Start year
2013
Organizational Unit
Organizing institutions
Grants related:
General
Description
The search for life in the universe has been driven by recent discoveries of planets around other stars (known as exoplanets), becoming one of the most active fields in modern astrophysics. The growing number of new exoplanets discovered in recent years and the recent advance on the study of their atmospheres are not only providing new valuable information about its physical properties, but also allowing to constrain the properties of the Solar system's planets within a more global context. The field is approaching to the important discovery of the first potentially habitable planets and encouraging more detailed studies of them. With the launching of upcoming related satellites like JWST, CHEOPS, TESS, ARIEL and PLATO, the exoplanets field faces a bright future.
It is for this reason that this field is aid of, and at the same time promotes, the development of increasingly sensitive and stable instrumentation for both, ground-based telescopes and space missions. Our group is particularly prepared for these two fronts. On the one hand, during the last years we have developed observational and reduction techniques of exoplanet transits data for the ORM telescopes, ours being one of the most productive groups in the exploitation of GTC. On the other hand, all ESA space missions (present and future) related to exoplanets have one or more components of the project as CoIs. Within the frame of this project, we intend that IAC researchers maintain an advantageous position regarding the operation of OSIRIS and CanariCam, first light
GTC's instruments, and participate in the construction, commissioning and operation of new instruments such as the high resolution optical spectrograph HORUS at GTC. The exploitation of the photometry and spectroscopy of transits with LIRIS at WHT is also one of our principal interests, especially in preparation for the installation in 2015 of EMIR on the GTC .
To summarize, the project "Exoplanets and Astrobiology" will focus on these four action lines:
1) The characterization of atmospheric and physical properties of exoplanets (GTC, WHT, ARIEL, HARPSN, CARMENES, ESPRESSO, etc. ..)
2) The search and confirmation of exoplanets by transits techniques (CoRoT, Kepler, K2, CHEOPS, XO, LCOGT, W FC, DISH, etc. ..)
3) The search and confirmation of exoplanet by radial velocity techniques (HARPSN, HORUS, LCOGT, SONG, CARMENES)
4) Astrobiology
Members
Principal investigator
Enric
Pallé Bago
Project staff
Hans Jörg
Deeg Deeg
Nicolas Cédric
Lodieu
Javier Andrés
Licandro Goldaracena
Víctor Javier
Sánchez Bejar
Juan Antonio
Belmonte Avilés
Roi
Alonso Sobrino
Grzegorz
Nowak
Patricia
Chinchilla Gallego
A. L. Cabrera Lavers
Felipe Andrés
Murgas Alcaino
Hannu
Parviainen
Collaborators
Dr.
Paulo Miles Paez
Dr.
Maria Rosa Zapatero Osorio
Dr.
M. Mas Hesse
Dr.
M. Deleuil
Dr.
D. Gandolfi
Dr.
M. Fridlund
Dr.
L. Doyle
Dr.
H. Rauer
Dr.
J. Cabrera
Dr.
Sz. Csizmadia
Dr.
D. Pollacco
Dr.
A. Hatzes
Dr.
T. Mazeh
Dr.
T. Boyajian
Dr.
B. Tingley
Dr.
D. Martin
Dr.
A Triaud
Dr.
D. Fabrycky
Antonio Cabrera Lavers
Results
- Detection of He in the atmosphere of an exoplanet from the ground, published in Science
- Detection of a super-earth around Barnard star, published in Nature
- Detection of the first TESS planets, with several papers of high relevance
- Discovery of Na and Halpha features in the spectrum of KELT-20b with TNG
- Publication of the Handbook of Exoplanets, the most extensive work of reference in the field of exoplanets. The Handbook was edited by members of our group, and includes contributions by about 300 experts worldwide, including 12 members of IAC.
Scientific activity
Related publications
-
Hot planets around cool stars - two short-period mini-Neptunes transiting the late K-dwarf TOI-1260We present the discovery and characterization of two sub-Neptunes in close orbits, as well as a tentative outer planet of a similar size, orbiting TOI-1260 - a low metallicity K6 V dwarf star. Photometry from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS) yields radii of R b = 2.33 ± 0.10 and R c = 2.82 ± 0.15 R ⊕, and periods of 3.13 and 7.49 d forGeorgieva, I. Y. et al.
