Exoplanet Host Research Articles

Secrets in the shadow: High precision stellar abundances of fast-rotating A-type exoplanet host stars through transit spectroscopy

The spectra of fast-rotating A-type stars have strongly broadened absorption lines. This effect causes blending of the absorption lines, hindering the measurement of the abundances of the elements that are in the stellar photosphere. As the exoplanet transits across its host star, it obscures the stellar spectrum that is emitted from directly behind the planet. We aim to extract this obscured spectrum because it is less affected by rotational broadening, resolving the blending of weak lines of elements that would otherwise remain inaccessible. This allows us to more precisely measure the metal abundances in ultra-hot Jupiter systems, many of which have fast-rotating host stars. We developed a novel method that isolates the stellar spectra behind the planet during a spectral time series, and reconstructs the disc-integrated non-broadened spectrum of the host star. We have systematically tested this method with model-generated spectra of the transit of WASP-189 b across its fast-rotating A-type host star, assessing the effects of limb-darkening, the choice of absorption lines, and the signal-to-noise regime; and demonstrating the sensitivity to photospheric parameters ($T_ eff $ and log $g$) and elemental abundances. We applied the method to observations by the HARPS high-resolution spectrograph. For WASP-189, we obtain the metallicity and photospheric abundances for several species previously not reported in literature, Mg, Ca, and Ti, with a significantly improved accuracy compared to the ordinary broadened stellar spectrum. This method can be generally applied to other transiting systems in which abundance determinations via spectral synthesis are imprecise due to severe line blending. It is important to accurately determine the photospheric properties of exoplanet host stars, as it can provide further insight into the formation and evolution of the planets.

Obliquities of exoplanet host stars. Nineteen new, updated measurements for the sample of 205 measurements and observed trends

Obliquities of exoplanet host stars. Nineteen new, updated measurements for the sample of 205 measurements and observed trends

Resonant and Ultra-short-period Planet Systems Are at Opposite Ends of the Exoplanet Age Distribution

Exoplanet systems are thought to evolve on secular timescales over billions of years. This evolution is impossible to directly observe on human timescales in most individual systems. While the availability of accurate and precise age inferences for individual exoplanet host stars with ages τ in the interval 1 Gyr ≲ τ ≲ 10 Gyr would constrain this evolution, accurate and precise age inferences are difficult to obtain for isolated field dwarfs like the host stars of most exoplanets. The Galactic velocity dispersion of a thin-disk stellar population monotonically grows with time, and the relationship between age and velocity dispersion in a given Galactic location can be calibrated by a stellar population for which accurate and precise age inferences are possible. Using a sample of subgiants with precise age inferences, we calibrate the age–velocity dispersion relation in the Kepler field. Applying this relation to the Kepler field’s planet populations, we find that Kepler-discovered systems plausibly in second-order mean-motion resonances have 1 Gyr ≲ τ ≲ 2 Gyr. The same is true for systems plausibly in first-order mean-motion resonances, but only for systems likely affected by tidal dissipation inside their innermost planets. These observations suggest that many planetary systems diffuse away from initially resonant configurations on secular timescales. Our calibrated relation also indicates that ultra-short-period (USP) planet systems have typical ages in the interval 5 Gyr ≲ τ ≲ 6 Gyr. We propose that USP planets tidally migrated from initial periods in the range 1 day ≲ P ≲ 2 days to their observed locations at P < 1 day over billions of years and trillions of cycles of secular eccentricity excitation and inside-planet damping.

Spectropolarimetric characterisation of exoplanet host stars in preparation of the Ariel mission

Spectropolarimetric characterisation of exoplanet host stars in preparation of the <i>Ariel</i> mission

X-ray variability of the triplet star system LTT1445 and evaporation history of the planets around its A component

