- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/488/361
- Title:
- Mars Express astrometric observations of Phobos
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/488/361
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- New astrometric measurements for Phobos are reported on the basis of 69 SRC (Super Resolution Channel) images obtained during 28 Mars Express Phobos flybys executed between 2004 and 2007. The measurements have been made using a newly developed technique which involves positional measurements of surface control points and verification of camera pointing by background stars. The astrometric positions are in excellent agreement with currently available Phobos orbit models. However, we find remaining systematic offsets of 1.5-2.6km, with Phobos ahead of the predicted position along its track. Our observations will be a basis for further improvements in the Phobos ephemeris. The methods we have developed will be useful for astrometric tracking of planetary or asteroidal targets and spacecraft optical navigation in future planetary missions.
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- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/614/A15
- Title:
- Mars Express astrometric obs. of Martian moons
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/614/A15
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Both Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, have been observed during several imaging campaigns by the SRC on Mars Express. Several tens of images are obtained during mutual event observations - when the Martian moons are both observed or together with another solar system body. These observations provide new opportunities to determine the bodies' positions in their orbits. A method was sought to automate the observation of the positions of the imaged bodies. Within one image sequence a similarly accurate localization of the objects in all images should be possible. Shape models of Phobos and Deimos are applied to simulate the appearance of the bodies in the images. Matching the illuminated simulation against the observation provides a reliable determination of the bodies' location within the image. To enhance the matching confidence several corrections need to be applied to the simulation to closely reconstruct the observation. In total 884 relative positions between the different objects are provided.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/650/A64
- Title:
- Mars moon ephemerides for 14yrs Mars Express data
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/650/A64
- Date:
- 17 Mar 2022 14:12:25
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The Mars Express (MEX) mission has been successfully operated around Mars since 2004. Among many results, MEX has provided some of the most accurate astrometric data of the two Mars moons, Phobos and Deimos. We present new ephemerides of the Mars moons benefitting from all previously published astrometric data to the most recent MEX SRC data. Observations from 1877 until 2018 and including spacecraft measurements from Mariner 9 to MEX were included. Assuming a homogeneous interior, we fitted the forced libration amplitude of Phobos simultaneously with the Martian tidal k2/Q ratio and the initial state of the moons. Our solution of the physical libration 1.09+/-0.01 degrees deviates notably from the homogeneous solution. Considering the very low error bar, however, this may essentially suggest the necessity to consider higher order harmonics with an improved rotation model in the future. While most data could be successfully fitted, we found a disagreement between the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Express astrometric data at the kilometer level, probably associated with a biased phase correction. The current solution precision is expected at the level of a few hundred meters for Phobos and several hundred meters for Deimos for the coming years. The real accuracy of our new ephemerides will have to be confirmed by comparison with independent observational means.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/612/A57
- Title:
- MASCARA-2 b (HD185603) light curves and spectra
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/612/A57
