2023AJ....166..171P


Query : 2023AJ....166..171P

2023AJ....166..171P - Astron. J., 166, 171 (2023/October-0)

HST/WFC3 Light Curve Supports a Terrestrial Composition for the Closest Exoplanet to Transit an M Dwarf.

PASS E.K., WINTERS J.G., CHARBONNEAU D., BALKANSKI A., LEWIS N., LALLY M., BEAN J.L., CLOUTIER R. and EASTMAN J.D.

Abstract (from CDS):

Previous studies of the exoplanet LTT 1445Ac concluded that the light curve from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) was consistent with both grazing and nongrazing geometries. As a result, the radius and hence density of the planet remained unknown. To resolve this ambiguity, we observed the LTT 1445 system for six spacecraft orbits of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) using WFC3/UVIS imaging in spatial scan mode, including one partial transit of LTT 1445Ac. This imaging produces resolved light curves of each of the three stars in the LTT 1445 system. We confirm that the planet transits LTT 1445A and that LTT 1445C is the source of the rotational modulation seen in the TESS light curve, and we refine the estimate of the dilution factor for the TESS data. We perform a joint fit to the TESS and HST observations, finding that the transit of LTT 1445Ac is not grazing with 97% confidence. We measure a planetary radius of ${1.07}_{-0.07}^{+0.10}\,{R}_{\oplus }$. Combined with previous radial velocity observations, our analysis yields a planetary mass of 1.37 ± 0.19 M⊕ and a planetary density of ${5.9}_{-1.5}^{+1.8}$ g cm–3. LTT 1445Ac is likely an Earth analog with respect to its mass and radius, albeit with a higher instellation, and is therefore an exciting target for future atmospheric studies.

Abstract Copyright: © 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): Exoplanet astronomy - Transit photometry - Exoplanets - M dwarf stars - Transits - HST photometry - Hubble Space Telescope - Multiple stars

VizieR on-line data: <Available at CDS (J/AJ/166/171): table1.dat>

Simbad objects: 5

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Number of rows : 5
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 BD-17 588BC ** 03 01 51.076872 -16 35 31.06608   12.30 10.59 11.06   M2.5V 65 0
2 BD-17 588 ** 03 01 51.3895517 -16 35 36.110284           M3.5+M3.0 73 0
3 NAME BD-17 588Ac Pl? 03 01 51.3936681048 -16 35 36.031178525           ~ 38 0
4 BD-17 588A PM* 03 01 51.3936681048 -16 35 36.031178525 13.444 12.191 10.529 9.364 7.887 M3V 113 0
5 NAME BD-17 588Ab Pl 03 01 51.3936681048 -16 35 36.031178525           ~ 85 0

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