HD 34736: an intensely magnetised double-lined spectroscopic binary with rapidly rotating chemically peculiar B-type components

For ongoing studies of the role of rotation in stellar evolution, we require large catalogs of rotation periods for testing and refining gyrochronology. While there is a wealth of data from the Kepler and K2 missions, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) presents both an opportunity and a challenge: despite its all-sky coverage, rotation periods remain hard to detect. We analyzed individual TESS sectors to detect short-period stellar rotation, using only parameters measured from light curves for a robust and unbiased method of evaluating detections. We used random forest classifiers for vetting, trained on a large corpus of period measurements in Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope data from the Oelkers et al. catalog and using TESS full-frame image light curves generated by eleanor. Finally, using data from the first 26 sectors of TESS, we analyzed 432,704 2 minutes cadence single-sector light curves for FGKM dwarfs. We detected 16,800 periods in individual sector light curves, covering 10,909 distinct targets, and we present a catalog of the median period for each target as measured by a Lomb–Scargle periodogram.

\n Context. HD 90264 is a chemically peculiar (CP) double-lined spectroscopic binary system of the type He-weak. Double-lined binaries are unique sources of data for stellar masses, physical properties, and evolutionary aspects of stars. Therefore, the determination of orbital elements is of great importance to study how the physical characteristics of CP stars are affected by a companion.\n Aims. We carried out a detailed spectral and polarimetric study of the spectroscopic binary system HD 90264 to characterize its orbit, determine the stellar masses, and investigate the spectral variability and possible polarization of the binary components.\n Methods. We employed medium-resolution échelle spectra and polarimetric data obtained at the 2.15-m telescope at CASLEO Observatory, Argentina. We measured radial velocities and line equivalent widths with IRAF packages. The radial velocity curves of both binary components were obtained combining radial velocity data derived from the single line of $\\ion{Hg}{ii}$ λ3984 Åand the double lines of $\\ion{Mg}{ii}$ λ4481 Å. \nPolarimetric data were studied by means of the statistical method of Clarke & Stewart and the Welch test.\n Results. We found that both components of the binary system are chemically peculiar stars, deficient in helium, where the primary is a He variable and the secondary is a Hg-Mn star. We derived for the first time the orbital parameters of the binary system. We found that the system has a quasi-circular orbit (e ~ 0.04) with an orbital period of 15.727 days. Taking into account the circular orbit solution, we derived a mass ratio of \nq = MHe-w/MHg-Mn = 1.22. We also found a rotational period of around 15-16 days, suggesting a spin-orbit synchronization. Possible signs of intrinsic polarization have also been detected.\n Conclusions. HD 90264 is the first known binary system comprised of a He variable star as the primary component and a Hg-Mn star as the secondary one.\n

We present a study of the activity‐rotation relation for M dwarf stars, using new X‐ray data from the ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) on board the Russian Spektrum‐Roentgen‐Gamma mission (SRG), combined with photometric rotation periods from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The stars used in this work are selected from the superblink proper motion catalog of nearby M dwarfs. We study the 135 stars with both a detection in the first eROSITA survey (eRASS1) and a rotation period measurement from TESS jointly with the sample of 197 superblink M dwarfs re‐adapted from our previous work. We fit the activity‐rotation relation for stars with rotation periods shorter than d (saturated regime) using three mass bins. The surprising positive slope for stars in our lowest mass bin () is due to a paucity of stars with intermediate rotation periods ( d), probably caused by fast period evolution. The much higher fraction of eRASS1 detections compared to stars that have also rotation periods from TESS shows that eROSITA is also sensitive for slower rotating M dwarfs that are in the unsaturated regime with periods inaccessible to TESS.

