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An ultrahot Neptune in the Neptune desert
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(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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WRAP-An-ultra-hot-Neptune-Neptune-desert-Wheatley-2020.pdf - Accepted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (4Mb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-020-1142-z
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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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: |
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