Context. The high-energy environments of host stars could prove deleterious for their planets. It is crucial to ascertain this contextual information to characterize the atmospheres of terrestrial exoplanets. Aims. We aim to fully characterize a unique triple system, LTT1445, with three known rocky planets around LTT 1445A. Methods. We studied the X-ray irradiation and flaring of this system based on a new 50 ks Chandra observation, which is divided into 10 ks, 10 ks, and 30 ks segments conducted two days apart, and two months apart, respectively. These data were complemented by an archival Chandra observation approximately 1 yr earlier and repeated observations with extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA), the soft X-ray instrument on the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission. This enabled the investigation of X-ray flux behavior across multiple time scales. With the observed X-ray flux from the exoplanet host star A, we estimated the photo-evaporation mass loss of each exoplanet. With the planet modeling package, VPLanet, we predicted the evolution and anticipated current atmospheric conditions. Results. Our Chandra observations indicate that LTT 1445C is the dominant X-ray source, with additional contribution from LTT 1445B. We find that LTT 1445A, a slowly rotating star, exhibits no significant flare activity in the new Chandra dataset. Comparing the flux incident occuring on the exoplanets, we find that LTT 1445BC components do not pose a greater threat to the planets orbiting LTT 1445A than the emission from A itself. According to the results from the simulation, LTT 1445Ad could have the capacity to retain its water surface.

Debris Disks Can Contaminate Mid-infrared Exoplanet Spectra: Evidence for a Circumstellar Debris Disk around Exoplanet Host WASP-39

The signal from a transiting planet can be diluted by astrophysical contamination. In the case of circumstellar debris disks, this contamination could start in the mid-infrared and vary as a function of wavelength, which would then change the observed transmission spectrum for any planet in the system. The MIRI/Low Resolution Spectrometer WASP-39b transmission spectrum shows an unexplained dip starting at ∼10 μm that could be caused by astrophysical contamination. The spectral energy distribution displays excess flux at similar levels to that which are needed to create the dip in the transmission spectrum. In this Letter, we show that this dip is consistent with the presence of a bright circumstellar debris disk, at a distance of >2 au. We discuss how a circumstellar debris disk like that could affect the atmosphere of WASP-39b. We also show that even faint debris disks can be a source of contamination in MIRI exoplanet spectra.

Keck and Hubble Observations Show that MOA-2008-BLG-379Lb is a Super-Jupiter Orbiting an M Dwarf

We present high angular resolution imaging that detects the MOA-2008-BLG-379L exoplanet host star using Keck adaptive optics and the Hubble Space Telescope. These observations reveal host star and planet masses of M host = 0.434 ± 0.065 M ⊙ and m p = 2.44 ± 0.49 M Jupiter. They are located at a distance of D L = 3.44 ± 0.53 kpc, with a projected separation of 2.70 ± 0.42 au. These results contribute to our determination of exoplanet host star masses for the Suzuki et al. statistical sample, which will determine the dependence of the planet occurrence rate on the mass and distance of the host stars. We also present a detailed discussion of the image-constrained modeling version of the eesunhong light-curve modeling code that applies high angular resolution image constraints to the light-curve modeling process. This code increases modeling efficiency by a large factor by excluding models that are inconsistent with the high angular resolution images. The analysis of this and other events from the Suzuki et al. statistical sample reveals the importance of including higher-order effects, such as microlensing parallax and planetary orbital motion, even when these features are not required to fit the light-curve data. The inclusion of these effects may be needed to obtain accurate estimates of the uncertainty of other microlensing parameters that affect the inferred properties of exoplanet microlens systems. This will be important for the exoplanet microlensing survey of the Roman Space Telescope, which will use both light-curve photometry and high angular resolution imaging to characterize planetary microlens systems.

No Signature of the Birth Environment of Exoplanets from Their Host Stars’ Mahalanobis Phase Space

The architectures of extrasolar planetary systems often deviate considerably from the “standard” model for planet formation, which is largely based on our own solar system. In particular, gas giants on close orbits are not predicted by planet formation theory and so some processes are thought to move the planets closer to their host stars. Recent research has suggested that hot-Jupiter host stars display a different phase space compared to stars that do not host hot Jupiters. This has been attributed to these stars forming in star-forming regions of high stellar density, where dynamical interactions with passing stars have perturbed the planets. We test this hypothesis by quantifying the phase space of planet-hosting stars in dynamical N-body simulations of star-forming regions. We find that stars that retain their planets have a higher phase space than nonhosts, regardless of their initial physical density. This is because an imprint of the kinematic substructure from the regions birth is retained, as these stars have experienced fewer and less disruptive encounters than stars whose planets have been liberated and become free-floating. However, host stars whose planets remain bound but have had their orbits significantly altered by dynamical encounters are also primarily found in high phase space regimes. We therefore corroborate other research in this area that has suggested the high phase space of hot-Jupiter host stars is not caused by dynamical encounters or stellar clustering, but rather reflects an age bias in that these stars are (kinematically) younger than other exoplanet host stars.

