The K2 mission has recently begun to discover new and diverse planetary systems. In December 2014 Campaign 1 data from the mission was released, providing high-precision photometry for ~22000 objects over an 80 day timespan. We searched these data with the aim of detecting further important new objects. Our search through two separate pipelines led to the independent discovery of K2-19b & c, a two-planet system of Neptune sized objects (4.2 and 7.2R_{earth}_), orbiting a K dwarf extremely close to the 3:2 mean motion resonance. The two planets each show transits, sometimes simultaneously due to their proximity to resonance and alignment of conjunctions.
We report on the discovery of K2-141 b (EPIC 246393474 b), an ultra-short-period super-Earth on a 6.7-hour orbit transiting an active K7 V star based on data from K2 campaign 12. We confirmed the planet's existence and measured its mass with a series of follow-up observations: seeing-limited MuSCAT imaging, NESSI high-resolution speckle observations, and FIES and HARPS high-precision radial-velocity monitoring. K2-141 b has a mass of 5.31+/-0.46M_{Earth}_ and radius of 1.54+0.10-0.09R_{Earth}_, yielding a mean density of 8.00^+1.83^_-1.45_g/cm^3^ and suggesting a rocky-iron composition. Models indicate that iron cannot exceed ~70% of the total mass. With an orbital period of only 6.7 hours, K2-141 b is the shortest-period planet known to date with a precisely determined mass.
K2's Campaign 9 (K2C9) will conduct a ~3.7 deg^2^ survey toward the Galactic bulge from 2016 April 22 through July 2 that will leverage the spatial separation between K2 and the Earth to facilitate measurement of the microlens parallax {pi}_E_ for >~170 microlensing events. These will include several that are planetary in nature as well as many short-timescale microlensing events, which are potentially indicative of free-floating planets (FFPs). These satellite parallax measurements will in turn allow for the direct measurement of the masses of and distances to the lensing systems. In this article we provide an overview of the K2C9 space- and ground-based microlensing survey. Specifically, we detail the demographic questions that can be addressed by this program, including the frequency of FFPs and the Galactic distribution of exoplanets, the observational parameters of K2C9, and the array of resources dedicated to concurrent observations. Finally, we outline the avenues through which the larger community can become involved, and generally encourage participation in K2C9, which constitutes an important pathfinding mission and community exercise in anticipation of WFIRST.
We report the discovery of two super-Earth-mass planets orbiting the nearby K0.5 dwarf HD 7924, which was previously known to host one small planet. The new companions have masses of 7.9 and 6.4M_{Earth}_, and orbital periods of 15.3 and 24.5 days. We perform a joint analysis of high-precision radial velocity data from Keck/HIRES and the new Automated Planet Finder Telescope (APF) to robustly detect three total planets in the system. We refine the ephemeris of the previously known planet using 5yr of new Keck data and high-cadence observations over the last 1.3yr with the APF. With this new ephemeris, we show that a previous transit search for the inner-most planet would have covered 70% of the predicted ingress or egress times. Photometric data collected over the last eight years using the Automated Photometric Telescope shows no evidence for transits of any of the planets, which would be detectable if the planets transit and their compositions are hydrogen-dominated. We detect a long-period signal that we interpret as the stellar magnetic activity cycle since it is strongly correlated with the CaII H and K activity index. We also detect two additional short-period signals that we attribute to rotationally modulated starspots and a one-month alias. The high-cadence APF data help to distinguish between the true orbital periods and aliases caused by the window function of the Keck data. The planets orbiting HD 7924 are a local example of the compact, multi-planet systems that the Kepler Mission found in great abundance.
The presence of mean-motion resonances (MMRs) complicates analysis and fitting of planetary systems that are observed through the radial velocity (RV) technique. MMR can allow planets to remain stable in regions of phase space where strong planet-planet interactions would otherwise destabilize the system. These stable orbits can occupy small phase space volumes, allowing MMRs to strongly constrain system parameters, but making searches for stable orbital parameters challenging. Furthermore, libration of the resonant angle and dynamical interaction between the planets introduces another long-period variation into the observed RV signal, complicating analysis of the periods of the planets in the system. We discuss this phenomenon using the example of HD 200964. By searching through parameter space and numerically integrating each proposed set of planetary parameters to test for long-term stability, we find stable solutions in the 7:5 and 3:2 MMRs in addition to the originally identified 4:3 MMR. The 7:5 configuration provides the best match to the data, while the 3:2 configuration provides the most easily understood formation scenario. In reanalysis of the originally published shorter-baseline data, we find fits in both the 4:3 and 3:2 resonances, but not in the 7:5. Because the time baseline of the data is shorter than the resonant libration period, the current best fit to the data may not reflect the actual resonant configuration. In the absence of a full sample of the longer libration period, we find that it is of paramount importance to incorporate long-term stability when the orbital configuration of the system is fit.
