Search

Detecting exoplanet transits at X-ray wavelengths would provide a window into the effects of high energy irradiation on the upper atmospheres of planets. However, stars are relatively dim in the X-ray, making exoplanet transit detections difficult with current X-ray telescopes. To date, only one exoplanet (HD~189733~b) has an X-ray transit detection. In this study, we investigate the capability of future X-ray observatories to detect more exoplanet transits, focusing on both the NewAthena-WFI instrument and the proposed Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS), which provide more light-collecting power than current instruments. We examined all the transiting exoplanet systems in the NASA Exoplanet Archive and gathered X-ray flux measurements or estimates for each host star. We then predicted the stellar count rates for both AXIS and NewAthena and simulated light curves, using null-hypothesis testing to identify the top 15 transiting planets ranked by potential detection significance. We also evaluate transit detection probabilities when the apparent X-ray radius is enlarged due to atmospheric escape, finding that $\geq 5$ of these planetary systems may be detectable on the $>4\sigma$ level in this scenario. Finally, we note that the assumed host star coronal temperature, which affects the shape of an X-ray transit, can also significantly affect our ability to detect the planet., Comment: Accepted for publication in AAS Journals

The high-energy radiative output, from the X-ray to the ultraviolet, of exoplanet host stars drives photochemical reactions and mass loss in the upper regions of planetary atmospheres. In order to place constraints on the atmospheric properties of the three closest terrestrial exoplanets transiting M dwarfs, we observe the high-energy spectra of the host stars LTT1445A and GJ486 in the X-ray with XMM-Newton and Chandra and in the ultraviolet with HST/COS and STIS. We combine these observations with estimates of extreme ultraviolet flux, reconstructions of the Ly-a lines, and stellar models at optical and infrared wavelengths to produce panchromatic spectra from 1A--20um for each star. While LTT1445Ab, LTT1445Ac, and GJ486b do not possess primordial hydrogen-dominated atmospheres, we calculate that they are able to retain pure CO2 atmospheres if starting with 10, 15, and 50% of Earth's total CO2 budget, respectively, in the presence of their host stars' stellar wind. We use age-activity relationships to place lower limits of 2.2 and 6.6 Gyr on the ages of the host stars LTT1445A and GJ486. Despite both LTT1445A and GJ486 appearing inactive at optical wavelengths, we detect flares at ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths for both stars. In particular, GJ486 exhibits two flares with absolute energies of 10^29.5 and 10^30.1 erg (equivalent durations of 4357+/-96 and 19724+/-169 s) occurring three hours apart, captured with HST/COS G130M. Based on the timing of the observations, we suggest that these high-energy flares are related and indicative of heightened flaring activity that lasts for a period of days, but our interpretations are limited by sparse time-sampling. Consistent high-energy monitoring is needed to determine the duration and extent of high-energy activity on individual M dwarfs, as well as the population as a whole., Comment: 21 pages, published in A&A

Aeronomy, the study of Earth's upper atmosphere and its interaction with the local space environment, has long traced changes in the thermospheres of Earth and other solar system planets to solar variability in the X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (collectively, "XUV") bands. Extending comparative aeronomy to the short-period extrasolar planets may illuminate whether stellar XUV irradiation powers atmospheric outflows that change planetary radii on astronomical timescales. In recent years, near-infrared transit spectroscopy of metastable HeI has been a prolific tracer of high-altitude planetary gas. We present a case study of exoplanet aeronomy using metastable HeI transit observations from Palomar/WIRC and follow-up high-energy data from the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory that were taken within one month of the WASP-69 system, a K-type main sequence star with a well-studied hot Jupiter companion. Supplemented by archival data, we find that WASP-69's X-ray flux in 2023 was less than 50% of what was recorded in 2016 and that the metastable HeI absorption from WASP-69b was lower in 2023 versus past epochs from 2017-2019. Via atmospheric modeling, we show that this time-variable metastable HeI signal is in the expected direction given the observed change in stellar XUV, possibly stemming from WASP-69's magnetic activity cycle. Our results underscore the ability of multi-epoch, multi-wavelength observations to paint a cohesive picture of the interaction between an exoplanet's atmosphere and its host star., Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables, accepted to The Astronomical Journal

We search for excess in-transit absorption of neutral helium at 1.083 $\mu$m in the atmospheres of the young (<800 Myr) sub-Jovian (0.2-0.5 $\rm R_{J}$) planets HD 63433b, K2-100b, and V1298 Tau c using high-resolution (R~25,000) transit observations taken with Keck II/NIRSPEC. Our observations do not show evidence of helium absorption for any of the planets in our sample. We calculate 3$\sigma$ upper limits on the planets' excess helium absorption of <0.47% for HD 63433b, <0.56% for K2-100b, and <1.13% for V1298 Tau c. In terms of equivalent width, we constrain these to <2.52, <4.44, and <8.49 mA for HD 63433b, K2-100b, and V1298 Tau c, respectively. We fit our transmission spectra with one-dimensional Parker wind models to determine upper limits on the planets' mass-loss rates of <7.9$\times10^{10}$, <1.25$\times10^{11}$, and <$7.9\times10^{11}$g s$^{-1}$. Our non-detections align with expectations from one-dimensional hydrodynamic escape models, magnetic fields, and stellar wind confinement. The upper limits we measure for these planets are consistent with predicted trends in system age and He equivalent width from 1D hydrodynamic models., Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal

