Ref Arxiv: 2211.04765
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stac3302
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS

DOI: 10.1117/12.2628689
Abstract:

The first generation of ELT instruments includes an optical-infrared high resolution spectrograph, indicated as ELT-HIRES and recently christened ANDES (ArmazoNes high Dispersion Echelle Spectrograph). ANDES consists of three fibre-fed spectrographs (UBV, RIZ, YJH) providing a spectral resolution of similar to 100,000 with a minimum simultaneous wavelength coverage of 0.4-1.8 mu m with the goal of extending it to 0.35-2.4 mu m with the addition of a K band spectrograph. It operates both in seeing- and diffraction-limited conditions and the fibre-feeding allows several, interchangeable observing modes including a single conjugated adaptive optics module and a small diffraction-limited integral field unit in the NIR. Its modularity will ensure that ANDES can be placed entirely on the ELT Nasmyth platform, if enough mass and volume is available, or partly in the Coude room. ANDES has a wide range of groundbreaking science cases spanning nearly all areas of research in astrophysics and even fundamental physics. Among the top science cases there are the detection of biosignatures from exoplanet atmospheres, finding the fingerprints of the first generation of stars, tests on the stability of Nature's fundamental couplings, and the direct detection of the cosmic acceleration. The ANDES project is carried forward by a large international consortium, composed of 35 Institutes from 13 countries, forming a team of more than 200 scientists and engineers which represent the majority of the scientific and technical expertise in the field among ESO member states.

Ref Arxiv: 2209.11652
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stac2769
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS

Ref Arxiv: 2205.01661
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stac1264
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
Abstract:

The nearby M dwarf WX UMa has recently been detected at radio wavelengths with LOFAR. The combination of its observed brightness temperature and circular polarisation fraction suggests that the emission is generated via the electron-cyclotron maser instability. Two distinct mechanisms have been proposed to power such emission from low-mass stars: either a sub-Alfv\'enic interaction between the stellar magnetic field and an orbiting planet, or reconnection at the edge of the stellar magnetosphere. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of both mechanisms, utilising the information about the star's surrounding plasma environment obtained from modelling its stellar wind. Using this information, we show that a Neptune-sized exoplanet with a magnetic field strength of 10-100 G orbiting at ~0.034 au can accurately reproduce the observed radio emission from the star, with corresponding orbital periods of 7.4 days. Due to the stellar inclination, a planet in an equatorial orbit is unlikely to transit the star. While such a planet could induce radial velocity semi-amplitudes from 7 to 396 m s$^{-1}$, it is unlikely that this signal could be detected with current techniques due to the activity of the host star. The application of our planet-induced radio emission model here illustrates its exciting potential as a new tool for identifying planet-hosting candidates from long-term radio monitoring. We also develop a model to investigate the reconnection-powered emission scenario. While this approach produces less favourable results than the planet-induced scenario, it nevertheless serves as a potential alternative emission mechanism which is worth exploring further.

Comments: 15 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202142540
Abstract:

We report the detection and characterization of the transiting sub-Neptune TOI-1759 b, using photometric time series from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and near-infrared spectropolarimetric data from the Spectro-Polarimètre Infra Rouge (SPIRou) on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. TOI-1759 b orbits a moderately active M0V star with an orbital period of 18.849975 ± 0.000006 days, and we measured a planetary radius and mass of 3.06 ± 0.22 R⊕ and 6.8 ± 2.0 M⊕. Radial velocities were extracted from the SPIRou spectra using both the cross-correlation function and the line-by-line methods, optimizing the velocity measurements in the near-infrared domain. We analyzed the broadband spectral energy distribution of the star and the high-resolution SPIRou spectra to constrain the stellar parameters and thus improve the accuracy of the derived planet parameters. A least squares deconvolution analysis of the SPIRou Stokes V polarized spectra detects Zeeman signatures in TOI-1759. We modeled the rotational modulation of the magnetic stellar activity using a Gaussian process regression with a quasi-periodic covariance function and find a rotation period of 35.65−0.15+0.17 days. We reconstructed the large-scale surface magnetic field of the star using Zeeman-Doppler imaging, which gives a predominantly poloidal field with a mean strength of 18 ± 4 G. Finally, we performed a joint Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis of the TESS photometry and SPIRou radial velocities to optimally constrain the system parameters. At 0.1176 ± 0.0013 au from the star, the planet receives 6.4 times the bolometric flux incident on Earth, and its equilibrium temperature is estimated at 433 ± 14 K. TOI-1759 b is a likely gas-dominated sub-Neptune with an expected high rate of photoevaporation. Therefore, it is an interesting target to search for neutral hydrogen escape, which may provide important constraints on the planetary formation mechanisms responsible for the observed sub-Neptune radius desert.

DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac35de
Abstract:

We simulate possible stellar coronal mass ejection (CME) scenarios over the magnetic cycle of ϵ Eridani (18 Eridani; HD 22049). We use three separate epochs from 2008, 2011, and 2013, and estimate the radio emission frequencies associated with these events. These stellar eruptions have proven to be elusive, although a promising approach to detect and characterize these phenomena are low-frequency radio observations of potential type II bursts as CME-induced shocks propagate through the stellar corona. Stellar type II radio bursts are expected to emit below 450 MHz, similarly to their solar counterparts. We show that the length of time these events remain above the ionospheric cutoff is not necessarily dependent on the stellar magnetic cycle, but more on the eruption location relative to the stellar magnetic field. We find that these type II bursts would remain within the frequency range of LOFAR for a maximum of 20-30 minutes post-eruption for the polar CMEs (50 minutes for second harmonics). We find evidence of slower equatorial CMEs, which result in slightly longer observable windows for the 2008 and 2013 simulations. Stellar magnetic geometry and strength have a significant effect on the detectability of these events. We place the CMEs in the context of the stellar mass-loss rate (27-48× solar mass-loss rate), showing that they can amount to 3%-50% of the stellar wind mass-loss rate for ϵ Eridani. Continuous monitoring of likely stellar CME candidates with low-frequency radio telescopes will be required to detect these transient events.

Ref Arxiv: 2201.07530
Ref INSPIRE: 2100236
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202142202
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
Comments: 8 pages, 5 figures: Accepted by A&A