A Second Planet Transiting LTT 1445A and a Determination of the Masses of Both Worlds
Abstract
LTT 1445 is a hierarchical triple M-dwarf star system located at a distance of 6.86 pc. The primary star LTT 1445A (0.257 M ⊙) is known to host the transiting planet LTT 1445Ab with an orbital period of 5.36 days, making it the second-closest known transiting exoplanet system, and the closest one for which the host is an M dwarf. Using Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite data, we present the discovery of a second planet in the LTT 1445 system, with an orbital period of 3.12 days. We combine radial-velocity measurements obtained from the five spectrographs, Echelle Spectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations, High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher, High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer, MAROON-X, and Planet Finder Spectrograph to establish that the new world also orbits LTT 1445A. We determine the mass and radius of LTT 1445Ab to be 2.87 ± 0.25 M ⊕ and ${1.304}_{-0.060}^{+0.067}$ R ⊕, consistent with an Earth-like composition. For the newly discovered LTT 1445Ac, we measure a mass of ${1.54}_{-0.19}^{+0.20}$ M ⊕ and a minimum radius of 1.15 R ⊕, but we cannot determine the radius directly as the signal-to-noise ratio of our light curve permits both grazing and nongrazing configurations. Using MEarth photometry and ground-based spectroscopy, we establish that star C (0.161 M ⊙) is likely the source of the 1.4 day rotation period, and star B (0.215 M ⊙) has a likely rotation period of 6.7 days. We estimate a probable rotation period of 85 days for LTT 1445A. Thus, this triple M-dwarf system appears to be in a special evolutionary stage where the most massive M dwarf has spun down, the intermediate mass M dwarf is in the process of spinning down, while the least massive stellar component has not yet begun to spin down.
- Publication:
-
The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- April 2022
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2107.14737
- Bibcode:
- 2022AJ....163..168W
- Keywords:
-
- Exoplanets;
- Solar neighborhood;
- Multiple stars;
- M dwarf stars;
- 498;
- 1509;
- 1081;
- 982;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted to the Astronomical Journal. 4 tables, 10 figures