The flaring M4 dwarf GJ 1243 has become a benchmark for studying stellar flare and starspot activity thanks to the exceptional photometric monitoring archive from the Kepler mission. New light curves from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission for this star allow precise stellar activity characterization over more than a decade timescale. We have carried out the first flare and starspot analysis of GJ 1243 from over 50 days of data from TESS Sectors 14 and 15. Using 133 flare events detected in the 2 minute cadence TESS data, we compare the cumulative flare frequency distributions, and find the flare activity for GJ 1243 is unchanged between the Kepler and TESS epochs. Two distinct starspot groups are found in the TESS data, with the primary spot having the same rotational period and phase as seen in Kepler. The phase of the secondary spot feature is consistent with the predicted location of the secondary starspot and measurement of weak differential rotation, suggesting this secondary spot may be long-lived and stable in both latitude and longitude. As expected for this highly active star, the constant spot and flare activity reveal no sign of solar-like activity cycles over 10 yr. However, we highlight the unique ability for Kepler and TESS to use flare rates to detect activity cycles.

Both direct and indirect methods of exoplanet detection rely upon detailed knowledge of the potential host stars. Such stellar characterization allows for accurate extraction of planetary properties, as well as contributing to our overall understanding of exoplanetary system architecture. In this analysis, we examine the photometry of 264 known exoplanet host stars (harboring 337 planetary companions) that were observed during the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Prime Mission. We identify periodic signatures in the lightcurves of these stars and make possible connections to stellar pulsations and their rotation periods, and compare the stellar variability to the published planetary orbital periods. From these comparisons, we quantify the effects of stellar variability on exoplanet detection, confirming that exoplanets detection is biased toward lower variability stars, but larger exoplanets dominate the population of exoplanets around variable stars. Exoplanet detection methods represented among these systems are distinct between stellar spectral types across the main sequence, though notable outliers exist. In addition, biases present in both the sourced data from TESS and the host star selection process, which strongly influences the representation of both stellar and planetary characteristics in the final populations. We also determine whether the host stars photometric variability affects or mimics the behavior or properties of the system’s planets. These results are discussed in the context of how the behavior of the host star is responsible for how we observe exoplanet characteristics, most notably their radii and atmospheric properties, and how the activity may alter our measurements or impact the evolution of planetary properties.

We have used Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III (SDSS-III) Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) radial velocity observations in the near-infrared $H$-band to explore the membership of the nearby ($86.7 \pm 0.9$ pc) open cluster Coma Berenices (Melotte 111), concentrating on the poorly-populated low-mass end of the main sequence. Using SDSS-III APOGEE radial velocity measurements, we confirm the membership of eight K/M dwarf members, providing the first confirmed low-mass members of the Coma Berenices cluster. Using $R\sim2000$ spectra from IRTF-SpeX, we confirm the independently luminosity classes of these targets, and find their metallicities to be consistent with the known solar mean metallicity of Coma Berenices and of M dwarfs in the Solar neighborhood. In addition, the APOGEE spectra have enabled measurement of $v\sin i$ for each target and detection for the first time of the low-mass secondary components of the known binary systems Melotte 111 102 and Melotte 111 120, as well as identification of the previously unknown binary system 2MASS J12214070+2707510. Finally, we use Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) photometry to measure photometric variability and rotation periods for a subset of the Coma Berenices members.

