A giant impact as the likely origin of different twins in the Kepler-107 exoplanet system

Measures of exoplanet bulk densities indicate that small exoplanets with radius less than 3 Earth radii ($R_\oplus$) range from low-density sub-Neptunes containing volatile elements to higher density rocky planets with Earth-like or iron-rich (Mercury-like) compositions. Such astonishing diversity in observed small exoplanet compositions may be the product of different initial conditions of the planet-formation process and/or different evolutionary paths that altered the planetary properties after formation. Planet evolution may be especially affected by either photoevaporative mass loss induced by high stellar X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) flux or giant impacts. Although there is some evidence for the former, there are no unambiguous findings so far about the occurrence of giant impacts in an exoplanet system. Here, we characterize the two innermost planets of the compact and near-resonant system Kepler-107. We show that they have nearly identical radii (about $1.5-1.6~R_\oplus$), but the outer planet Kepler-107c is more than twice as dense (about $12.6~\rm g\,cm^{-3}$) as the innermost Kepler-107b (about $5.3~\rm g\,cm^{-3}$). In consequence, Kepler-107c must have a larger iron core fraction than Kepler-107b. This imbalance cannot be explained by the stellar XUV irradiation, which would conversely make the more-irradiated and less-massive planet Kepler-107b denser than Kepler-107c. Instead, the dissimilar densities are consistent with a giant impact event on Kepler-107c that would have stripped off part of its silicate mantle. This hypothesis is supported by theoretical predictions from collisional mantle stripping, which match the mass and radius of Kepler-107c.Comment: Published in Nature Astronomy on 4 February 2019, 35 pages including Supplementary Information materia

Evolution of interacting low-mass stars : multitechnical observations and modeling of multiple systems

Cette thèse est consacrée à l'étude des étoiles de faible masse ayant dans leur environnement proche d'autres étoiles ou des planètes. Nous nous sommes concentrés sur l'influence des interactions avec ces compagnons sur l'évolution stellaire ainsi que leurs conséquences observables.Dans la première partie, nous présentons le modèle d'évolution des systèmes étoile–planète que nous avons développé au cours de cette thèse, nommé ESPEM (Évolution des Systèmes Planétaires Et Magnétisme). Ce modèle prend en compte de façon ab-initio des effets du vent stellaire magnétisé et de la dissipation de marée sur la rotation stellaire et l'orbite planétaire, simultanément avec l'évolution structurelle de l'étoile. Premièrement, nous l'utilisons pour étudier l'évolution séculaire de la rotation des étoiles hôtes de systèmes planétaires et montrons notamment que cette évolution peut être significativement différente de celle des étoiles isolées. Ensuite, nous examinons les prédictions de ce modèle concernant l'architecture orbitale des systèmes étoile–planète. Nos résultats suggèrent une interprétation aux distributions de périodes orbitales et de de rotation stellaire observées.Dans la deuxième partie, nous montrons en quoi l'observation d'étoiles binaires évoluées permet de tester les théories astrophysiques, notamment l'astérosismologie et l'interaction de marée. Dans un premier temps, nous présentons les résultats d'un programme d'observations que nous avons mené pendant plus de deux ans et qui nous a permis de caractériser 16 systèmes binaires à éclipses. Ensuite, nous comparons ces résultats avec ceux que nous avons obtenus en analysant cet échantillon à l'aide d'outils astérosismiques dans le but de vérifier l'exactitude de ces derniers. Enfin, en élargissant l'échantillon étudié à 30 autres étoiles binaires évoluées, nous testons la théorie de l'évolution de marée. Ceci nous permet à la fois de valider la théorie et de comprendre l'évolution des systèmes observés dans ce travail.Ce travail met en avant deux aspects de la spécificité des systèmes multiples. Premièrement, il montre en quoi l'évolution des étoiles est impactée par la présence d'un compagnon stellaire ou planétaire. Deuxièmement, il met en avant l'intérêt des étoiles binaires pour tester les théories astrophysiques et renforce la compréhension actuelle de l'évolution stellaire.This thesis is devoted to the study of low-mass stars having other stars or planets in their immediate environment. We focused on the influence of interactions with these companions on stellar evolution and their observable consequences.In the first part, we present the model of evolution of star–planet systems that we developed during this thesis, called ESPEM (French acronym for Evolution of Planetary Systems and Magnetism). This model incorporates ab-initio prescriptions to quantify the effects of magnetized stellar wind and tidal dissipation on stellar rotation and planetary orbit, simultaneously with the star's structural evolution. First, we use it to study the secular evolution of the rotation of planet-host stars and show that this evolution can be significantly different from that of isolated stars. Next, we examine the predictions of this model regarding the orbital architecture of star–planet systems. Our results suggest an interpretation to the observed distributions of orbital and stellar rotation periods.In the second part of the manuscript, we show how the observation of advanced binary stars allows us to test astrophysical theories, in particular asteroseismology and tidal interaction. First, we present the results of an observation program that we conducted for more than two years and that allowed us to characterize 16 eclipsing binary systems. Then, we compare these results with those obtained by analyzing this sample using asteroseismic tools to verify the accuracy of the latter. Finally, by extending the studied sample to 30 other advanced binary stars including an evolved primary, we test the theory of tidal evolution. This allows us both to validate the theory and to understand the evolution of the systems observed in this work.This work highlights two aspects of the specificity of multiple systems. First, it shows how the evolution of stars is affected by the presence of a stellar or planetary companion. Second, it emphasizes the interest of binary stars in testing astrophysical theories and reinforces the current understanding of stellar evolution