ROME. IV. An Arecibo Search for Substellar Magnetospheric Radio Emissions in Purported Exoplanet-hosting Systems at 5 GHz

Plasma flow–obstacle interactions, such as those between an exoplanet’s magnetosphere and the host star’s stellar wind, may lead to detectable radio emissions. Despite many attempts to detect magnetospheric (auroral) radio emissions from exoplanets, a reproducible, unambiguous detection remains elusive. This fourth paper of the Radio Observations of Magnetized Exoplanets (ROME) series presents the results of a targeted radio survey of nine nearby systems that host exoplanet, brown dwarf, or low-mass-stellar companions conducted with the Arecibo radio telescope at ∼5 GHz. This search for magnetospheric radio emissions has the greatest sensitivity (∼1 mJy during <1 s integration times) and collected full Stokes parameters over the largest simultaneous bandpass of any survey to date. It is also the first survey to search for radio emission from brown dwarfs of spectral class Y, which may illuminate open questions regarding their magnetism, interior and atmospheric structure, and formation histories. No magnetospheric radio emissions from substellar companions were detected. These results are examined within the context of recent theoretical work on plasma flow–obstacle interactions, and radio emissions observed from the solar system planets and ultracool dwarfs.

Planets observed with CHEOPS

Context. M-dwarf stars are the most common of potential exoplanet host stars in the Galaxy. It is therefore very important to understand planetary systems orbiting such stars and to determine the physical parameters of such planets with high precision. Also with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) the observation of atmospheric parameters of planets orbiting these stars has begun. It is therefore required to determine properties of potential targets. Aims. Two planets around the red dwarf TOI-776 were detected by TESS. The objective of our study was to use transit observations obtained by the CHEOPS space mission to improve the current precision of the planetary radii, as well as additional radial velocity (RV) data in order to improve mass estimates of the two planets. Using these quantities, we wanted to derive the bulk densities of those planets, improving the precision in earlier results, and use this information to put them in context of other exoplanetary systems involving very low mass stars. Methods. Utilizing new transit data from the CHEOPS satellite and its photometric telescope, we obtained very high precision planetary transit measurements. Interpretation of these provides updated planetary radii, along with other system parameters. A concurrent ESO large observing program using the high precision spectrograph HARPS has doubled the available radial velocity data. Calculating the power spectrum of a number of stellar activity indices we update the previously estimated stellar rotation period to a lower value. Results. The CHEOPS data provide precise transit depths of 909 and 1177 ppm translating into radii of Rb = 1.798−0.077+0.078 R⊕ and Rc = 2.047−0.078+0.081 R⊕, respectively. Our interpretation of the radial velocities and activity indicator time series data estimates a stellar rotation period for this early M dwarf of ~21.1 days. A further multi-dimensional Gaussian process approach confirm this new estimate. By performing a Skew-Normal (SN) fit onto the Cross Correlation Functions we extracted the RV data and the activity indicators to estimate the planetary masses, obtaining Mb = 5.0−1.6+1.6 M⊕ and Mc = 6.9−2.5+2.6 M⊕. Conclusions. We improve the precision in planetary radius for TOI-776 b and c by a factor of more than two. Our data and modelling give us parameters of both bodies consistent with mini-Neptunes, albeit with a relatively high density. The stellar activity of TOI-776 is found to have increased by a factor larger than 2 since the last set of observations.

Search for Stellar Companions of Exoplanet Host Stars with AstraLux/CAHA 2.2 m

ABSTRACT Stellar multiplicity is a key aspect of exoplanet diversity, as the presence of more than one star in a planetary system can have both devastating and positive effects on its formation and evolution. In this paper, we present the results of a Lucky Imaging survey of 212 exoplanet host stars performed with AstraLux at the 2.2 m telescope of the Centro Astronómico Hispano en Andalucía. The survey includes data from seven observing epochs between August 2015 and September 2020, and data for individual targets from four earlier observing epochs. The targets of this survey are nearby, bright, solar-like stars with high proper motions. In total, we detected 46 co-moving companions of 43 exoplanet host stars. Accordingly, this survey shows that the minimum multiplicity rate of exoplanet host stars is $20 \pm 3~{\rm per\ cent}$. In total, 33 binary and 10 hierarchical triple star systems with exoplanets have been identified. All companions were found to have a common proper motion with the observed exoplanet host stars, and with our astrometry we even find evidence of orbital motion for 28 companions. For all targets, we determine the detection limit and explore the detection space for possible additional companions of these stars. Based on the reached detection limit, additional co-moving companions beyond the detected ones can be excluded around all observed exoplanet host stars. The increasing number of exoplanets discovered in multiple stellar systems suggests that the formation of planets in such systems is by no means rare, but common. Therefore, our study highlights the need to consider stellar multiplicity in future studies of exoplanet habitability.