Aims. Understanding flare activity in RS CVn stars is crucial for elucidating their magnetic activity properties. This study aims to conduct a detailed statistical analysis of stellar flare characteristics in RS CVn-type stars using data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) surveys. Methods. We initially identified 80 305 candidates from the International Variable Star Index (VSX) and refined the sample to 1812 RS CVn stars through SIMBAD cross-matching. Using TESS two-minute cadence data, we processed 958 light curves from 246 targets, detecting 1254 flare events among 144 flare stars. By cross-matching with the LAMOST Data Release 10 (DR10) data, we obtain 148 and 482 low-resolution and medium-resolution spectra for 90 and 37 RS CVn-type sources, respectively. With LAMOST data, we calculated and statistically analysed several stellar magnetic activity indicators, such as Hα equivalent width. Combining Gaia survey, TESS Input Catalog, and LAMOST survey data, we investigated relationships between flare parameters and stellar characteristics. Results. Of the 1,254 observed flare events, more than 89% had durations < 1 h, and more than 90% had amplitudes < 0.01. The flare stars concentrate within temperature (4000–6500 K), mass (< 1 M⊙), and radius (0–5 R⊙) ranges, with 21 stars deriving parameters from their primary components. The flare occurrence percentage is higher for temperatures in the range 3000–4000 K and orbital periods < 10 days. The duration (τ) is related to the energy (E) by the power law τ ∝ E0.3−0.41. The power-law index, α, of the cumulative flare frequency distribution is about 1.22 ± 0.09. We analysed flare rotational phases and find no preference, indicating random occurrence. Medium-resolution spectra reveal asymmetry in the Hα profiles of one source, TIC 46296256, which might be caused by coronal rain, binary motion, or chromospheric condensation.

The study of pulsating stars in eclipsing binaries holds the promise of combining two different ways of measuring the physical properties of a star to obtain improved constraints on stellar theory. Gravity (g) mode pulsations such as those found in γ Doradus stars can be used to probe rotational profiles, mixing, and magnetic fields. Until recently few γ Doradus stars in eclipsing binaries were known. We have discovered g-mode pulsations in four detached eclipsing binary systems from light curves obtained by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and present an analysis of their eclipses and pulsational characteristics. We find unresolved g-mode pulsations at frequencies 1–1.5 d−1 in CM Lac, and measure the masses and radii of the component stars from the TESS data and published radial velocities. MZ Lac shows a much richer frequency spectrum, including pressure modes and tidally excited g-modes. RX Dra is in the northern continuous viewing zone of TESS so has a light-curve covering a full year, but shows relatively few pulsation frequencies. For V2077 Cyg we formally measure four pulsation frequencies, but the available data are inadequate to properly resolve the g-mode pulsations. V2077 Cyg also shows total eclipses, with which we obtain the first measurement of the surface gravity of the faint secondary star. All four systems are bright and good candidates for detailed study. Further TESS observations are scheduled for all four systems, with much improved temporal baselines in the cases of RX Dra and V2077 Cyg.

Eclipsing binaries (EBs) with one of the companions as very low-mass stars (VLMSs; or M dwarfs) are testbeds to substantiate stellar models and evolutionary theories. Here we present four EB candidates with F-type primaries, namely, SAO 106989, HD 24465, EPIC 211682657, and HD 205403, identified from different photometry missions, SuperWASP, Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT), Kepler 2 (K2), and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). Using the high-resolution spectrograph PRL Advanced Radial velocity Abu-sky Search at the 1.2 m telescope at Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India, we hereby report the detection of four VLMSs as companions to the four EBs. We performed spectroscopic analysis and found the companion masses to be 0.256 ± 0.005, 0.233 ± 0.002, 0.599 ± 0.017, and 0.406 ± 0.005 M ⊙ for SAO 106989, HD 24465, EPIC 211682657, and SAO 106989B, respectively. We determined orbital periods of 4.39790 ± 0.00001, 7.19635 ± 0.00002, 3.142023 ± 0.000003, and 2.444949 ± 0.000001 days and eccentricities of 0.248 ± 0.005, 0.208 ± 0.002, 0.0097 ± 0.0008, and 0.002 ± 0.002 for EBs SAO 106989, HD 24465, EPIC 211682657, and HD 205403, respectively. The radii derived by modeling the photometry data are 0.326 ± 0.012 R ⊙ for SAO 106989, 0.244 ± 0.001 R ⊙ for HD 24465B, 0.566 ± 0.005 R ⊙ for EPIC 211682657B, and 0.444 ± 0.014 R ⊙ for HD 205403B. The radii of HD 24465B and EPIC 211682657B have been measured by precise Kepler photometry and are consistent with theory within the error bars. However, the radii of SAO 106989B and HD 205403B, measured by KELT and STEREO photometry, are 17%–20% higher than those predicted by theory. A brief comparison of the results of the current work is made with the M dwarfs already studied in the literature.

