An accurate mass determination for Kepler-1655b, a moderately-irradiated world with a significant volatile envelope
Abstract
We present the confirmation of a small, moderately-irradiated (F= 155±7 F⊕) Neptune with a substantial gas envelope in a P=11.8728787±0.0000085-day orbit about a quiet, Sun-like G0V star Kepler-1655. Based on our analysis of the Kepler light curve, we determined Kepler-1655b’s radius to be 2.213±0.082 R⊕. We acquired 95 high-resolution spectra with TNG/HARPS-N, enabling us to characterize the host star and determine an accurate mass for Kepler-1655b of 5.0±^3.1_2.8 M⊕ via Gaussian-process regression. Our mass determination excludes an Earth-like composition with 98% confidence. Kepler-1655b falls on the upper edge of the evaporation valley, in the relatively sparsely occupied transition region between rocky and gas-rich planets. It is therefore part of a population of planets that we should actively seek to characterize further.
Citation
Haywood , R D , Vanderburg , A , Mortier , A , Giles , H A C , Lopez-Morales , M , Lopez , E D , Malavolta , L , Charbonneau , D , Cameron , A C , Coughlin , J L , Dressing , C D , Nava , C , Latham , D W , Dumusque , X , Lovis , C , Molinari , E , Pepe , F , Sozzetti , A , Udry , S , Bouchy , F , Johnson , J A , Mayor , M , Micela , G , Phillips , D , Piotto , G , Rice , K , Sasselov , D , Segransan , D , Watson , C , Affer , L , Bonomo , A S , Buchhave , L A , Ciardi , D R , Fiorenzano , A F & Harutyunyan , A 2018 , ' An accurate mass determination for Kepler-1655b, a moderately-irradiated world with a significant volatile envelope ' , Astronomical Journal , vol. 155 , no. 5 , 203 . https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aab8f3
Publication
Astronomical Journal
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0004-6256Type
Journal article
Description
Funding: A.C.C. acknowledges support from STFC consolidated grant number ST/M001296/1. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant Agreement No. 313014 (ETAEARTH).Collections
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