One of the leading mechanisms invoked to explain the existence of the radius valley is atmospheric mass loss driven by X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet irradiation, with this process stripping the primordial envelopes of young, small planets to produce the observed bimodal distribution. We present an investigation into the TOI-431 and $\nu^2$ Lupi planetary systems, both of which host planets either side of the radius valley, to determine if their architectures are consistent with evolution by the XUV mechanism. With $\textit{XMM-Newton}$, we measure the current X-ray flux of each star, and see evidence for a stellar flare in the TOI-431 observations. We then simulate the evolution of all of the transiting planets across the two systems in response to the high-energy irradiation over their lifetimes. We use the measured X-ray fluxes as an anchor point for the XUV time evolution in our simulations, and employ several different models of estimating mass loss rates. While the simulations for TOI-431b encountered a problem with the initial calculated radii, we estimate a likely short ($\sim$ Myr) timespan for primordial envelope removal using reasonable assumptions for the initial planet. $\nu^2$ Lupi b is likely harder to strip, but is achieved in a moderate fraction of our simulations. None of our simulations stripped any of the lower density planets of their envelope, in line with prediction. We conclude that both systems are consistent with expectations for generation of the radius valley through XUV photoevaporation., Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables; accepted for publication in MNRAS

One of the key research themes identified by the Astro2020 decadal survey is Worlds and Suns in Context. The Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) is a proposed NASA APEX mission that will become the prime high-energy instrument for studying star-planet connections from birth to death. This work explores the major advances in this broad domain of research that will be enabled by the AXIS mission, through X-ray observations of stars in clusters spanning a broad range of ages, flaring M-dwarf stars known to host exoplanets, and young stars exhibiting accretion interactions with their protoplanetary disks. In addition, we explore the ability of AXIS to use planetary nebulae, white dwarfs, and the Solar System to constrain important physical processes from the microscopic (e.g., charge exchange) to the macroscopic (e.g., stellar wind interactions with the surrounding interstellar medium)., Comment: This White Paper is part of a series commissioned for the AXIS Probe Concept Mission

AM CVn-type systems are ultracompact, helium-accreting binary systems which are evolutionarily linked to the progenitors of thermonuclear supernovae and are expected to be strong Galactic sources of gravitational waves detectable to upcoming space-based interferometers. AM CVn binaries with orbital periods $\lesssim$ 20--23 min exist in a constant high state with a permanently ionised accretion disc. We present the discovery of TIC 378898110, a bright ($G=14.3$ mag), nearby ($309.3 \pm 1.8$ pc), high-state AM CVn binary discovered in TESS two-minute-cadence photometry. At optical wavelengths this is the third-brightest AM CVn binary known. The photometry of the system shows a 23.07172(6) min periodicity, which is likely to be the `superhump' period and implies an orbital period in the range 22--23 min. There is no detectable spectroscopic variability. The system underwent an unusual, year-long brightening event during which the dominant photometric period changed to a shorter period (constrained to $20.5 \pm 2.0$ min), which we suggest may be evidence for the onset of disc-edge eclipses. The estimated mass transfer rate, $\log (\dot{M} / \mathrm{M_\odot} \mathrm{yr}^{-1}) = -6.8 \pm 1.0$, is unusually high and may suggest a high-mass or thermally inflated donor. The binary is detected as an X-ray source, with a flux of $9.2 ^{+4.2}_{-1.8} \times 10^{-13}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ in the 0.3--10 keV range. TIC 378898110 is the shortest-period binary system discovered with TESS, and its large predicted gravitational-wave amplitude makes it a compelling verification binary for future space-based gravitational wave detectors., Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures. Accepted to MNRAS

The Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) is a Probe-class concept that will build on the legacy of the Chandra X-ray Observatory by providing low-background, arcsecond-resolution imaging in the 0.3-10 keV band across a 450 arcminute$^2$ field of view, with an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity. AXIS utilizes breakthroughs in the construction of lightweight segmented X-ray optics using single-crystal silicon, and developments in the fabrication of large-format, small-pixel, high readout rate CCD detectors with good spectral resolution, allowing a robust and cost-effective design. Further, AXIS will be responsive to target-of-opportunity alerts and, with onboard transient detection, will be a powerful facility for studying the time-varying X-ray universe, following on from the legacy of the Neil Gehrels (Swift) X-ray observatory that revolutionized studies of the transient X-ray Universe. In this paper, we present an overview of AXIS, highlighting the prime science objectives driving the AXIS concept and how the observatory design will achieve these objectives., Comment: Published in Proceedings of SPIE Optics & Photonics 2023, San Diego