We present photometric data for minor planets observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite during its Cycle 1 operations. In total, we extracted usable detections for 37,965 objects. We present an examination of the reliability of the rotation period and light-curve amplitudes derived from each object based upon the number of detections and the normalized Lomb–Scargle power of our period fitting and compare and contrast our results with previous similar works. We show that for objects with 200 or more photometric detections and a derived normalized, generalized Lomb–Scargle power greater than 0.2, we have an 85% confidence in that period; this encompasses 3492 rotation periods we consider to be highly reliable. We independently examine a series of periods first reported by Pál et al.; periods derived in both works found to have similar results should be considered reliable. Additionally, we demonstrate the need to properly account for the true proportion of slow rotators (P > 100 hr) when inferring shape distributions from sparse photometry.

We studied the flaring activities of M4.5 dwarf AD Leo to understand its stellar atmospheres and magnetic activities. We present new observational results on this highly active star, using nonsimultaneous measurement of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data, time-series optical spectra, and Giant Meter Radio Telescope 325 MHz radio data. We revisited the rotation period of 2.23 ± 0.04 days from TESS, which matches well with previously measured literature values. We estimated an extremely rare high-energy superflare of 4.9 × 1035 erg and ∼400 minute duration with a high magnetic field strength of 1.2 kG. Interestingly, we correlated the duration of a flare event with its energy, τ ∝ E bol 0.60 ± 0.02 , and noticed a discrepancy between stellar and solar flares suggesting a difference in coronal magnetic field strength. From time-series spectra, we observed Hα spectral flares in the range of 1030–1031 erg. A 12 minute delay in a spectral flare event was observed between the emission of the Hα and Ca ii H and K lines, possibly due to their origination at different spatial locations in the chromosphere. We noticed the deviation in flare rate distribution and orbital phases indicates the presence of highly active regions. Furthermore, an occasional radio detection with a flux density of 9.46 ± 1.63 mJy at a frequency of 325 MHz might be coherent emission in the presence of the magnetic field, giving a hint of star–planet interaction.

Stellar magnetic fields have a major impact on space weather around exoplanets orbiting low-mass stars. From an analysis of Zeeman-broadened Fe i lines measured in near-infrared SDSS/APOGEE spectra, mean magnetic fields are determined for a sample of 29 M dwarf stars that host closely orbiting small exoplanets. The calculations employed the radiative transfer code Synmast and MARCS stellar model atmospheres. The sample M dwarfs are found to have measurable mean magnetic fields ranging between ∼0.2 and ∼1.5 kG, falling in the unsaturated regime on the 〈B〉 versus P rot plane. The sample systems contain 43 exoplanets, which include 23 from Kepler, nine from K2, and nine from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. We evaluated their equilibrium temperatures, insolation, and stellar habitable zones and found that only Kepler-186f and TOI-700d are inside the habitable zones of their stars. Using the derived values of 〈B〉 for the stars Kepler-186 and TOI-700 we evaluated the minimum planetary magnetic field that would be necessary to shield the exoplanets Kepler-186f and TOI-700d from their host star’s winds, considering reference magnetospheres with sizes equal to those of the present-day and young Earth, respectively. Assuming a ratio of 5% between large- to small-scale B-fields, and a young-Earth magnetosphere, Kepler-186f and TOI-700d would need minimum planetary magnetic fields of, respectively, 0.05 and 0.24 G. These values are considerably smaller than Earth’s magnetic field of 0.25 G ≲ B ≲ 0.65 G, which suggests that these two exoplanets might have magnetic fields sufficiently strong to protect their atmospheres and surfaces from stellar magnetic fields.

