Wolf 503 b: Characterization of a Sub-Neptune Orbiting a Metal-poor K Dwarf

Polanski, Alex S.; Crossfield, Ian J. M.; Burt, Jennifer A.; Nowak, Grzegorz; López-Morales, Mercedes; Mortier, Annelies; Poretti, Ennio; Behmard, Aida; Benneke, Björn; Blunt, Sarah; Bonomo, Aldo S.; Butler, R. Paul; Chontos, Ashley; Cosentino, Rosario; Crane, Jeffrey D.; Dumusque, Xavier; Fulton, Benjamin J.; Ghedina, Adriano; Gorjian, Varoujan; Grunblatt, Samuel K.; Harutyunyan, Avet; Howard, Andrew W.; Isaacson, Howard; Kosiarek, Molly R.; Latham, David W.; Luque, Rafael; Martinez Fiorenzano, Aldo F.; Mayor, Michel; Mills, Sean M.; Molinari, Emilio; Nagel, Evangelos; Pallé, Enric; Petigura, Erik A.; Shectman, Stephen A.; Sozzetti, Alessandro; Teske, Johanna K.; Wang, Sharon Xuesong; Weiss, Lauren M.
Referencia bibliográfica

The Astronomical Journal

Fecha de publicación:
12
2021
Número de autores
38
Número de autores del IAC
3
Número de citas
6
Número de citas referidas
5
Descripción
Using radial-velocity measurements from four instruments, we report the mass and density of a 2.043 ±0.069 R⊕ sub-Neptune orbiting the quiet K-dwarf Wolf 503 (HIP 67285). In addition, we present improved orbital and transit parameters by analyzing previously unused short-cadence K2 campaign 17 photometry and conduct a joint radial-velocity-transit fit to constrain the eccentricity at 0.41 ± 0.05. The addition of a transit observation by Spitzer also allows us to refine the orbital ephemeris in anticipation of further follow-up. Our mass determination, 6.26 ${}_{-0.70}^{+0.69}$ M⊕ , in combination with the updated radius measurements, gives Wolf 503 b a bulk density of $\rho ={2.92}_{-0.44}^{+0.50}$ g cm-3. Using interior composition models, we find this density is consistent with an Earth-like core with either a substantial H2O mass fraction (45 ${}_{-16}^{+19}$ %) or a modest H/He envelope (0.5% ± 0.3%). The low H/He mass fraction, along with the old age of Wolf 503 (11 ± 2 Gyr), makes this sub-Neptune an opportune subject for testing theories of XUV-driven mass loss while the brightness of its host (J = 8.3 mag) makes it an attractive target for transmission spectroscopy.
Proyectos relacionados
Image withthe projects' name
Exoplanetas y Astrobiología

La búsqueda de vida en el Universo se ha visto impulsada por los recientes descubrimientos de planetas alrededor de otras estrellas (los llamados exoplanetas), convirtiéndose en uno de los campos más activos dentro de la Astrofísica moderna. En los últimos años los descubrimientos cada vez más numerosos de nuevos exoplanetas y los últimos avances

Enric
Pallé Bago