To date, thousands of planets have been discovered, but there are regions of the orbital parameter space that are still bare. An example is the short period and intermediate mass/radius space known as the Neptunian desert, where planets should be easy to find but discoveries remain few. This suggests unusual formation and evolution processes are responsible for the planets residing here. We present the discovery of TOI-332 b, a planet with an ultra-short period of $0.78$ d that sits firmly within the desert. It orbits a K0 dwarf with an effective temperature of $5251 \pm 71$ K. TOI-332 b has a radius of $3.20^{+0.16}_{-0.12}$ R$_{\oplus}$, smaller than that of Neptune, but an unusually large mass of $57.2 \pm 1.6$ M$_{\oplus}$. It has one of the highest densities of any Neptune-sized planet discovered thus far at $9.6^{+1.1}_{-1.3}$ gcm$^{-3}$. A 4-layer internal structure model indicates it likely has a negligible hydrogen-helium envelope, something only found for a small handful of planets this massive, and so TOI-332 b presents an interesting challenge to planetary formation theories. We find that photoevaporation cannot account for the mass loss required to strip this planet of the Jupiter-like envelope it would have been expected to accrete. We need to look towards other scenarios, such as high-eccentricity migration, giant impacts, or gap opening in the protoplanetary disc, to try and explain this unusual discovery., Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present new optical transmission spectra for two hot Jupiters: WASP-25b (M = 0.56~M$_J$; R = 1.23 R$_J$; P =~3.76 days) and WASP-124b (M = 0.58~M$_J$; R = 1.34 R$_J$; P = 3.37 days), with wavelength coverages of 4200 - 9100\AA\ and 4570 - 9940\AA, respectively. These spectra are from the ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera (v.2) mounted on the New Technology Telescope (NTT) and Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera & Spectrograph on Magellan Baade. No strong spectral features were found in either spectra, with the data probing 4 and 6 scale heights, respectively. \texttt{Exoretrievals} and \texttt{PLATON} retrievals favor stellar activity for WASP-25b, while the data for WASP-124b did not favor one model over another. For both planets the retrievals found a wide range in the depths where the atmosphere could be optically thick ($\sim0.4\mu$ - 0.2 bars for WASP-25b and 1.6 $\mu$ -- 32 bars for WASP-124b) and recovered a temperature that is consistent with the planets' equilibrium temperatures, but with wide uncertainties (up to $\pm$430$^\circ$K). For WASP-25b, the models also favor stellar spots that are $\sim$500-3000$^\circ$K cooler than the surrounding photosphere. The fairly weak constraints on parameters are owing to the relatively low precision of the data, with an average precision of 840 and 1240 ppm per bin for WASP-25b and WASP-124b, respectively. However, some contribution might still be due to an inherent absence of absorption or scattering in the planets' upper atmospheres, possibly because of aerosols. We attempt to fit the strength of the sodium signals to the aerosol-metallicity trend proposed by McGruder et al. 2023, and find WASP-25b and WASP-124b are consistent with the prediction, though their uncertainties are too large to confidently confirm the trend., Comment: Accepted in AJ July 2023

We model the evaporation histories of the three planets around K2-136, a K-dwarf in the Hyades open cluster with an age of 700 Myr. The star hosts three transiting planets, with radii of 1.0, 3.0 and 1.5 Earth radii, where the middle planet lies above the radius-period valley and the inner and outer planets are below. We use an XMM-Newton observation to measure the XUV radiation environment of the planets, finding that the X-ray activity of K2-136 is lower than predicted by models but typical of similar Hyades members. We estimate the internal structure of each planet, and model their evaporation histories using a range of structure and atmospheric escape formulations. While the precise X-ray irradiation history of the system may be uncertain, we exploit the fact that the three planets must have shared the same history. We find that the Earth-sized K2-136b is most likely rocky, with any primordial gaseous envelope being lost within a few Myr. The sub-Neptune, K2-136c, has an envelope contributing 1-1.7% of its mass that is stable against evaporation thanks to the high mass of its rocky core, whilst the super-Earth, K2-136d, must have a mass at the upper end of the allowed range in order to retain any of its envelope. Our results are consistent with all three planets beginning as sub-Neptunes that have since been sculpted by atmospheric evaporation to their current states, stripping the envelope from planet b and removing most from planet d whilst preserving planet c above the radius-period valley., Comment: Accepted for publication on MNRAS

There exist very few ways to isolate cognitive processes, historically defined via highly controlled laboratory studies, in more ecologically valid contexts. Specifically, it remains unclear as to what extent patterns of neural activity observed under such constraints actually manifest outside the laboratory in a manner that can be used to make an accurate inference about the latent state, associated cognitive process, or proximal behavior of the individual. Improving our understanding of when and how specific patterns of neural activity manifest in ecologically valid scenarios would provide validation for laboratory-based approaches that study similar neural phenomena in isolation and meaningful insight into the latent states that occur during complex tasks. We argue that domain generalization methods from the brain-computer interface community have the potential to address this challenge. We previously used such an approach to decode phasic neural responses associated with visual target discrimination. Here, we extend that work to more tonic phenomena such as internal latent states. We use data from two highly controlled laboratory paradigms to train two separate domain-generalized models. We apply the trained models to an ecologically valid paradigm in which participants performed multiple, concurrent driving-related tasks. Using the pretrained models, we derive estimates of the underlying latent state and associated patterns of neural activity. Importantly, as the patterns of neural activity change along the axis defined by the original training data, we find changes in behavior and task performance consistent with the observations from the original, laboratory paradigms. We argue that these results lend ecological validity to those experimental designs and provide a methodology for understanding the relationship between observed neural activity and behavior during complex tasks.