Through photometric monitoring of the extended transit window of HD 97658b with the MOST space telescope, we have found that this exoplanet transits with an ephemeris consistent with that predicted from radial velocity measurements. The mid-transit times are 5.6{sigma} earlier than those of the unverified transit-like signals reported in 2011, and we find no connection between the two sets of events. The transit depth together with our determined stellar radius (R_{star}_=0.703_-0.034_^+0.039^R_{sun}_) indicates a 2.34_-0.15_^0.18^R_{Earth}_ super-Earth. When combined with the radial velocity determined mass of 7.86+/-0.73M_{Earth}_, our radius measure allows us to derive a planet density of 3.44_-0.82_^+0.91^g/cm3. Models suggest that a planet with our measured density has a rocky core that is enveloped in an atmosphere composed of lighter elements. The star of the HD 97658 system is the second brightest known to host a transiting super-Earth, facilitating follow-up studies of this not easily daunted, warm and likely volatile-rich exoplanet.
We present a set of 109 new, high-precision Keck/HIRES radial velocity (RV) observations for the solar-type star HD 32963. Our data set reveals a candidate planetary signal with a period of 6.49+/-0.07yr and a corresponding minimum mass of 0.7+/-0.03 Jupiter masses. Given Jupiter's crucial role in shaping the evolution of the early Solar System, we emphasize the importance of long-term RV surveys. Finally, using our complete set of Keck radial velocities and correcting for the relative detectability of synthetic planetary candidates orbiting each of the 1122 stars in our sample, we estimate the frequency of Jupiter analogs across our survey at approximately 3%.
We explore the probable chemical signature of planet formation in the remarkable binary system HD 80606/7. The star HD 80606 hosts a giant planet with 4 MJup detected by both transit and radial velocity techniques. We study condensation temperature Tc trends of volatile and refractory element abundances to determine whether there is a depletion of refractories that could be related to the terrestrial planet formation. Finally, we speculate about a possible planet around the star HD 80607.
Continued radial velocity (RV) monitoring of the nearby M4V red dwarf star GJ 876 with Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrograph has revealed the presence of a Uranus-mass fourth planetary companion in the system. The new planet has a mean period of P_e_=126.6 days (over the 12.6-year baseline of the RV observations), and a minimum mass of m_e_sini_e_=12.9+/-1.7M_{earth}_. The detection of the new planet has been enabled by significant improvements to our RV data set for GJ 876. The data have been augmented by 36 new high-precision measurements taken over the past five years. In addition, the precision of all of the Doppler measurements have been significantly improved by the incorporation of a high signal-to-noise template spectrum for GJ 876 into the analysis pipeline. Implementation of the new template spectrum improves the internal rms errors for the velocity measurements taken during 1998-2005 from 4.1m/s to 2.5m/s.
KELT-9 b exemplifies a newly emerging class of short-period gaseous exoplanets that tend to orbit hot, early type stars - termed ultra-hot Jupiters. The severe stellar irradiation heats their atmospheres to temperatures of 4000K, similar to temperatures of photospheres of dwarf stars. Due to the absence of aerosols and complex molecular chemistry at such temperatures, these planets offer the potential of detailed chemical characterization through transit and day-side spectroscopy. Detailed studies of their chemical inventories may provide crucial constraints on their formation process(es) and evolution history. We aim to search the optical transmission spectrum of KELT-9 b for absorption lines by metals using the cross-correlation technique. We analysed two transit observations obtained with the HARPS-N spectrograph.We used an isothermal equilibrium chemistry model to predict the transmission spectrum for each of the neutral and singly ionized atoms with atomic numbers between three and 78. Of these, we identified the elements that are expected to have spectral lines in the visible wavelength range and used those as cross-correlation templates. We detect (>5{sigma}) absorption by NaI, CrII, ScII and YII, and confirm previous detections of MgI, FeI, FeII, and TiII. In addition, we find evidence of CaI, CrI, CoI, and SrII that will require further observations to verify. The detected absorption lines are significantly deeper than predicted by our model, suggesting that the material is transported to higher altitudes where the density is enhanced compared to a hydrostatic profile, and that the material is part of an extended or outflowing envelope. There appears to be no significant blue-shift of the absorption spectrum due to a net day-to-night side wind. In particular, the strong Fe ii feature is shifted by 0.18+/-0.27km/s, consistent with zero. Using the orbital velocity of the planet we derive revised masses and radii of the star and the planet: M*= 1.978+/-0.023M_{sun}_, R*=2.178+/-0.011R_{sun}_, m_p_=2.44+/-0.70M_J_ and Rp=1.783+/-0.009R_J_.