Time Variability of FUV Emission from Cool Stars on Multi-year Timescales

The physical and chemical properties of planetary atmospheres are affected by temporal evolution of ultraviolet (UV) radiation inputs from their host stars at all time scales. While studies of X-ray/UV flare properties and long-term stellar evolution of exoplanet host stars have provided new constraints regarding stellar inputs to exoplanetary systems, the UV temporal variability of cool stars on the timescale of stellar cycles remains largely unexplored. To address this gap in our understanding of the UV temporal variability of cool stars, we analyze far-ultraviolet (FUV) emission lines of ions that trace the chromosphere and transition region of nearby stars (C ii, Si iii, Si iv, and N v; formation temperatures ∼ 20–150 kK) using data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) archives spanning temporal baselines of months to years. We select 33 unique stars of spectral types F-M with observing campaigns spanning over a year, and create ionic light curves to evaluate the characteristic variability of cool stars on such timescales. Screening for large flare events, we observe that the relative variability of FUV light curves decreases with increasing stellar effective temperature, from 30% to 70% variability for M-type stars to <30% variability for F and G-type stars. We also observe a weak trend in the temporal variability with the Ca ii RHK′ stellar activity indicator, suggesting that stars with lower Ca ii activity exhibit a smaller range of FUV flux variability. Screening for data sets with optimal temporal spread, and a sufficient number of individual observations, we select 5 data sets for further periodicity analysis (HST α Centauri A, HST α Centauri B, IUE α Centauri B, IUE ϵ Eri, IUE ξ Boo). Various periodic structures within the FUV flux were detected, with most significant being a 79 days frequency present within the IUE observations of ξ Boo, with a significance of 6σ, and a periodic signal in the FUV observations of α Centauri B, for both HST and IUE measurements, at ≈210 days frequency with significance of 3σ and 3.7σ, respectively. Our results suggest that extreme ultraviolet flux from cool stars varies by less than a factor of two on decade timescales, significantly smaller than variations on flare or stellar evolutionary timescales.

High-resolution Imaging of a TESS Control Sample: Verifying a Deficit of Close-in Stellar Companions to Exoplanet Host Stars

The large number of exoplanets discovered with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) means that any observational biases from TESS could influence the derived stellar multiplicity statistics of exoplanet host stars. To investigate this problem, we obtained speckle interferometry of 207 control stars whose properties in the TESS Input Catalog (TIC) closely match those of an exoplanetary host star in the TESS Object of Interest (TOI) catalog, with the objective of measuring the fraction of these stars that have companions within ∼1.″2. Our main result is the identification of a bias in the creation of the control sample that prevents the selection of binaries with 0.″1 ≲ ρ ≲ 1.″2 and Δmag ≲3. This bias is the result of large astrometric residuals that cause binaries with these parameters to fail the quality checks used to create the TIC, which in turn causes them to have incomplete stellar parameters (and uncertainties) in the TIC. Any stellar multiplicity study that relies exclusively upon TIC stellar parameters to identify its targets will struggle to select unresolved binaries in this parameter space. Left uncorrected, this selection bias disproportionately excludes high-mass-ratio binaries, causing the mass-ratio distribution of the companions to deviate significantly from the uniform distribution expected of FGK-type field binaries. After accounting for this bias, the companion rate of the FGK control stars is consistent with the canonical 46% ± 2% rate from Raghavan et al., and the mass-ratio distribution agrees with that of binary TOI host stars. There is marginal evidence that the control-star companions have smaller projected orbital separations than TOI host stars from previous studies.