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- In this paper we present MASCARA-2 b, a hot Jupiter transiting the m_V_=7.6 A2 star HD 185603. Since early 2015, MASCARA has taken more than 1.6 million flux measurements of the star, corresponding to a total of almost 3000 hours of observations, revealing a periodic dimming in the flux with a depth of 1.3%. Photometric follow-up observations were performed with the NITES and IAC80 telescopes and spectroscopic measurements were obtained with the Hertzsprung SONG telescope. We find MASCARA-2 b orbits HD 185603 with a period of 3.474119^+0.000005^_-0.000006_ days at a distance of 0.057+/-0.006AU, has a radius of 1.83+/-0.07R_J_ and place a 99 % upper limit on the mass of <17M_J_. HD 185603 is a rapidly rotating early-type star with an effective temperature of 8980^+90^_-130_K and a mass and radius of 1.89^+0.06^_-0.05_M_sun_, 1.60+/-0.06R_sun_, respectively. Contrary to most other hot Jupiters transiting early-type stars, the projected planet orbital axis and stellar spin axis are found to be aligned with {lambda}=0.6+/-4{deg}. The brightness of the host star and the high equilibrium temperature, 2260+/-50K, of MASCARA-2 b make it a suitable target for atmospheric studies from the ground and space. Of particular interest is the detection of TiO, which has recently been detected in the similarly hot planets WASP-33 b and WASP-19 b.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/606/A73
- Title:
- MASCARA-1 b (HD201585) light curves and spectra
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/606/A73
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- We report the discovery of MASCARA-1 b, the first exoplanet discovered with the Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA (MASCARA). It is a hot Jupiter orbiting a bright m_V_=8.3, rapidly rotating (vsini>100km/s) A8 star with a period of 2.148780+/-0.000008 days. The planet has a mass and radius of 3.7+/-0.9M_J_ and 1.5+/-0.3R_J_, respectively. As with most hot Jupiters transiting early-type stars we find a misalignment between the planet orbital axis and the stellar spin axis, which may be signature of the formation and migration histories of this family of planets. MASCARA-1 b has a mean density of 1.5+/-0.9g/cm^3^ and an equilibrium temperature of 2570^+50^_-30_K, one of the highest temperatures known for a hot Jupiter to date. The system is reminiscent of WASP-33, but the host star lacks apparent delta-scuti variations, making the planet an ideal target for atmospheric characterization. We expect this to be the first of a series of hot Jupiters transiting bright early-type stars that will be discovered by MASCARA.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/709/535
- Title:
- Masses and radii of eclipsing binaries
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/709/535
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The currently favored method for estimating radii and other parameters of transiting-planet host stars is to match theoretical models to observations of the stellar mean density {rho}_*_, the effective temperature T_eff_, and the composition parameter [Z]. This explicitly model-dependent approach is based on readily available observations, and results in small formal errors. Its performance will be central to the reliability of results from ground-based transit surveys such as TrES, HAT, and SuperWASP, as well as to the space-borne missions MOST, CoRoT, and Kepler. Here, I use two calibration samples of stars (eclipsing binaries (EBs) and stars for which asteroseismic analyses are available) having well-determined masses and radii to estimate the accuracy and systematic errors inherent in the {rho}_*_ method. When matching to the Yonsei-Yale stellar evolution models, I find the most important systematic error results from selection bias favoring rapidly rotating (hence probably magnetically active) stars among the EB sample. If unaccounted for, this bias leads to a mass-dependent underestimate of stellar radii by as much as 4% for stars of 0.4M_{sun}_, decreasing to zero for masses above about 1.4M_{sun}_. Relative errors in estimated stellar masses are three times larger than those in radii.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/527/A140
- Title:
- Mass limits on substellar companions
- Short Name:
- J/A+A/527/A140
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The recently completed re-reduction of the Hipparcos data by van Leeuwen (2007, Astrophys. Space Library 350) makes it possible to search for the astrometric signatures of planets and brown dwarfs known from radial velocity surveys in the improved Hipparcos intermediate astrometric data. Our aim is to put more significant constraints on the orbital parameters which cannot be derived from radial velocities alone, i.e. the inclination and the longitude of the ascending node, than was possible before. The determination of the inclination in particular allows to calculate an unambiguous companion mass, rather than the lower mass limit which can be obtained from radial velocity measurements.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/831/64
- Title:
- Mass-metallicity relation for giant planets
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/831/64
