2021AJ....161...70P


Query : 2021AJ....161...70P

2021AJ....161...70P - Astron. J., 161, 70-70 (2021/February-0)

WASP-107b's density is even lower: a case study for the physics of planetary gas envelope accretion and orbital migration.

PIAULET C., BENNEKE B., RUBENZAHL R.A., HOWARD A.W., LEE E.J., THORNGREN D., ANGUS R., PETERSON M., SCHLIEDER J.E., WERNER M., KREIDBERG L., JAOUNI T., CROSSFIELD I.J.M., CIARDI D.R., PETIGURA E.A., LIVINGSTON J., DRESSING C.D., FULTON B.J., BEICHMAN C., CHRISTIANSEN J.L., GORJIAN V., HARDEGREE-ULLMAN K.K., KRICK J. and SINUKOFF E.

Abstract (from CDS):

With a mass in the Neptune regime and a radius of Jupiter, WASP-107b presents a challenge to planet formation theories. Meanwhile, the planet's low surface gravity and the star's brightness also make it one of the most favorable targets for atmospheric characterization. Here, we present the results of an extensive 4 yr Keck/HIRES radial-velocity (RV) follow-up program of the WASP-107 system and provide a detailed study of the physics governing the accretion of the gas envelope of WASP-107b. We reveal that WASP-107b's mass is only 1.8 Neptune masses (Mb = 30.5 ± 1.7 M⊕). The resulting extraordinarily low density suggests that WASP-107b has a H/He envelope mass fraction of >85% unless it is substantially inflated. The corresponding core mass of <4.6 M⊕ at 3σ is significantly lower than what is traditionally assumed to be necessary to trigger massive gas envelope accretion. We demonstrate that this large gas-to-core mass ratio most plausibly results from the onset of accretion at >=1 au onto a low-opacity, dust-free atmosphere and subsequent migration to the present-day ab = 0.0566 ± 0.0017 au. Beyond WASP-107b, we also detect a second, more massive planet (Mcsini=0.36±0.04MJ) on a wide eccentric orbit (ec = 0.28 ± 0.07) that may have influenced the orbital migration and spin-orbit misalignment of WASP-107b. Overall, our new RV observations and envelope accretion modeling provide crucial insights into the intriguing nature of WASP-107b and the system's formation history. Looking ahead, WASP-107b will be a keystone planet to understand the physics of gas envelope accretion.

Abstract Copyright: © 2021. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Journal keyword(s): Exoplanet formation - Planetary structure - Exoplanet atmospheres

VizieR on-line data: <Available at CDS (J/AJ/161/70): table1.dat>

Simbad objects: 17

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Number of rows : 17
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA
ICRS (J2000)
DEC
Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2026
#notes
1 NAME LP 424-4b Pl 07 59 05.8395356736 +15 23 29.236065000           ~ 387 1
2 HD 93396b Pl 10 46 49.7401839144 -09 23 56.495447700           ~ 70 0
3 Ross 905b Pl 11 42 11.0933350978 +26 42 23.650782778           ~ 913 1
4 K2-161b Pl 12 15 10.5242324760 -03 29 44.236882104           ~ 5 0
5 WASP-107 PM* 12 33 32.8441110816 -10 08 46.225572324   14.62 11.47     K7V 121 0
6 WASP-107b Pl 12 33 32.8441110816 -10 08 46.225572324           ~ 289 0
7 WASP-107c Pl 12 33 32.8441110816 -10 08 46.225572324           ~ 16 0
8 HAT-P-26b Pl 14 12 37.5331103311 +04 03 36.116569918           ~ 200 1
9 CD-24 12581b Pl 16 10 17.6976776832 -24 59 25.260709632           ~ 45 0
10 Kepler-90g Pl 18 57 44.0383126392 +49 18 18.496454184           ~ 60 1
11 Kepler-30d Pl 19 01 08.0746104528 +38 56 50.218268856           ~ 71 1
12 Kepler-9c Pl 19 02 17.7544327200 +38 24 03.176851896           ~ 109 1
13 NGC 6811 OpC 19 37 21.8 +46 22 43   7.47 6.8     ~ 435 0
14 HATS-8b Pl 19 39 46.0127465208 -25 44 54.008422008           ~ 35 0
15 Kepler-51b Pl 19 45 55.1428629456 +49 56 15.650520684           ~ 110 1
16 BD+47 2936b Pl 19 50 50.2472976936 +48 04 51.101390496           ~ 493 1
17 K2-66b Pl 22 06 06.4020754080 -10 42 41.421424716           ~ 23 0

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