Exoplanet host star classification: multi-objective optimization of incomplete stellar abundance data

Abstract The presence of a planetary companion around its host star has been repeatedly linked with stellar properties, affecting the likelihood of substellar object formation and stability in the protoplanetary disc, thus presenting a key challenge in exoplanet science. Furthermore, abundance and stellar parameter data sets tend to be incomplete, which limits the ability to infer distributional characteristics harnessing the entire data set. This work aims to develop a methodology using machine learning (ML) and multi-objective optimization for reliable imputation for subsequent comparison tests and host star recommendation. It integrates fuzzy clustering for imputation and ML classification of hosts and comparison stars into an evolutionary multi-objective optimization algorithm. We test several candidates for the classification model, starting with a binary classification for giant planet hosts. Upon confirmation that the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm provides the best performance, we interpret the performance of both the imputation and classification modules for binary classification. The model is extended to handle multilabel classification for low-mass planets and planet multiplicity. Constraints on the model’s use and feature/sample selection are given, outlining strengths and limitations. We conclude that the careful use of this technique for host star recommendation will be an asset to future missions and the compilation of necessary target lists.

Weakened Magnetic Braking in the Exoplanet Host Star 51 Peg

The consistently low activity level of the old solar analog 51 Peg not only facilitated the discovery of the first hot Jupiter, but also led to the suggestion that the star could be experiencing a magnetic grand minimum. However, the 50 yr time series showing minimal chromospheric variability could also be associated with the onset of weakened magnetic braking (WMB), where sufficiently slow rotation disrupts cycling activity and the production of large-scale magnetic fields by the stellar dynamo, thereby shrinking the Alfvén radius and inhibiting the efficient loss of angular momentum to magnetized stellar winds. In this Letter, we evaluate the magnetic evolutionary state of 51 Peg by estimating its wind braking torque. We use new spectropolarimetric measurements from the Large Binocular Telescope to reconstruct the large-scale magnetic morphology, we reanalyze archival X-ray measurements to estimate the mass-loss rate, and we detect solar-like oscillations in photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, yielding precise stellar properties from asteroseismology. Our estimate of the wind braking torque for 51 Peg clearly places it in the WMB regime, driven by changes in the mass-loss rate and the magnetic field strength and morphology that substantially exceed theoretical expectations. Although our revised stellar properties have minimal consequences for the characterization of the exoplanet, they have interesting implications for the current space weather environment of the system.

The SOPHIE search for northern extrasolar planets

Transiting planets with orbital periods longer than 40 d are extremely rare among the 5000+ planets discovered so far. The lack of discoveries of this population poses a challenge to research into planetary demographics, formation, and evolution. Here, we present the detection and characterization of HD 88986 b, a potentially transiting sub-Neptune, possessing the longest orbital period among known transiting small planets (&lt;4 R⊕) with a precise mass measurement (σM/M &gt; 25%). Additionally, we identified the presence of a massive companion in a wider orbit around HD 88986. To validate this discovery, we used a combination of more than 25 yr of extensive radial velocity (RV) measurements (441 SOPHIE data points, 31 ELODIE data points, and 34 HIRES data points), Gaia DR3 data, 21 yr of photometric observations with the automatic photoelectric telescope (APT), two sectors of TESS data, and a 7-day observation of CHEOPS. Our analysis reveals that HD 88986 b, based on two potential single transits on sector 21 and sector 48 which are both consistent with the predicted transit time from the RV model, is potentially transiting. The joint analysis of RV and photometric data show that HD 88986 b has a radius of 2.49 ± 0.18 R⊕, a mass of 17.2−3.8+4.0 M⊕, and it orbits every 146.05−0.40+0.43 d around a subgiant HD 88986 which is one of the closest and brightest exoplanet host stars (G2Vtype, R = 1.543 ± 0.065 R⊙, V = 6.47 ± 0.01 mag, distance = 33.37 ± 0.04 pc). The nature of the outer, massive companion is still to be confirmed; a joint analysis of RVs, HIPPARCOS, and Gaia astrometric data shows that with a 3σ confidence interval, its semi-major axis is between 16.7 and 38.8 au and its mass is between 68 and 284 MJup. HD 88986 b’s wide orbit suggests the planet did not undergo significant mass loss due to extreme-ultraviolet radiation from its host star. Therefore, it probably maintained its primordial composition, allowing us to probe its formation scenario. Furthermore, the cold nature of HD 88986 b (460 ± 8 K), thanks to its long orbital period, will open up exciting opportunities for future studies of cold atmosphere composition characterization. Moreover, the existence of a massive companion alongside HD 88986 b makes this system an interesting case study for understanding planetary formation and evolution.

