Haute-Provence Observatory

ABSTRACT Atmospheric characterization of exoplanets from the ground is an actively growing field of research. In this context, we have created the ATMOSPHERIX consortium: a research project aimed at characterizing exoplanets atmospheres using ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy. This paper presents the publicly available data analysis pipeline and demonstrates the robustness of the recovered planetary parameters from synthetic data. Simulating planetary transits using synthetic transmission spectra of a hot Jupiter that were injected into real SPIRou observations of the non-transiting system Gl 15 A, we show that our pipeline is successful at recovering the planetary signal and input atmospheric parameters. We also introduce a deep learning algorithm to optimize data reduction which proves to be a reliable, alternative tool to the commonly used principal component analysis. We estimate the level of uncertainties and possible biases when retrieving parameters such as temperature and composition and hence the level of confidence in the case of retrieval from real data. Finally, we apply our pipeline onto two real transits of HD 189733 b observed with SPIRou and obtain similar results than in the literature. In summary, we have developed a publicly available and robust pipeline for the forthcoming studies of the targets to be observed in the framework of the ATMOSPHERIX consortium, which can easily be adapted to other high resolution instruments than SPIRou (e.g. VLT-CRIRES, MAROON-X, ELT-ANDES).

ABSTRACT HIP 9618 (HD 12572, TOI-1471, TIC 306263608) is a bright (G = 9.0 mag) solar analogue. TESS photometry revealed the star to have two candidate planets with radii of 3.9 ± 0.044 R⊕ (HIP 9618 b) and 3.343 ± 0.039 R⊕ (HIP 9618 c). While the 20.77291 d period of HIP 9618 b was measured unambiguously, HIP 9618 c showed only two transits separated by a 680-d gap in the time series, leaving many possibilities for the period. To solve this issue, CHEOPS performed targeted photometry of period aliases to attempt to recover the true period of planet c, and successfully determined the true period to be 52.56349 d. High-resolution spectroscopy with HARPS-N, SOPHIE, and CAFE revealed a mass of 10.0 ± 3.1M⊕ for HIP 9618 b, which, according to our interior structure models, corresponds to a $6.8\pm 1.4~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ gas fraction. HIP 9618 c appears to have a lower mass than HIP 9618 b, with a 3-sigma upper limit of <18M⊕. Follow-up and archival RV measurements also reveal a clear long-term trend which, when combined with imaging and astrometric information, reveal a low-mass companion ($0.08^{+0.12}_{-0.05} M_\odot$) orbiting at $26.0^{+19.0}_{-11.0}$ au. This detection makes HIP 9618 one of only five bright (K < 8 mag) transiting multiplanet systems known to host a planet with P > 50 d, opening the door for the atmospheric characterization of warm (Teq < 750 K) sub-Neptunes.

We present high signal-to-noise ratio measurements of the H i Lyα absorption line toward 16 Galactic targets that are at distances between approximately 190 and 2200 pc, all beyond the wall of the Local Bubble. We describe the models used to remove stellar emission and absorption features and the methods used to account for all known sources of error in order to compute high-precision values of the H i column density with robust determinations of the uncertainties. When combined with H2 column densities from other sources, we find total H column densities ranging from 1020.01 to 1021.25 cm−2. Using deuterium column densities from Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer observations we determine the D/H ratio along the sight lines. We confirm and strengthen the conclusion that D/H is spatially variable over these H i column density and target distance regimes, which predominantly probe the interstellar medium outside the Local Bubble. We discuss how these results affect models of Galactic chemical evolution. We also present an analysis of metal lines along the five sight lines for which we have high-resolution spectra and, along with results reported in the literature, discuss the corresponding column densities in the context of a generalized depletion analysis. We find that D/H is only weakly correlated with metal depletion and conclude that the spatial D/H variability is not solely due to dust depletion. A bifurcation of D/Htot as a function of depletion at high depletion levels provides modest support that deuterium-rich gas is infalling onto the Galactic plane.

We present the discovery of two new transiting extrasolar planet candidates identified as TOI-1296.01 and TOI-1298.01 by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The planetary nature of these candidates has been secured with the SOPHIE high-precision spectrograph through the measurement of the companion’s mass with the radial velocity method. Both planets are similar to Saturn in mass and have similar orbital periods of a few days. They, however, show discrepant radii and therefore different densities. The radius discrepancy might be explained by the different levels of irradiation by the host stars. The subgiant star TOI-1296 hosts a low-density planet with 1.2 RJup while the less luminous, lower-size star TOI-1298 hosts a much denser planet with a 0.84 RJup radius, resulting in bulk densities of 0.198 and 0.743 g cm−3, respectively.In addition, both stars are strongly enriched in heavy elements, having metallicities of +0.44 and +0.49 dex, respectively. The planet masses and orbital periods are 0.298 ± 0.039 MJup and 3.9443715 ± 5.8 ± 10−6 days for TOI-1296b, and 0.356 ± 0.032 MJup and 4.537164 ± 1.2 ± 10−5 days for TOI-1298b. The mass measurements have a relative precision of better than 13%.