We have performed low-resolution ground-based spectroscopy of HATS-46 b in transmission, using the EFOSC2 instrument on the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT). HATS-46 b is a highly-inflated exoplanet that is a prime target for transmission spectroscopy, having a Jupiter-like radius (0.95 R$_\textrm{Jup}$) but a much lower mass (0.16 M$_\textrm{Jup}$). It orbits a G-type star with a 4.7 d period, giving an equilibrium temperature of 1100 K. We observed one transit of HATS-46 b with the NTT, with the time-series spectra covering a wavelength range of 3900 - 9000 Angstrom at a resolution of $R \sim 380$. We achieved a remarkably precise transmission spectrum of 1.03 $\times$ photon noise, with a median uncertainty of $357$ ppm for $\sim 200$ Angstrom wide bins, despite the relative faintness of the host star with $V_{\mathrm{mag}} = 13.6$. The transmission spectrum does not show strong absorption features and retrievals favour a cloudy model, ruling out a clear atmosphere with $3.0\sigma$ confidence. We also place a conservative upper limit on the sodium abundance under the alternative scenario of a clear atmosphere. This is the eighth planet in the LRG-BEASTS survey, which uses 4m-class telescopes such as the NTT to obtain low-resolution transmission spectra of hot Jupiters with precisions of around one atmospheric scale height., Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Multi-planet systems orbiting M dwarfs provide valuable tests of theories of small planet formation and evolution. K2-3 is an early M dwarf hosting three small exoplanets (1.5-2.0 Earth radii) at distances of 0.07-0.20 AU. We measure the high-energy spectrum of K2-3 with HST/COS and XMM-Newton, and use empirically-driven estimates of Ly-alpha and extreme ultraviolet flux. We use EXOFASTv2 to jointly fit radial velocity, transit, and SED data. This constrains the K2-3 planet radii to 4% uncertainty and the masses of K2-3b and c to 13% and 30%, respectively; K2-3d is not detected in RV measurements. K2-3b and c are consistent with rocky cores surrounded by solar composition envelopes (mass fractions of 0.36% and 0.07%), H2O envelopes (55% and 16%), or a mixture of both. However, based on the high-energy output and estimated age of K2-3, it is unlikely that K2-3b and c retain solar composition atmospheres. We pass the planet parameters and high-energy stellar spectrum to atmospheric models. Dialing the high-energy spectrum up and down by a factor of 10 produces significant changes in trace molecule abundances, but not at a level detectable with transmission spectroscopy. Though the K2-3 planets span the small planet radius valley, the observed system architecture cannot be readily explained by photoevaporation or core-powered mass loss. We instead propose 1) the K2-3 planets are all volatile-rich, with K2-3d having a lower density than typical of super-Earths, and/or 2) the K2-3 planet architecture results from more stochastic processes such as planet formation, planet migration, and impact erosion., Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure, published in AJ, HLSPs at https://archive.stsci.edu/hlsp/mstarpanspec

The atmospheres of a large proportion of white dwarf stars are polluted by heavy elements that are expected to sink out of visible layers on short timescales. This has been interpreted as a signature of ongoing accretion of debris from asteroids, comets, and giant planets. This scenario is supported by the detection of debris discs and transits of planetary fragments around some white dwarfs. However, photospheric metals are only indirect evidence for ongoing accretion, and the inferred accretion rates and parent body compositions heavily depend on models of diffusion and mixing processes within the white dwarf atmosphere. Here we report a 4.4$\sigma$ detection of X-rays from a polluted white dwarf, G29$-$38, using a 106 ks exposure with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, demonstrating directly that the star is currently accreting. From the measured X-ray luminosity, we find an instantaneous accretion rate of $\dot{M_{\rm X}}=1.63^{+1.29}_{-0.40}\times 10^{9}\mathrm{\,g\,s^{-1}}$. This is the first direct measurement of the accretion rate onto the white dwarf, which is independent of stellar atmosphere models. This rate exceeds estimates based on past studies of the photospheric abundances by more than a factor two, and implies that convective overshoot has to be accounted for in modelling the spectra of debris-accreting white dwarfs. We measure a low plasma temperature of $kT=0.5\pm0.2\,\mathrm{keV}$, corroborating the predicted bombardment solution for white dwarfs accreting at low accretion rates. Offering a new method for studying evolved planetary systems, these observations provide the opportunity to independently measure the instantaneous accretion rate of planetary material, and therefore investigate the timescale of accretion onto white dwarfs, and the evolution and replenishment of debris disks., Comment: Author submitted version. Published in Nature, Feb 10 2022 issue

