SIMBAD references

2025AJ....170..240A - Astron. J., 170, 240 (2025/October-0)

Hot Rocks Survey. IV. Emission from LTT 3780 b Is Consistent with a Bare Rock.

ALLEN N.H., ESPINOZA N., DIAMOND-LOWE H., MENDONCA J.M., DEMORY B.-O., GRESSIER A., IH J., FORTUNE M., AUGUST P.C., HOLMBERG M., MEIER VALDES E., ZGRAGGEN M., BUCHHAVE L.A., BURGASSER A.J., FISHER C., GIBSON N.P., HENG K., HOEIJMAKERS J., KITZMANN D., PRINOTH B., RATHCKE A.D. and MORRIS B.M.

Abstract (from CDS):

It is an open question whether small planets around M dwarfs are able to maintain atmospheres. The Hot Rocks Survey aims to address this question by observing nine rocky exoplanets orbiting M dwarfs with MIRI emission photometry to constrain the onset of atmospheres. In this paper, we present two MIRI F1500W (15 μm) eclipses of LTT 3780 b, an ultrashort-period super-Earth (P = 0.768 days, R = 1.325 R⊕, M = 2.46 M⊕) that receives 111× Earth's instellation, the highest in the survey. We find a combined eclipse depth of 312 ± 38 ppm, which is consistent between different data reduction and analysis assumptions, bolstering our confidence in the eclipse detection. This eclipse depth is consistent with the thermal emission from a bare rock surface, with a dayside temperature of ${T}_{\mathrm{day}}=114{3}_{-99}^{+104}$ K, 98% ± 9% of the maximum temperature predicted for a zero-albedo, zero heat redistribution blackbody. We are able to confidently rule out CO2-based atmospheres down to a 0.01 bar surface pressure to greater than 3σ (ruling out an approximately Mars-like atmosphere). We are unable to rule out a pure H2O 1 bar atmosphere, though we argue that this composition is unlikely on such a highly irradiated planet, nor O2 atmospheres due to the lack of features in the bandpass, though we can put constraints on CO2-mixture atmospheres. As a potential bare rock, we consider a variety of surface composition models, but are unable to distinguish between them. However, LTT 3780 b is an excellent target for follow-up JWST observations to determine its surface composition and rule out additional atmospheric compositions.

Abstract Copyright: © 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): M dwarf stars - Exoplanet astronomy - Exoplanet atmospheres - Extrasolar rocky planets

Simbad objects: 10

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