Transit detection of the long-period volatile-rich super-Earth nu(2) Lupi d with CHEOPS
Journal article, 2021
Exoplanets transiting bright nearby stars are key objects for advancing our knowledge of planetary formation and evolution. The wealth of photons from the host star gives detailed access to the atmospheric, interior and orbital properties of the planetary companions. nu(2) Lupi (HD 136352) is a naked-eye (V = 5.78) Sun-like star that was discovered to host three low-mass planets with orbital periods of 11.6, 27.6 and 107.6 d via radial-velocity monitoring(1). The two inner planets (b and c) were recently found to transit(2), prompting a photometric follow-up by the brand new Characterising Exoplanets Satellite (CHEOPS). Here, we report that the outer planet d is also transiting, and measure its radius and mass to be 2.56 +/- 0.09 R-circle plus and 8.82 +/- 0.94 M-circle plus, respectively. With its bright Sun-like star, long period and mild irradiation (similar to 5.7 times the irradiation of Earth), nu(2) Lupi d unlocks a completely new region in the parameter space of exoplanets amenable to detailed characterization. We refine the properties of all three planets: planet b probably has a rocky mostly dry composition, while planets c and d seem to have retained small hydrogen-helium envelopes and a possibly large water fraction. This diversity of planetary compositions makes the nu(2) Lupi system an excellent laboratory for testing formation and evolution models of low-mass planets.
Author
Laetitia Delrez
University of Geneva
University of Liège
David Ehrenreich
University of Geneva
Yann Alibert
University of Bern
Andrea Bonfanti
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Luca Borsato
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Luca Fossati
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Matthew J. Hooton
University of Bern
Sergio Hoyer
Aix Marseille University
Francisco J. Pozuelos
University of Liège
Sebastien Salmon
University of Liège
University of Geneva
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
Sophia Sulis
Aix Marseille University
Thomas G. Wilson
University of St Andrews
Vardan Adibekyan
University of Porto
Vincent Bourrier
University of Geneva
Alexis Brandeker
Stockholm University
Adrien Deline
University of Geneva
Pascal Guterman
Aix Marseille University
Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers
Jonas Haldemann
University of Bern
Nathan Hara
University of Geneva
Mahmoudreza Oshagh
University of La Laguna
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Sergio G. Sousa
University of Porto
Valerie Van Grootel
University of Liège
Roi Alonso
University of La Laguna
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Guillem Anglada-Escude
Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Tamas Barczy
Admatis
David Barrado
Spanish Astrobiology Center (INTA-CSIC)
Susana C. C. Barros
University of Porto
Mathias Beck
University of Geneva
Anja Bekkelien
University of Geneva
Willy Benz
University of Bern
Nicolas Billot
University of Geneva
Xavier Bonfils
Grenoble Alpes University
Christopher Broeg
University of Bern
Andrew Collier Cameron
University of St Andrews
Melvyn B. Davies
Lund University
Magali Deleuil
Aix Marseille University
Jean-Baptiste Delisle
University of Geneva
Olivier D. S. Demangeon
University of Porto
Brice-Olivier Demory
University of Bern
Anders Erikson
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Andrea Fortier
University of Bern
Malcolm Fridlund
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
David Futyan
University of Geneva
Davide Gandolfi
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Antonio Garcia Munoz
Technische Universität Berlin
Michael Gillon
University of Liège
Manuel Guedel
University of Vienna
Kevin Heng
University of Bern
Laszlo Kiss
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The University of Sydney
Jacques Laskar
Université Paris PSL
Alain Lecavelier des Etangs
Sorbonne University
Monika Lendl
University of Geneva
Christophe Lovis
University of Geneva
Pierre F. L. Maxted
Keele University
Valerio Nascimbeni
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Hugh P. Osborn
University of Bern
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Isabella Pagano
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Enric Palle
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
University of La Laguna
Giampaolo Piotto
University of Padua
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Don Pollacco
The University of Warwick
Didier Queloz
University of Cambridge
University of Geneva
Heike Rauer
Technische Universität Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Roberto Ragazzoni
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Ignasi Ribas
Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)
Nuno C. Santos
University of Porto
Gaetano Scandariato
Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)
Damien Segransan
University of Geneva
Attila E. Simon
University of Bern
Alexis M. S. Smith
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Manfred Steller
Austrian Academy of Sciences
Gyula M. Szabo
Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)
Nicolas Thomas
University of Bern
Stephane Udry
University of Geneva
Nicholas A. Walton
University of Cambridge
Nature Astronomy
23973366 (eISSN)
Vol. 5 8 775-787Subject Categories
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Other Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
DOI
10.1038/s41550-021-01381-5