We present an analysis of XMM-Newton observations of four stars in the young (670 Myr) open cluster Praesepe. The planets hosted by these stars all lie close in radius-period space to the radius-period valley and/or the Neptunian desert, two features that photoevaporation by X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photons could be driving. Although the stars are no longer in the saturated regime, strong X-ray and extreme ultraviolet irradiation is still ongoing. Based on EUV time evolution slopes we derived in a previous paper, in all four cases, two-thirds of their EUV irradiation is still to come. We compare the XMM-Newton light curves to those simultaneously measured with K2 at optical wavelengths, allowing us to search for correlated variability between the X-ray and optical light curves. We find that the X-ray flux decreases and flattens off while the optical flux rises throughout for K2-100, something that could result from active regions disappearing from view as the star spins. Finally, we also investigate possible futures for the four planets in our sample with simulations of their atmosphere evolution still to come, finding that complete photoevaporative stripping of the envelope of three of the four planets is possible, depending on the current planet masses., Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, 7 tables; accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present an optical transmission spectrum for WASP-94A b, the first atmospheric characterisation of this highly-inflated hot Jupiter. The planet has a reported radius of $1.72^{+0.06}_{-0.05}$ R$_{\textrm{Jup}}$, a mass of only $0.456^{+0.032}_{-0.036}$ M$_{\textrm{Jup}}$, and an equilibrium temperature of $1508 \pm 75$ K. We observed the planet transit spectroscopically with the EFOSC2 instrument on the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla, Chile: the first use of NTT/EFOSC2 for transmission spectroscopy. We achieved an average transit-depth precision of $128$ ppm for bin widths of $\sim200$ Angstrom. This high precision was achieved in part by linking Gaussian Process hyperparameters across all wavelength bins. The resulting transmission spectrum, spanning a wavelength range of $3800 - 7140$ Angstrom, exhibits a sodium absorption with a significance of $4.9\sigma$, suggesting a relatively cloud-free atmosphere. The sodium signal may be broadened, with a best fitting width of $78_{-32}^{+67}$ Angstrom in contrast to the instrumental resolution of $27.2 \pm 0.2$ Angstrom. We also detect a steep slope in the blue end of the transmission spectrum, indicating the presence of Rayleigh scattering in the atmosphere of WASP-94A b. Retrieval models show evidence for the observed slope to be super-Rayleigh and potential causes are discussed. Finally, we find narrow absorption cores in the CaII H&K lines of WASP-94A, suggesting the star is enshrouded in gas escaping the hot Jupiter., Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Short wavelength exoplanet transit measurements have been used to probe mass-loss in exoplanet atmospheres. We present the Swift-UVOT transit light curves for five hot Jupiters orbiting UV-bright F-type stars: XO-3, KELT-3, WASP-3, WASP-62, and HAT-P-6. We report one positive transit detection of XO-3b and one marginal detection of KELT-3b. We place upper limits on the remaining three transit depths. The planetary radii derived from the NUV transit depths of both potential detections are 50-100% larger than their optical radius measurements. We examine the ratio $R_{\rm NUV}/R_{\rm opt}$ for trends as a function of estimated mass-loss rate, which we derive from X-ray luminosity obtained from the Swift-XRT, or XMM-Newton in the case of WASP-62. We find no correlation between the energy-limited photoevaporative mass-loss rate and the $R_{\rm NUV}/R_{\rm opt}$ ratio. We also search for trends based on the equilibrium temperature of the hot Jupiters. We find a possible indication of a transition in the $R_{\rm NUV}/R_{\rm opt}$ ratio around $T_{\rm eq} = 1700~{\rm K}$, analogous to the trends found for NIR water features in transmission spectra. This might be explained by the formation of extended cloud decks with silicate particles $\leq 1~\mu{\rm m}$. We demonstrate that the Swift-UVOT filters could be sensitive to absorption from aerosols in exoplanet atmospheres., Comment: Accepted to AAS Journals

We present the bright (V$_{mag} = 9.12$), multi-planet system TOI-431, characterised with photometry and radial velocities. We estimate the stellar rotation period to be $30.5 \pm 0.7$ days using archival photometry and radial velocities. TOI-431b is a super-Earth with a period of 0.49 days, a radius of 1.28 $\pm$ 0.04 R$_{\oplus}$, a mass of $3.07 \pm 0.35$ M$_{\oplus}$, and a density of $8.0 \pm 1.0$ g cm$^{-3}$; TOI-431d is a sub-Neptune with a period of 12.46 days, a radius of $3.29 \pm 0.09$ R$_{\oplus}$, a mass of $9.90^{+1.53}_{-1.49}$ M$_{\oplus}$, and a density of $1.36 \pm 0.25$ g cm$^{-3}$. We find a third planet, TOI-431c, in the HARPS radial velocity data, but it is not seen to transit in the TESS light curves. It has an $M \sin i$ of $2.83^{+0.41}_{-0.34}$ M$_{\oplus}$, and a period of 4.85 days. TOI-431d likely has an extended atmosphere and is one of the most well-suited TESS discoveries for atmospheric characterisation, while the super-Earth TOI-431b may be a stripped core. These planets straddle the radius gap, presenting an interesting case-study for atmospheric evolution, and TOI-431b is a prime TESS discovery for the study of rocky planet phase curves., Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, 3 appendices, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present analysis of XMM-Newton Optical Monitor observations in the near-ultraviolet of HD 189733, covering twenty primary transits of its hot Jupiter planet. The transit is clearly detected with both the UVW2 and UVM2 filters, and our fits to the data reveal transit depths in agreement with that observed optically. The measured depths correspond to radii of $1.059^{+0.046}_{-0.050}$ and $0.94^{+0.15}_{-0.17}$ times the optically-measured radius (1.187 R$_{\rm J}$ at 4950 \r{A}) in the UVW2 and UVM2 bandpasses, respectively. We also find no statistically significant variation in the transit depth across the 8 year baseline of the observations. We rule out extended broadband absorption towards or beyond the Roche lobe at the wavelengths investigated, although observations with higher spectral resolution are required to determine if absorption out to those distances from the planet is present in individual near-UV lines., Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables; accepted for publication in MNRAS

