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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 ISSN 2397-3366.
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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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dates: |
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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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 23 October 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 14 March 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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