An ultrahot Neptune in the Neptune desert

Jenkins, James S. and Díaz, Matías R. and Kurtovic, Nicolás T. and Espinoza, Néstor and Vines, Jose I. and Rojas, Pablo A. Peña and Brahm, Rafael and Torres, Pascal and Cortés-Zuleta, Pía and Soto, Maritza G. and Lopez, Eric D. and King, George W. and Wheatley, Peter J. and Winn, Joshua N. and Ciardi, David R. and Ricker, George and Vanderspek, Roland and Latham, David W. and Seager, Sara and Jenkins, Jon M. and Beichman, Charles A. and Bieryla, Allyson and Burke, Christopher J. and Christiansen, Jessie L. and Henze, Christopher E. and Klaus, Todd C. and McCauliff, Sean and Mori, Mayuko and Narita, Norio and Nishiumi, Taku and Tamura, Motohide and de Leon, Jerome Pitogo and Quinn, Samuel N. and Villaseñor, Jesus Noel and Vezie, Michael and Lissauer, Jack J. and Collins, Karen A. and Collins, Kevin I. and Isopi, Giovanni and Mallia, Franco and Ercolino, Andrea and Petrovich, Cristobal and Jordán, Andrés and Acton, Jack S. and Armstrong, David J. and Bayliss, Daniel and Bouchy, François and Belardi, Claudia and Bryant, Edward M. and Burleigh, Matthew R. and Cabrera Perez, Juan and Casewell, Sarah L. and Chaushev, Alexander and Cooke, Benjamin F. and Eigmüller, Philipp and Erikson, Anders and Foxell, Emma and Gänsicke, Boris T. and Gill, Samuel and Gillen, Edward and Günther, Maximilian N. and Goad, Michael R. and Hooton, Matthew J. and Jackman, James A. G. and Louden, Tom and McCormac, James and Moyano, Maximiliano and Nielsen, Louise D. and Pollacco, Don and Queloz, Didier and Rauer, Heike and Raynard, Liam and Smith, Alexis M. S. and Tilbrook, Rosanna H. and Titz-Weider, Ruth and Turner, Oliver and Udry, Stéphane and Walker, Simon. R. and Watson, Christopher A. and West, Richard G. and Palle, Enric and Ziegler, Carl and Law, Nicholas and Mann, Andrew W. (2020) An ultrahot Neptune in the Neptune desert. Nature Astronomy. Nature Publishing Group. doi: 10.1038/s41550-020-1142-z. ISSN 2397-3366.

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Official URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1142-z

Abstract

About 1 out of 200 Sun-like stars has a planet with an orbital period shorter than one day: an ultrashort-period planet1,2. All of the previously known ultrashort-period planets are either hot Jupiters, with sizes above 10 Earth radii (R⊕), or apparently rocky planets smaller than 2 R⊕. Such lack of planets of intermediate size (the `hot Neptune desert') has been interpreted as the inability of low-mass planets to retain any hydrogen/helium (H/He) envelope in the face of strong stellar irradiation. Here we report the discovery of an ultrashort-period planet with a radius of 4.6 R⊕ and a mass of 29 M⊕, firmly in the hot Neptune desert. Data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite3 revealed transits of the bright Sun-like star LTT 9779 every 0.79 days. The planet's mean density is similar to that of Neptune, and according to thermal evolution models, it has a H/He-rich envelope constituting 9.0-2.9+2.7?% of the total mass. With an equilibrium temperature around 2,000 K, it is unclear how this `ultrahot Neptune' managed to retain such an envelope. Follow-up observations of the planet's atmosphere to better understand its origin and physical nature will be facilitated by the star's brightness (Vmag = 9.8).

Item URL in elib:

https://elib.dlr.de/136676/

Document Type:

Article

Title:

An ultrahot Neptune in the Neptune desert

Authors:

Authors	Institution or Email of Authors	Author's ORCID iD	ORCID Put Code
Jenkins, James S.	Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Las Condes, Chile; Centro de Astrofísica y Tecnologías Afines (CATA), Santiago, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Díaz, Matías R.	Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Las Condes, Chile; Centro de Astrofísica y Tecnologías Afines (CATA), Santiago, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Kurtovic, Nicolás T.	Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Las Condes, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Espinoza, Néstor	Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Vines, Jose I.	Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Las Condes, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Rojas, Pablo A. Peña	Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Las Condes, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Brahm, Rafael	Center of Astro-Engineering UC, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Millennium Institute for Astrophysics, Santiago, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Torres, Pascal	Center of Astro-Engineering UC, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Cortés-Zuleta, Pía	Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Las Condes, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Soto, Maritza G.	School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Lopez, Eric D.	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
King, George W.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Wheatley, Peter J.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Winn, Joshua N.	Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ciardi, David R.	NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ricker, George	Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Vanderspek, Roland	Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels, Belgium	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Latham, David W.	Center for Astrophysics \| Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Seager, Sara	Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Jenkins, Jon M.	NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Beichman, Charles A.	NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Bieryla, Allyson	Center for Astrophysics \| Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Burke, Christopher J.	Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Christiansen, Jessie L.	NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Henze, Christopher E.	NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Klaus, Todd C.	NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
McCauliff, Sean	NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Mori, Mayuko	Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Narita, Norio	Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; PRESTO, JST, Tokyo, Japan; Astrobiology Center, Tokyo, Japan; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo, Japan; Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Tenerife, Spain	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Nishiumi, Taku	Department of Physics, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto, Japan	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Tamura, Motohide	Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Astrobiology Center, Tokyo, Japan; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo, Japan	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
de Leon, Jerome Pitogo	Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Quinn, Samuel N.	Center for Astrophysics \| Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Villaseñor, Jesus Noel	Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Vezie, Michael	Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Lissauer, Jack J.	NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Collins, Karen A.	Center for Astrophysics \| Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Collins, Kevin I.	George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Isopi, Giovanni	Campo Catino Astronomical Observatory, Guarcino, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Mallia, Franco	Campo Catino Astronomical Observatory, Guarcino, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ercolino, Andrea	Campo Catino Astronomical Observatory, Guarcino, Italy	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Petrovich, Cristobal	Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Planetary Sciences, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Jordán, Andrés	Millennium Institute for Astrophysics, Santiago, Chile; Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Peñalolén, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Acton, Jack S.	Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Armstrong, David J.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Bayliss, Daniel	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Bouchy, François	Observatoire de Genéve, Université de Genéve, Sauverny, Switzerland	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Belardi, Claudia	Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Bryant, Edward M.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Burleigh, Matthew R.	Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Cabrera Perez, Juan	UNSPECIFIED	https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6653-5487	UNSPECIFIED
Casewell, Sarah L.	Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Chaushev, Alexander	Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, TU Berlin, Berlin, Germany	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Cooke, Benjamin F.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Eigmüller, Philipp	UNSPECIFIED	https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4096-0594	UNSPECIFIED
Erikson, Anders	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Foxell, Emma	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Gänsicke, Boris T.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Gill, Samuel	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Gillen, Edward	Astrophysics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Günther, Maximilian N.	Department of Physics and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Goad, Michael R.	Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Hooton, Matthew J.	Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Jackman, James A. G.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Louden, Tom	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
McCormac, James	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Moyano, Maximiliano	Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Nielsen, Louise D.	Observatoire de Genéve, Université de Genéve, Sauverny, Switzerland	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Pollacco, Don	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Queloz, Didier	Astrophysics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Rauer, Heike	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Raynard, Liam	Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Smith, Alexis M. S.	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Tilbrook, Rosanna H.	Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Titz-Weider, Ruth	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Turner, Oliver	Observatoire de Genéve, Université de Genéve, Sauverny, Switzerland	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Udry, Stéphane	Observatoire de Genéve, Université de Genéve, Sauverny, Switzerland	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Walker, Simon. R.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Watson, Christopher A.	Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
West, Richard G.	Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Palle, Enric	Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, Spain	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Ziegler, Carl	Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Law, Nicholas	Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Mann, Andrew W.	Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED

Date:

2020

Journal or Publication Title:

Nature Astronomy

Refereed publication:

Yes

Open Access:

Yes

Gold Open Access:

In SCOPUS:

Yes

In ISI Web of Science:

Yes

DOI:

10.1038/s41550-020-1142-z

Publisher:

Nature Publishing Group

ISSN:

2397-3366

Status:

Published

Keywords:

Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics; Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

HGF - Research field:

Aeronautics, Space and Transport

HGF - Program:

Space

HGF - Program Themes:

Space Exploration

DLR - Research area:

Raumfahrt

DLR - Program:

R EW - Space Exploration

DLR - Research theme (Project):

R - Project PLATO (old)

Location:

Berlin-Adlershof

Institutes and Institutions:

Institute of Planetary Research > Extrasolar Planets and Atmospheres
Institute of Planetary Research > Leitungsbereich PF

Deposited By:

Eigmüller, Dr. Philipp

Deposited On:

04 Nov 2020 08:41

Last Modified:

04 Nov 2020 08:41

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