All economies require physical resource consumption to grow and maintain their structure. The modern economy is additionally characterized by private debt. The Human and Resources with MONEY (HARMONEY) economic growth model links these features using a stock and flow consistent framework in physical and monetary units. Via an updated version, we explore the interdependence of growth and three major structural metrics of an economy. First, we show that relative decoupling of gross domestic product (GDP) from resource consumption is an expected pattern that occurs because of physical limits to growth, not a response to avoid physical limits. While an increase in resource efficiency of operating capital does increase the level of relative decoupling, so does a change in pricing from one based on full costs to one based only on marginal costs that neglects depreciation and interest payments leading to higher debt ratios. Second, if assuming full labor bargaining power for wages, when a previously-growing economy reaches peak resource extraction and GDP, wages remain high but profits and debt decline to zero. By removing bargaining power, profits can remain positive at the expense of declining wages. Third, the distribution of intermediate transactions within the input-output table of the model follows the same temporal pattern as in the post-World War II U.S. economy. These results indicate that the HARMONEY framework enables realistic investigation of interdependent structural change and trade-offs between economic distribution, size, and resources consumption., Comment: 50 pages (26 manuscript, 24 appendix and supporting), 12 figures (8 manuscript, 4 supporting)

We report the discovery of HD 110113 b (TOI-755.01), a transiting mini-Neptune exoplanet on a 2.5-day orbit around the solar-analogue HD 110113 (Teff = 5730K). Using TESS photometry and HARPS radial velocities gathered by the NCORES program, we find HD 110113 b has a radius of $2.05\pm0.12$ $R_\oplus$ and a mass of $4.55\pm0.62$ $M_\oplus$. The resulting density of $2.90^{+0.75}_{-0.59}$ g cm^{-3} is significantly lower than would be expected from a pure-rock world; therefore, HD 110113 b must be a mini-Neptune with a significant volatile atmosphere. The high incident flux places it within the so-called radius valley; however, HD 110113 b was able to hold onto a substantial (0.1-1\%) H-He atmosphere over its $\sim4$ Gyr lifetime. Through a novel simultaneous gaussian process fit to multiple activity indicators, we were also able to fit for the strong stellar rotation signal with period $20.8\pm1.2$ d from the RVs and confirm an additional non-transiting planet with a mass of $10.5\pm1.2$ $M_\oplus$ and a period of $6.744^{+0.008}_{-0.009}$ d., Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication at MNRAS. HARPS RVs available at https://dace.unige.ch/radialVelocities/?pattern=HD110113

About one out of 200 Sun-like stars has a planet with an orbital period shorter than one day: an ultra-short-period planet (Sanchis-ojeda et al. 2014; Winn et al. 2018). All of the previously known ultra-short-period planets are either hot Jupiters, with sizes above 10 Earth radii (Re), or apparently rocky planets smaller than 2 Re. Such lack of planets of intermediate size (the "hot Neptune desert") has been interpreted as the inability of low-mass planets to retain any hydrogen/helium (H/He) envelope in the face of strong stellar irradiation. Here, we report the discovery of an ultra-short-period planet with a radius of 4.6 Re and a mass of 29 Me, firmly in the hot Neptune desert. Data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (Ricker et al. 2015) revealed transits of the bright Sun-like star \starname\, every 0.79 days. The planet's mean density is similar to that of Neptune, and according to thermal evolution models, it has a H/He-rich envelope constituting 9.0^(+2.7)_(-2.9)% of the total mass. With an equilibrium temperature around 2000 K, it is unclear how this "ultra-hot Neptune" managed to retain such an envelope. Follow-up observations of the planet's atmosphere to better understand its origin and physical nature will be facilitated by the star's brightness (Vmag=9.8)., Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables. Published in Nature Astronomy (21/09/2020)

Exoplanet atmospheres are known to be vulnerable to mass loss through irradiation by stellar X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet emission. We investigate how this high-energy irradiation varies with time by combining an empirical relation describing stellar X-ray emission with a second relation describing the ratio of Solar X-ray to extreme-ultraviolet emission. In contrast to assumptions commonly made when modelling atmospheric escape, we find that the decline in stellar extreme-ultraviolet emission is much slower than in X-rays, and that the total extreme-ultraviolet irradiation of planetary atmospheres is dominated by emission after the saturated phase of high energy emission (which lasts around 100 Myr after the formation of the star). The extreme-ultraviolet spectrum also becomes much softer during this slow decline. Furthermore, we find that the total combined X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet emission of stars also occurs mostly after this saturated phase. Our results suggest that models of atmospheric escape that focus on the saturated phase of high-energy emission are over-simplified, and when considering the evolution of planetary atmospheres it is necessary to follow EUV-driven escape on Gyr timescales. This may make it more difficult to use stellar age to separate the effects of photoevaporation and core-powered mass-loss when considering the origin the planet radius valley., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, 1 table; accepted MNRAS letters