To celebrate its 150 anniversary, Nature collected 10 extraordinary papers published on Nature in November, 2019. One of the papers is on the discovery of the 51 Peg b by Swiss astronomers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz from University of Geneva. 51 Peg b was the first confirmed planet around a solar-type star other than our own Sun. Mayor and Queloz later won the Nobel Physics Prize in 2019 because they have “explored our cosmic neighbourhoods on the hunt for unknown planets. Their discoveries have forever changed our conceptions of the world.” The discovery was made using the radial velocity technique. A star and a planet orbit each other, and although not much, the star still shows a noticeable wobble due to the gravitational tug of the planet. By observing this wobble motion, scientists can infer the existence of a planet around the star and calculate its mass and distance from the host star. Mayor and Queloz started their planet survey using ELODIE spectrograph in the early 1990s at Haute-Provence Observatory. Through their survey, they found a strange object orbiting the star 51 Pegasi, with a similar mass of Jupiter, but about 7 times closer to its host star than Mercury is to our sun. This object was later named as 51 Pegasi b, and confirmed by other research teams around the world, including Marcy’s research team from America. This new discovery was a big challenge to the traditional models of planet formation. How could a Jupiter-like planet form so close to its host star? Revised planet formation theory suggests 51 Peg b initially formed like a Jupiter farther away from 51 Pegasi, and later migrated inwards towards the star due to interaction with other planets or interaction with the material in the gaseous planetary disk. Since the discovery of 51 Peg b, more than 4200 exoplanets have been confirmed so far, and many more yet coming. The main detection methods of exoplanets are radial velocity technique, transiting technique, microlensing, and direct imaging methods. Most of the planets known today are detected using radial velocity technique and transiting technique. A lot of these planet systems are quite different from our Solar system, which makes people wondering, is our Solar system unique in the Universe? As more and more planets are detected, astronomers keep revising the theory of planet formation to account for the new discoveries. Eventually we will figure out the position of our own solar system in the Univerise, and how planets form. In the present paper, we will first briefly review the discovery of the first confirmed exoplanet around a solar-type star, 51 Peg b by Mayor and Queloz in 1995. Then, we introduce the properties of this extraordinary planet system, and show how this planet system single handly changed our view of planet formation. We shall also introduce the impact of this discovery on the exoplanet community and astronomy community as a whole. In the end, we point out the important implications of the discovery of 51 Peg b.

We report the detection of two exoplanets and a further tentative candidate around the M-dwarf stars Gl96 and Gl617A, based on radial velocity measurements obtained with the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence. Both stars were observed in the context of the SOPHIE exoplanet consortium’s dedicated M-dwarf subprogramme, which aims to detect exoplanets around nearby M-dwarf stars through a systematic survey. For Gl96 we present the discovery of a new exoplanet at 73.9 d with a minimum mass of 19.66 earth masses. Gl96 b has an eccentricity of 0.44, placing it among the most eccentric planets orbiting M stars. For Gl617A we independently confirm a recently reported exoplanet at 86.7 d with a minimum mass of 31.29 earth masses. Both Gl96 b and Gl617A b are potentially within the habitable zone, although the high eccentricity of Gl96 b may take it too close to the star at periapsis.

Kepler-419 is a planetary system discovered by the Kepler photometry which is known to harbour two massive giant planets: an inner 3 MJ transiting planet with a 69.8-day period, highly eccentric orbit, and an outer 7.5 MJ non-transiting planet predicted from the transit-timing variations (TTVs) of the inner planet b to have a 675-day period, moderately eccentric orbit. Here we present new radial velocity (RV) measurements secured over more than two years with the SOPHIE spectrograph, where both planets are clearly detected. The RV data is modelled together with the Kepler photometry using a photodynamical model. The inclusion of velocity information breaks the MR−3 degeneracy inherent in timing data alone, allowing us to measure the absolute stellar and planetary radii and masses. With uncertainties of 12 and 13% for the stellar and inner planet radii, and 35, 24, and 35% for the masses of the star, planet b, and planet c, respectively, these measurements are the most precise to date for a single host star system using this technique. The transiting planet mass is determined at better precision than the star mass. This shows that modelling the radial velocities and the light curve together in systems of dynamically interacting planets provides a way of characterising both the star and the planets without being limited by knowledge of the star. On the other hand, the period ratio and eccentricities place the Kepler-419 system in a sweet spot; had around twice as many transits been observed, the mass of the transiting planet could have been measured using its own TTVs. Finally, the origin of the Kepler-419 system is discussed. We show that the system is near a coplanar high-eccentricity secular fixed point, related to the alignment of the orbits, which has prevented the inner orbit from circularising. For most other relative apsidal orientations, planet b’s orbit would be circular with a semi-major axis of 0.03 au. This suggests a mechanism for forming hot Jupiters in multiplanetary systems without the need of high mutual inclinations.

We report the discovery of the transiting hot Jupiter KPS-1b. This exoplanet orbits a V = 13.0 K1-type main-sequence star every 1.7 days, has a mass of MJup and a radius of RJup. The discovery was made by the prototype Kourovka Planet Search (KPS) project, which used wide-field CCD data gathered by an amateur astronomer using readily available and relatively affordable equipment. Here we describe the equipment and observing technique used for the discovery of KPS-1b, its characterization with spectroscopic observations by the SOPHIE spectrograph and with high-precision photometry obtained with 1 m class telescopes. We also outline the KPS project evolution into the Galactic Plane eXoplanet survey. The discovery of KPS-1b represents a new major step of the contribution of amateur astronomers to the burgeoning field of exoplanetology.