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Exoplanet discoveries of recent years have provided a great deal of new data for studying the bulk compositions of giant planets. Here we identify 47 transiting giant planets (20 M_{\Earth}_ < M < 20 M_J_) whose stellar insolations are low enough (F_*_ < 2 x 10^8^ erg s^-1^ cm^-2^, or roughly T_eff_ < 1000) that they are not affected by the hot-Jupiter radius inflation mechanism(s). We compute a set of new thermal and structural evolution models and use these models in comparison with properties of the 47 transiting planets (mass, radius, age) to determine their heavy element masses. A clear correlation emerges between the planetary heavy element mass M_z_ and the total planet mass, approximately of the form M_z_\propto\sqrtM. This finding is consistent with the core-accretion model of planet formation. We also study how stellar metallicity [Fe/H] affects planetary metal-enrichment and find a weaker correlation than has previously been reported from studies with smaller sample sizes. We confirm a strong relationship between the planetary metal-enrichment relative to the parent star Z_planet_/Z_star_ and the planetary mass, but see no relation in Z_planet_/Z_star_ with planet orbital properties or stellar mass. The large heavy element masses of many planets (>50 M_{\Earth}_) suggest significant amounts of heavy elements in H/He envelopes, rather than cores, such that metal-enriched giant planet atmospheres should be the rule. We also discuss a model of core-accretion planet formation in a one-dimensional disk and show that it agrees well with our derived relation between mass and Z_planet_/Z_star_.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/834/17
- Title:
- Mass & radius of planets, moons, low mass stars
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/834/17
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- Mass and radius are two of the most fundamental properties of an astronomical object. Increasingly, new planet discoveries are being announced with a measurement of one of these quantities, but not both. This has led to a growing need to forecast the missing quantity using the other, especially when predicting the detectability of certain follow-up observations. We present an unbiased forecasting model built upon a probabilistic mass-radius relation conditioned on a sample of 316 well-constrained objects. Our publicly available code, Forecaster, accounts for observational errors, hyper-parameter uncertainties, and the intrinsic dispersions observed in the calibration sample. By conditioning our model on a sample spanning dwarf planets to late-type stars, Forecaster can predict the mass (or radius) from the radius (or mass) for objects covering nine orders of magnitude in mass. Classification is naturally performed by our model, which uses four classes we label as Terran worlds, Neptunian worlds, Jovian worlds, and stars. Our classification identifies dwarf planets as merely low-mass Terrans (like the Earth) and brown dwarfs as merely high-mass Jovians (like Jupiter). We detect a transition in the mass-radius relation at 2.0_-0.6_^+0.7^M_{Earth}_, which we associate with the divide between solid, Terran worlds and Neptunian worlds. This independent analysis adds further weight to the emerging consensus that rocky super-Earths represent a narrower region of parameter space than originally thought. Effectively, then, the Earth is the super-Earth we have been looking for.
- ID:
- ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/825/19
- Title:
- Mass-radius relationship for planets with Rp<4
- Short Name:
- J/ApJ/825/19
- Date:
- 21 Oct 2021
- Publisher:
- CDS
- Description:
- The Kepler Mission has discovered thousands of planets with radii <4R_{earth}_, paving the way for the first statistical studies of the dynamics, formation, and evolution of these sub-Neptunes and super-Earths. Planetary masses are an important physical property for these studies, and yet the vast majority of Kepler planet candidates do not have theirs measured. A key concern is therefore how to map the measured radii to mass estimates in this Earth-to-Neptune size range where there are no Solar System analogs. Previous works have derived deterministic, one-to-one relationships between radius and mass. However, if these planets span a range of compositions as expected, then an intrinsic scatter about this relationship must exist in the population. Here we present the first probabilistic mass-radius relationship (M-R relation) evaluated within a Bayesian framework, which both quantifies this intrinsic dispersion and the uncertainties on the M-R relation parameters. We analyze how the results depend on the radius range of the sample, and on how the masses were measured. Assuming that the M-R relation can be described as a power law with a dispersion that is constant and normally distributed, we find that M/M_{earth}_=2.7(R/R_{earth}_)^1.3^, a scatter in mass of 1.9M_{earth}_, and a mass constraint to physically plausible densities, is the "best-fit" probabilistic M-R relation for the sample of RV-measured transiting sub-Neptunes (R_pl_<4R_{earth}_). More broadly, this work provides a framework for further analyses of the M-R relation and its probable dependencies on period and stellar properties.