Inferring Stellar Parameters from Iodine-imprinted Keck/HIRES Spectra with Machine Learning

The properties of exoplanet host stars are traditionally characterized through a detailed forward-modeling analysis of high-resolution spectra. However, many exoplanet radial velocity surveys employ iodine-cell-calibrated spectrographs, such that the vast majority of spectra obtained include an imprinted forest of iodine absorption lines. For surveys that use iodine cells, iodine-free “template” spectra must be separately obtained for precise stellar characterization. These template spectra often require extensive additional observing time to obtain, and they are not always feasible to obtain for faint stars. In this paper, we demonstrate that machine-learning methods can be applied to infer stellar parameters and chemical abundances from iodine-imprinted spectra with high accuracy and precision. The methods presented in this work are broadly applicable to any iodine-cell-calibrated spectrograph. We make publicly available our spectroscopic pipeline, the Cannon HIRES Iodine Pipeline, which derives stellar parameters and 15 chemical abundances from iodine-imprinted spectra of FGK stars and which has been set up for ease of use with Keck/HIRES spectra. Our proof of concept offers an efficient new avenue to rapidly estimate a large number of stellar parameters even in the absence of an iodine-free template spectrum.

The California-Kepler Survey. XI. A Survey of Chromospheric Activity through the Lens of Precise Stellar Properties

Surveys of exoplanet host stars are valuable tools for assessing population level trends in exoplanets, and their outputs can include stellar ages, activity, and rotation periods. We extracted chromospheric activity measurements from the California-Kepler Survey Gaia survey spectra in order to probe connections between stellar activity and fundamental stellar properties. Building on the California Kepler Survey's legacy of 1189 planet host star stellar properties including temperature, surface gravity metallicity, and isochronal age, we add measurements of the Ca ii H and K lines as a proxy for chromospheric activity for 879 planet hosting stars. We used these chromospheric activity measurements to derive stellar rotation periods. We find a discrepancy between photometrically derived and activity-derived rotation periods for stars on the Rossby Ridge. These results support the theory of weakened magnetic braking. We find no evidence for metallicity-dependent activity relations, within the metallicity range of −0.2 to +0.3 dex. With our single epoch spectra we identify stars that are potentially in Maunder minimum–like state using a combination of log( RHK′ ) and position below the main sequence. We do not yet have the multiyear time series needed to verify stars in Maunder minimum–like states. These results can help inform future theoretical studies that explore the relationship between stellar activity, stellar rotation, and magnetic dynamos.

Distinguishing exoplanet companions from field stars in direct imaging using Gaia astrometry

Direct imaging searches for exoplanets around stars detect many spurious candidates that are in fact background field stars. To help distinguish these from genuine companions, multi-epoch astrometry can be used to identify a common proper motion with the host star. Although this is frequently done, many approaches lack an appropriate model for the motions of the background population, or do not use a statistical framework to properly quantify the results. For this study we used Gaia astrometry combined with 2MASS photometry to model the parallax and proper motion distributions of field stars around exoplanet host stars as a function of candidate magnitude. We developed a likelihood-based method that compares the positions of a candidate at multiple epochs with the positions expected under both this field star model and a co-moving companion model. Our method propagates the covariances in the Gaia astrometry and the candidate positions. True companions are assumed to have long periods compared to the observational baseline, so we currently neglect orbital motion. We applied our method to a sample of 23 host stars with 263 candidates identified in the B-Star Exoplanet Abundance Study (BEAST) survey on VLT/SPHERE. We identified seven candidates in which the odds ratio favours the co-moving companion model by a factor of 100 or more. Most of these detections are based on only two or three epochs separated by less than three years, so further epochs should be obtained to reassess the companion probabilities. Our method is publicly available as an open-source python package from 1em

A Neptune-mass exoplanet in close orbit around a very low-mass star challenges formation models.

Theories of planet formation predict that low-mass stars should rarely host exoplanets with masses exceeding that of Neptune. We used radial velocity observations to detect a Neptune-mass exoplanet orbiting LHS 3154, a star that is nine times less massive than the Sun. The exoplanet's orbital period is 3.7 days, and its minimum mass is 13.2 Earth masses. We used simulations to show that the high planet-to-star mass ratio (>3.5 × 10-4) is not an expected outcome of either the core accretion or gravitational instability theories of planet formation. In the core-accretion simulations, we show that close-in Neptune-mass planets are only formed if the dust mass of the protoplanetary disk is an order of magnitude greater than typically observed around very low-mass stars.