VaTEST III : validation of 8 potential super-earths from TESS data
Abstract
NASA’s all-sky survey mission, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), is specifically engineered to detect exoplanets that transit bright stars. Thus far, TESS has successfully identified approximately 400 transiting exoplanets, in addition to roughly 6 000 candidate exoplanets pending confirmation. In this study, we present the results of our ongoing project, the Validation of Transiting Exoplanets using Statistical Tools (VaTEST). Our dedicated effort is focused on the confirmation and characterisation of new exoplanets through the application of statistical validation tools. Through a combination of ground-based telescope data, high-resolution imaging, and the utilisation of the statistical validation tool known as TRICERATOPS, we have successfully discovered eight potential super-Earths. These planets bear the designations: TOI-238b (1.61 +0.09−0.10 R ⊕ ), TOI-771b (1.42 +0.11−0.09 R ⊕ ), TOI-871b (1.66 +0.11−0.11 R ⊕ ), TOI-1467b (1.83 +0.16−0.15 R ⊕ ), TOI-1739b (1.69 +0.10−0.08 R ⊕ ), TOI-2068b (1.82 +0.16−0.15 R ⊕ ), TOI-4559b (1.42 +0.13−0.11 R ⊕ ), and TOI-5799b (1.62 +0.19−0.13 R ⊕ ). Among all these planets, six of them fall within the region known as ‘keystone planets’, which makes them particularly interesting for study. Based on the location of TOI-771b and TOI-4559b below the radius valley we characterised them as likely super-Earths, though radial velocity mass measurements for these planets will provide more details about their characterisation. It is noteworthy that planets within the size range investigated herein are absent from our own solar system, making their study crucial for gaining insights into the evolutionary stages between Earth and Neptune.
Citation
Mistry , P , Prasad , A , Maity , M , Pathak , K , Gharat , S , Lekkas , G , Bhattarai , S , Kumar , D , Lissauer , J J , Twicken , J D , Soubkiou , A , Pozuelos , F J , Jenkins , J , Horne , K , Giacalone , S , Barkaoui , K , Timmermans , M , Watkins , C N , Sefako , R , Collins , K A , Ciardi , D R , Clark , C A , Safonov , B S , Shporer , A , Schlieder , J E , Benkhaldoun , Z , Stockdale , C , Ziegler , C , Gilbert , E A , Emmanuël , J , Murgas , F , Crossfield , I J M , Paegert , M , Lund , M B , Narita , N , Schwarz , R P , Goeke , R F , Fajardo-Acosta , S B , Howell , S B , Tan , T-G , Barclay , T & Kawai , Y 2024 , ' VaTEST III : validation of 8 potential super-earths from TESS data ' , Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , vol. 41 , e030 . https://doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2024.29
Publication
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1323-3580Type
Journal article
Description
Funding: The ULiege’s contribution to SPECULOOS has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) (grant Agreement n◦ 336480/SPECULOOS). This research is in part funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grants agreements n◦ 803193/BEBOP), and from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC; grant n◦ ST/S00193X/1, and ST/W000385/1).Collections
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