We report the discovery of two transiting exoplanets from the WASP survey, WASP-150b and WASP-176b. WASP-150b is an eccentric ($e$ = 0.38) hot Jupiter on a 5.6 day orbit around a $V$ = 12.03, F8 main-sequence host. The host star has a mass and radius of 1.4 $\rm M_{\odot}$ and 1.7 $\rm R_{\odot}$ respectively. WASP-150b has a mass and radius of 8.5 $\rm M_J$ and 1.1 $\rm R_J$, leading to a large planetary bulk density of 6.4 $\rm \rho_J$. WASP-150b is found to be $\sim3$ Gyr old, well below its circularisation timescale, supporting the eccentric nature of the planet. WASP-176b is a hot Jupiter planet on a 3.9 day orbit around a $V$ = 12.01, F9 sub-giant host. The host star has a mass and radius of 1.3 $\rm M_{\odot}$ and 1.9 $\rm R_{\odot}$. WASP-176b has a mass and radius of 0.86 $\rm M_J$ and 1.5 $\rm R_J$ respectively, leading to a planetary bulk density of 0.23 $\rm \rho_J$., Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal

The interiors of giant planets remain poorly understood. Even for the planets in the Solar System, difficulties in observation lead to large uncertainties in the properties of planetary cores. Exoplanets that have undergone rare evolutionary processes provide a route to understanding planetary interiors. Planets found in and near the typically barren hot-Neptune 'desert' (a region in mass-radius space that contains few planets) have proved to be particularly valuable in this regard. These planets include HD149026b, which is thought to have an unusually massive core, and recent discoveries such as LTT9779b and NGTS-4b, on which photoevaporation has removed a substantial part of their outer atmospheres. Here we report observations of the planet TOI-849b, which has a radius smaller than Neptune's but an anomalously large mass of $39.1^{+2.7}_{-2.6}$ Earth masses and a density of $5.2^{+0.7}_{-0.8}$ grams per cubic centimetre, similar to Earth's. Interior structure models suggest that any gaseous envelope of pure hydrogen and helium consists of no more than $3.9^{+0.8}_{-0.9}$ per cent of the total planetary mass. The planet could have been a gas giant before undergoing extreme mass loss via thermal self-disruption or giant planet collisions, or it could have avoided substantial gas accretion, perhaps through gap opening or late formation. Although photoevaporation rates cannot account for the mass loss required to reduce a Jupiter-like gas giant, they can remove a small (a few Earth masses) hydrogen and helium envelope on timescales of several billion years, implying that any remaining atmosphere on TOI-849b is likely to be enriched by water or other volatiles from the planetary interior. We conclude that TOI-849b is the remnant core of a giant planet., Comment: Published in Nature. This is a preprint of the article, before minor changes made during the refereeing and editing process. The published PDF is at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2421-7 and can be accessed for free by following this link: https://rdcu.be/b5miB . Abstract updated to match published version

We report the discovery of a new ultra-short period hot Jupiter from the Next Generation Transit Survey. NGTS-6b orbits its star with a period of 21.17~h, and has a mass and radius of $1.330^{+0.024}_{-0.028}$\mjup\, and $1.271^{+0.197}_{-0.188}$\rjup\, respectively, returning a planetary bulk density of 0.711$^{+0.214}_{-0.136}$~g~cm$^{-3}$. Conforming to the currently known small population of ultra-short period hot Jupiters, the planet appears to orbit a metal-rich star ([Fe/H]$=+0.11\pm0.09$~dex). Photoevaporation models suggest the planet should have lost 5\% of its gaseous atmosphere over the course of the 9.6~Gyrs of evolution of the system. NGTS-6b adds to the small, but growing list of ultra-short period gas giant planets, and will help us to understand the dominant formation and evolutionary mechanisms that govern this population., Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures. Paper accepted for publication in MNRAS

$\pi$ Men c was recently announced as the first confirmed exoplanet from the TESS mission. The planet has a radius of just 2 R$_{\rm\oplus}$ and it transits a nearby Sun-like star of naked-eye brightness, making it the ideal target for atmospheric characterisation of a super-Earth. Here we analyse archival $\textit{ROSAT}$ and $\textit{Swift}$ observations of $\pi$ Men in order to determine the X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet irradiation of the planetary atmosphere and assess whether atmospheric escape is likely to be on-going. We find that $\pi$ Men has a similar level of X-ray emission to the Sun, with $L_{\rm X}/L_{\rm bol} = (4.84^{+0.92}_{-0.84})\times10^{-7}$. However, due to its small orbital separation, the high-energy irradiation of the super-Earth is around 2000 times stronger than suffered by the Earth. We show that this is sufficient to drive atmospheric escape at a rate greater than that readily detected from the warm Neptune GJ 436b. Furthermore, we estimate $\pi$ Men to be four times brighter at Ly $\alpha$ than GJ 436. Given the small atmospheric scale heights of super-Earths, together with their potentially cloudy atmospheres, and the consequent difficulty in measuring transmission spectra, we conclude that ultraviolet absorption by material escaping $\pi$ Men c presents the best opportunity currently to determine the atmospheric composition of a super-Earth., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables; accepted for publication in MNRAS Letters

