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An ultrahot Neptune in the Neptune desert

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Jenkins, James S., Díaz, Matías R., Kurtovic, Nicolás T., Espinoza, Néstor, Vines, Jose I., Rojas, Pablo A. Peña, Brahm, Rafael, Torres, Pascal, Cortés-Zuleta, Pía, Soto, Maritza G. et al.
(2020) An ultrahot Neptune in the Neptune desert. Nature Astronomy, 4 (12). pp. 1148-1157. doi:10.1038/s41550-020-1142-z

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-1142-z

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Abstract

About one out of 200 Sun-like stars has a planet with an orbital period shorter than one day: an ultra-short-period planet. All of the previously known ultra-short-period planets are either hot Jupiters, with sizes above 10 Earth radii (R_Earth), or apparently rocky planets smaller than 2 R_Earth. Such lack of planets of intermediate size (the “hot Neptune desert”) has been interpreted as the inability of low-mass planets to retain any hydrogen/helium (H/He) envelope in the face of strong stellar irradiation. Here, we report the discovery of an ultra-short-period planet with a radius of 4.6 R_Earth and a mass of 29 M_Earth, firmly in the hot Neptune desert. Data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite revealed transits of the bright Sun-like star LTT 9779 every 0.79 days. The planet’s mean density is similar to that of Neptune, and according to thermal evolution models, it has a H/He-rich envelope constituting 9.0+/-2.7% of the total mass. With an equilibrium temperature above 2000 K, it is unclear how this “ultra-hot Neptune” managed to retain such an envelope. Follow-up observations of the planet’s atmosphere to better understand its origin and physical nature will be facilitated by the star’s brightness (Vmag = 9.8).

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Neptune (Planet), Stars with planets
Journal or Publication Title: Nature Astronomy
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
ISSN: 2397-3366
Official Date: December 2020
Dates:
DateEvent
December 2020Published
14 September 2020Available
1 June 2020Accepted
Volume: 4
Number: 12
Page Range: pp. 1148-1157
DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-1142-z
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
UNSPECIFIED[NASA] National Aeronautics and Space Administrationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000104
1161218[FONDECYT] Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológicohttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002850
1201371[FONDECYT] Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológicohttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002850
AFB-170002[CONICYT] Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológicahttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002848
ST/M001962/1 [STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271
ST/S002642/1[STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271
ST/P000495/1[STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271
ST/R00384X/1[STFC] Science and Technology Facilities Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000271
UNSPECIFIEDDavid and Claudia Harding Foundationhttp://opencharities.org/charities/1120878
UNSPECIFIEDNorthern Ireland.‏ Department for the Economyhttp://viaf.org/viaf/16147121669826390974

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