An Accurate Mass Determination for Kepler-1655b, a Moderately Irradiated World with a Significant Volatile Envelope

Journal
THE ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL
Date Issued
2018
Author(s)
Haywood, Raphaëlle D.
•
Vanderburg, Andrew
•
Mortier, Annelies
•
Giles, Helen A. C.
•
López-Morales, Mercedes
•
Lopez, Eric D.
•
•
Charbonneau, David
•
Collier Cameron, Andrew
•
Coughlin, Jeffrey L.
•
Dressing, Courtney D.
•
Nava, Chantanelle
•
Latham, David W.
•
Dumusque, Xavier
•
Lovis, Christophe
•
•
Pepe, Francesco
•
•
Udry, Stéphane
•
Bouchy, François
•
Johnson, John A.
•
Mayor, Michel
•
•
Phillips, David
•
Piotto, Giampaolo
•
Rice, Ken
•
Sasselov, Dimitar
•
Ségransan, Damien
•
Watson, Chris
•
•
•
Buchhave, Lars A.
•
Ciardi, David R.
•
Fiorenzano, Aldo F.
•
DOI
10.3847/1538-3881/aab8f3
Abstract
We present the confirmation of a small, moderately irradiated (F = 155 ± 7 F ⊕) Neptune with a substantial gas envelope in a P = 11.8728787 ± 0.0000085 day orbit about a quiet, Sun-like G0V star Kepler-1655. Based on our analysis of the Kepler light curve, we determined Kepler-1655b’s radius to be 2.213 ± 0.082 R ⊕. We acquired 95 high-resolution spectra with Telescopio Nazionale Galileo/HARPS-N, enabling us to characterize the host star and determine an accurate mass for Kepler-1655b of 5.0{+/- }2.83.1 {M}\oplus via Gaussian-process regression. Our mass determination excludes an Earth-like composition with 98% confidence. Kepler-1655b falls on the upper edge of the evaporation valley, in the relatively sparsely occupied transition region between rocky and gas-rich planets. It is therefore part of a population of planets that we should actively seek to characterize further.
Volume
155
Issue
5
Start page
203
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