Advertised on:
82021 -
Processing GOTO survey data with the Rubin Observatory LSST Science Pipelines II: Forced Photometry and lightcurvesWe have adapted the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Science Pipelines to process data from the Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) prototype. In this paper, we describe how we used the LSST Science Pipelines to conduct forced photometry measurements on nightly GOTO data. By comparing the photometryMakrygianni, L. et al.
Advertised on:
62021 -
An ultra-short-period transiting super-Earth orbiting the M3 dwarf TOI-1685Dynamical histories of planetary systems, as well as the atmospheric evolution of highly irradiated planets, can be studied by characterizing the ultra-short-period planet population, which the TESS mission is particularly well suited to discover. Here, we report on the follow-up of a transit signal detected in the TESS sector 19 photometric timeBluhm, P. et al.
Advertised on:
62021 -
The TESS Objects of Interest Catalog from the TESS Prime MissionWe present 2241 exoplanet candidates identified with data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) during its 2 yr Prime Mission. We list these candidates in the TESS Objects of Interest (TOI) Catalog, which includes both new planet candidates found by TESS and previously known planets recovered by TESS observations. We describe theGuerrero, Natalia M. et al.
Advertised on:
62021 -
ESPRESSO mass determination of TOI-263b: an extreme inhabitant of the brown dwarf desertThe TESS mission has reported a wealth of new planetary systems around bright and nearby stars amenable for detailed characterizations of planet properties and atmospheres. However, not all interesting TESS planets orbit around bright host stars. TOI-263 b is a validated ultra-short-period substellar object in a 0.56-day orbit around a faint (V =Palle, E. et al.
Advertised on:
62021 -
Mass and density of the transiting hot and rocky super-Earth LHS 1478 b (TOI-1640 b)One of the main objectives of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission is the discovery of small rocky planets around relatively bright nearby stars. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of the transiting super-Earth planet orbiting LHS 1478 (TOI-1640). The star is an inactive red dwarf (J ~ 9.6 mag and spectral typeSoto, M. G. et al.
Advertised on:
52021 -
ARES. V. No Evidence For Molecular Absorption in the HST WFC3 Spectrum of GJ 1132 bWe present a study on the spatially scanned spectroscopic observations of the transit of GJ 1132 b, a warm (∼500 K) super-Earth (1.13 R ⊕) that was obtained with the G141 grism (1.125-1.650 μm) of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on board the Hubble Space Telescope. We used the publicly available Iraclis pipeline to extract the planetary transmissionMugnai, Lorenzo V. et al.
Advertised on:
62021 -
Stellar clustering and orbital architecture of planetary systemsContext. Revealing the mechanisms shaping the architecture of planetary systems is crucial for our understanding of their formation and evolution. In this context, it has been recently proposed that stellar clustering might be the key in shaping the orbital architecture of exoplanets. Aims: The main goal of this work is to explore the factors thatAdibekyan, V. et al.
Advertised on:
52021 -
Weighing stars from birth to death: mass determination methods across the HRDThe mass of a star is the most fundamental parameter for its structure, evolution, and final fate. It is particularly important for any kind of stellar archaeology and characterization of exoplanets. There exist a variety of methods in astronomy to estimate or determine it. In this review we present a significant number of such methods, beginningSerenelli, Aldo et al.
Advertised on:
122021 -
Evidence for TiO in the Atmosphere of the Hot Jupiter HAT-P-65 bWe present the low-resolution transmission spectra of the puffy hot Jupiter HAT-P-65b (0.53 M Jup, 1.89 R Jup, T eq = 1930 K), based on two transits observed using the OSIRIS spectrograph on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio CANARIAS. The transmission spectra of the two nights are consistent, covering the wavelength range 517-938 nm and consisting ofChen, Guo et al.
Advertised on:
52021 -
A transmission spectrum of the planet candidate WD 1856+534 b and a lower limit to its massThe cool white dwarf WD 1856+534 was found to be transited by a Jupiter-sized object with a mass at or below 14 M Jup. We used the GTC telescope to obtain and analyse the photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy of six transits of WD 1856+534 b, with the intention of deriving the slope of the transmission spectrum. Such a slope, assuming a cloudAlonso, R. et al.