We report the discovery of the super-Earth K2-265 b detected with K2 photometry. The planet orbits a bright (V_mag = 11.1) star of spectral type G8V with a period of 2.37 days. We obtained high-precision follow-up radial velocity measurements from HARPS, and the joint Bayesian analysis showed that K2-265 b has a radius of 1.71 +/- 0.11 R_earth and a mass of 6.54 +/- 0.84 M_earth, corresponding to a bulk density of 7.1 +/- 1.8 g/cm^3 . Composition analysis of the planet reveals an Earth-like, rocky interior, with a rock mass fraction of 80%. The short orbital period and small radius of the planet puts it below the lower limit of the photoevaporation gap, where the envelope of the planet could have eroded due to strong stellar irradiation, leaving behind an exposed core. Knowledge of the planet core composition allows us to infer the possible formation and evolution mechanism responsible for its current physical parameters., Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A

Planets that reside close-in to their host star are subject to intense high-energy irradiation. Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and X-ray radiation (together, XUV) is thought to drive mass loss from planets with volatile envelopes. We present $\textit{XMM-Newton}$ observations of six nearby stars hosting transiting planets in tight orbits (with orbital period, $P_\text{orb} < 10\,$d), wherein we characterise the XUV emission from the stars and subsequent irradiation levels at the planets. In order to reconstruct the unobservable EUV emission, we derive a new set of relations from Solar $\textit{TIMED/SEE}$ data that are applicable to the standard bands of the current generation of X-ray instruments. From our sample, WASP-80b and HD$\,$149026b experience the highest irradiation level, but HAT-P-11b is probably the best candidate for Ly$\,\alpha$ evaporation investigations because of the system's proximity to the Solar System. The four smallest planets have likely lost a greater percentage of their mass over their lives than their larger counterparts. We also detect the transit of WASP-80b in the near ultraviolet with the Optical Monitor on $\textit{XMM-Newton}$., Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, 8 tables; accepted for publication in MNRAS

We have performed ground-based transmission spectroscopy of the hot Jupiter orbiting the cool dwarf WASP-80 using the ACAM instrument on the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) as part of the LRG-BEASTS programme. This is the third paper of a ground-based transmission spectroscopy survey of hot Jupiters using low-resolution grism spectrographs. We observed two transits of the planet and have constructed transmission spectra spanning a wavelength range of 4640-8840A. Our transmission spectrum is inconsistent with a previously claimed detection of potassium in WASP-80b's atmosphere, and is instead most consistent with a haze. We also do not see evidence for sodium absorption at a resolution of 100A., Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The role of interfacial nonidealities and disorder on thermal transport across interfaces is traditionally assumed to add resistance to heat transfer, decreasing the thermal boundary conductance (TBC).$^1$ However, recent computational works have suggested that interfacial defects can enhance this thermal boundary conductance through emergence of unique vibrations that are intrinsic to the material interface and defect atoms,$^{2-6}$ a finding that contradicts traditional theory and conventional understanding. By manipulating the local heat flux of atomic vibrations that comprise these interfacial modes, in principle, the TBC can be increased. In this work, we provide evidence that interfacial defects can enhance the TBC across interfaces through the emergence of unique high frequency vibrational modes that arise from atomic mass defects at the interface with relatively small masses. We demonstrate ultrahigh TBC at amorphous SiOC:H/SiC:H interfaces, approaching 1 GW m$^{-2}$ K$^{-1}$, that is further increased through the introduction of nitrogen defects. The fact that disordered interfaces can exhibit such high conductances, which can be further increased with additional defects offers a unique direction in controlling interfacial thermal transport that becomes important in manipulating heat transfer across materials with high densities of interfaces.

We report the discovery of the exoplanet K2-110 b (previously EPIC212521166b) from K2 photometry orbiting in a 13.8637d period around an old, metal-poor K3 dwarf star. With a V-band magnitude of 11.9, K2-110 is particularly amenable to RV follow-up. A joint analysis of K2 photometry and high-precision RVs from 28 HARPS and HARPS-N spectra reveal it to have a radius of 2.6$\pm 0.1 R_{\oplus}$ and a mass of 16.7$\pm 3.2$~M$_{\oplus}$, hence a density of $5.2\pm1.2$ g.cm$^{-3}$, making it one of the most massive planets yet to be found with a sub-Neptune radius. When accounting for compression, the resulting Earth-like density is best fitted by a 0.2 M$_{\oplus}$ hydrogen atmosphere over an 16.5 M$_{\oplus}$ Earth-like interior, although the planet could also have significant water content. At 0.1~AU, even taking into account the old stellar age of $8 \pm 3$ Gyr, the planet is unlikely to have been significantly affected by EUV evaporation. However the planet likely disc-migrated to its current position making the lack of a thick H$_2$ atmosphere puzzling. This analysis has made K2-110 b one of the best-characterised mini-Neptunes with density constrained to less than 30%., Comment: Submitted to A&A, May 2016; Accepted April 2017