiter masses) at the 99.7% confidence level. With a radius and mass less than that of Jupiter, PH1b is well within the planetary regime. Outside the planet's orbit, at {approx}1000 AU, a previously unknown visual binary has been identified that is likely bound to the planetary system, making this the first known case of a quadruple star system with a transiting planet.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Atmospheres of low-mass planets: The “boil-off”

We show that, for a low-mass planet that orbits its host star within a few tenths of an AU (like the majority of the Kepler planets), the atmosphere it was able to accumulate while embedded in the protoplanetary disk may not survive unscathed after the disk disperses. This gas envelope, if more massive than a few percent of the core (with a mass below 10M{sub ⊕}), has a cooling time that is much longer than the timescale on which the planet exits the disk. As such, it could not have contracted significantly from its original size, of the order of the Bondi radius. So a newly exposed protoplanet would be losing mass via a Parker wind that is catalyzed by the stellar continuum radiation. This represents an intermediate stage of mass-loss, occurring soon after the disk has dispersed, but before the EUV/X-ray driven photoevaporation becomes relevant. The surface mass-loss induces a mass movement within the envelope that advects internal heat outward. As a result, the planet atmosphere rapidly cools down and contracts, until it has reached a radius of the order of 0.1 Bondi radius, at which time the mass-loss effectively shuts down. Within a million years after the disk disperses, we find a planet that has only about 10% of its original envelope, and a Kelvin–Helmholtz time that is much longer than its actual age. We suggest that this “boil-off” process may be partially responsible for the lack of planets above a radius of 2.5R{sub ⊕} in the Kepler data, provided planet formation results in initial envelope masses of tens of percent.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