Advertised on:
52021 -
The CARMENES search for exoplanets around M dwarfs. No evidence for a super-Earth in a 2-day orbit around GJ 1151Context. The interaction between Earth-like exoplanets and the magnetic field of low-mass host stars are considered to produce weak emission signals at radio frequencies. A study using LOFAR data announced the detection of radio emission from the mid M-type dwarf GJ 1151 that could potentially arise from a close-in terrestrial planet. Recently, theRibas, I. et al.
Advertised on:
52021 -
A transit timing variation observed for the long-period extremely low-density exoplanet HIP 41378 fHIP 41378 f is a temperate 9.2 ± 0.1 R ⊕ planet with period of 542.08 d and an extremely low density of 0.09 ± 0.02 g cm -3. It transits the bright star HIP 41378 (V = 8.93), making it an exciting target for atmospheric characterization including transmission spectroscopy. HIP 41378 was monitored photometrically between the dates of 2019 NovemberBryant, Edward M. et al.
Advertised on:
62021 -
Six transiting planets and a chain of Laplace resonances in TOI-178Determining the architecture of multi-planetary systems is one of the cornerstones of understanding planet formation and evolution. Resonant systems are especially important as the fragility of their orbital configuration ensures that no significant scattering or collisional event has taken place since the earliest formation phase when the parentLeleu, A. et al.
Advertised on:
52021 -
Evidence of energy-, recombination-, and photon-limited escape regimes in giant planet H/He atmospheresHydrodynamic escape is the most efficient atmospheric mechanism of planetary mass loss and has a large impact on planetary evolution. Three hydrodynamic escape regimes have been identified theoretically: energy-limited, recombination-limited, and photon-limited. However, no evidence of these regimes had been reported until now. Here, we reportLampón, M. et al.
Advertised on:
42021 -
Transient-optimized real-bogus classification with Bayesian convolutional neural networks - sifting the GOTO candidate streamLarge-scale sky surveys have played a transformative role in our understanding of astrophysical transients, only made possible by increasingly powerful machine learning-based filtering to accurately sift through the vast quantities of incoming data generated. In this paper, we present a new real-bogus classifier based on a Bayesian convolutionalKillestein, T. L. et al.
Advertised on:
52021 -
A sub-Neptune and a non-transiting Neptune-mass companion unveiled by ESPRESSO around the bright late-F dwarf HD 5278 (TOI-130)Context. Transiting sub-Neptune-type planets, with radii approximately between 2 and 4 R ⊕, are of particular interest as their study allows us to gain insight into the formation and evolution of a class of planets that are not found in our Solar System. Aims: We exploit the extreme radial velocity (RV) precision of the ultra-stable echelleSozzetti, A. et al.
Advertised on:
42021 -
Exploring the planetary-mass population in the Upper Scorpius associationWe aim at identifying very low-mass isolated planetary-mass member candidates in the nearest OB association to the Sun, Upper Scorpius (USco) (145 pc; 5-10 Myr), to constrain the form and shape of the luminosity function and mass spectrum in this regime. We conducted a deep multiband (Y = 21.2, J = 20.5, Z = 22.0 mag) photometric survey of 6 deg 2Lodieu, N. et al.
Advertised on:
52021 -
TESS Delivers Five New Hot Giant Planets Orbiting Bright Stars from the Full-frame ImagesWe present the discovery and characterization of five hot and warm Jupiters—TOI-628 b (TIC 281408474; HD 288842), TOI-640 b (TIC 147977348), TOI-1333 b (TIC 395171208, BD+47 3521A), TOI-1478 b (TIC 409794137), and TOI-1601 b (TIC 139375960)—based on data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). The five planets were identified fromRodriguez, Joseph E. et al.
Advertised on:
42021 -
Modelling the He I triplet absorption at 10 830 Å in the atmospheres of HD 189733 b and GJ 3470 bCharacterising the atmospheres of exoplanets is key to understanding their nature and provides hints about their formation and evolution. High resolution measurements of the helium triplet absorption of highly irradiated planets have been recently reported, which provide a new means of studying their atmospheric escape. In this work we study theLampón, M. et al.
Advertised on:
32021