Accurate limb-darkening models are needed for accurate characterization of eclipsing binary stars and transiting exoplanets from the analysis of their light curves. The limb-darkening observed in solar-type stars from the analysis of light curves for transiting hot-Jupiter exoplanets are systematically less steep than predicted by stellar model atmospheres that do not account for the stellar magnetic field. Hot-Jupiter host stars tend to be metal rich ([Fe/H] $\approx$ 0.25) leading to a lack of low- and solar-metallicity targets in previous studies, so we have analysed the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) light curves for a sample of 19 stars with transiting M-dwarf companions to extend the range of limb-darkening measurements to [Fe/H] values more typical for solar-type stars. We find that the systematic offset between the observed and predicted limb-darkening profiles observed in metal-rich hot-Jupiter systems is also observed for these solar-type stars at lower metallicity. These observations provide additional measurements to explore the impact of magnetic fields on the atmospheres of solar-type stars. We have also used the TESS light curves to make precise estimates of the radius and effective temperature of the M-dwarf companions in these 19 binary systems. We confirm the results from previous studies that find very low mass stars tend to be about 3 per cent larger than predicted by stellar models that use a mixing-length prescription calibrated on the Sun.

We present an estimate of the occurrence rate of hot Jupiters (7 R ⊕ ≤ R p ≤ 2 R J, 0.8 ≤ P b ≤ 10 days) around early-type M dwarfs based on stars observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) during its primary mission. We adopt stellar parameters from the TESS Input Catalog and construct a sample of 60,819 M dwarfs with 10.5 ≤ T mag ≤ 13.5, effective temperatures 2900 ≤ T eff ≤ 4000 K, and stellar masses 0.45 ≤ M * ≤ 0.65 M ⊙. We conduct a uninformed transit search using a detection pipeline based on the box least square search and characterize the searching completeness through an injection and recovery experiment. We combine a series of vetting steps including light centroid measurement, odd/even and secondary eclipse analysis, rotation and transit period synchronization tests as well as inspecting the ground-based photometric, spectroscopic, and imaging observations. Finally, we find a total of nine planet candidates, all of which are known TESS objects of interest. We obtain an occurrence rate of 0.27% ± 0.09% for hot Jupiters around early-type M dwarfs that satisfy our selection criteria. Compared with previous studies, the occurrence rate of hot Jupiters around early-type M dwarfs is smaller than all measurements for FGK stars, although they are consistent within 1σ–2σ. There is a trend that the occurrence rate of hot Jupiters has a peak at G dwarfs and falls toward both hotter and cooler stars. Combining results from transit, radial velocity, and microlensing surveys, we find that hot Jupiters around early-type M dwarfs possibly show a steeper decrease in the occurrence rate per logarithmic semimajor axis bin () when compared with FGK stars.

We report the discovery of pulsations in the extremely low-mass (ELM), likely helium-core white dwarf GD 278 via ground- and space-based photometry. GD 278 was observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in Sector 18 at a 2 minute cadence for roughly 24 days. The TESS data reveal at least 19 significant periodicities between 2447 and 6729 s, one of which is the longest pulsation period ever detected in a white dwarf. Previous spectroscopy found that this white dwarf is in a 4.61 hr orbit with an unseen >0.4 M ⊙ companion and has T eff = 9230 ± 100 K and log g = 6.627 ± 0.056 , which corresponds to a mass of 0.191 ± 0.013 M ⊙. Patterns in the TESS pulsation frequencies from rotational splittings appear to reveal a stellar rotation period of roughly 10 hr, making GD 278 the first ELM white dwarf with a measured rotation rate. The patterns inform our mode identification for asteroseismic fits, which, unfortunately, do not reveal a global best-fit solution. Asteroseismology reveals two main solutions roughly consistent with the spectroscopic parameters of this ELM white dwarf, but with vastly different hydrogen-layer masses; future seismic fits could be further improved by using the stellar parallax. GD 278 is now the tenth known pulsating ELM white dwarf; it is only the fifth known to be in a short-period binary, but is the first with extended, space-based photometry.