Active red giants: Close binaries versus single rapid rotators

International audienceOscillating red-giant stars have provided a wealth of asteroseismic information regarding their interiors and evolutionary states, which enables detailed studies of the Milky Way. The objective of this work is to determine what fraction of red-giant stars shows photometric rotational modulation, and understand its origin. One of the underlying questions is the role of close binarity in this population, which relies on the fact that red giants in short-period binary systems (less than 150 days or so) have been observed to display strong rotational modulation. We selected a sample of about 4500 relatively bright red giants observed by Kepler , and show that about 370 of them (∼8%) display rotational modulation. Almost all have oscillation amplitudes below the median of the sample, while 30 of them are not oscillating at all. Of the 85 of these red giants with rotational modulation chosen for follow-up radial-velocity observation and analysis, 34 show clear evidence of spectroscopic binarity. Surprisingly, 26 of the 30 nonoscillators are in this group of binaries. On the contrary, about 85% of the active red giants with detectable oscillations are not part of close binaries. With the help of the stellar masses and evolutionary states computed from the oscillation properties, we shed light on the origin of their activity. It appears that low-mass red-giant branch stars tend to be magnetically inactive, while intermediate-mass ones tend to be highly active. The opposite trends are true for helium-core burning (red clump) stars, whereby the lower-mass clump stars are comparatively more active and the higher-mass ones are less active. In other words, we find that low-mass red-giant branch stars gain angular momentum as they evolve to clump stars, while higher-mass ones lose angular momentum. The trend observed with low-mass stars leads to possible scenarios of planet engulfment or other merging events during the shell-burning phase. Regarding intermediate-mass stars, the rotation periods that we measured are long with respect to theoretical expectations reported in the literature, which reinforces the existence of an unidentified sink of angular momentum after the main sequence. This article establishes strong links between rotational modulation, tidal interactions, (surface) magnetic fields, and oscillation suppression. There is a wealth of physics to be studied in these targets that is not available in the Sun

KIC 7955301: A hierarchical triple system with eclipse timing variations and an oscillating red giant

KIC 7955301 is a hierarchical triple system with clear eclipse timing and depth variations that was discovered by the Kepler satellite during its original mission. It is composed of a non-eclipsing primary star at the bottom of the red giant branch (RGB) on a 209-day orbit with a K/G-type main-sequence (MS) inner eclipsing binary (EB), orbiting in 15.3 days. This system was noted for the large amplitude of its eclipse timing variations (ETVs, over 4 h), and the detection of clear solar-like oscillations of the red-giant (RG) component, including p-modes of degree up to l = 3 and mixed l = 1 modes. The system is a single-lined spectroscopic triple, meaning that only spectral lines from the RG are detected. We performed a dynamical model by combining the 4-year-long Kepler photometric data, ETVs, and radial-velocity data obtained with the high-resolution spectrometers ARCES, of the 3.5 m ARC telescope at Apache Point observatory, and SOPHIE, of the 1.93 m telescope at Haute-Provence Observatory. The “dynamical” mass of the RG component was determined with a 2% precision at $1.30^{+0.03}_{-0.02}\,M_\odot$. We performed asteroseismic modeling based on the global seismic parameters and on the individual frequencies. Both methods provide an estimate of the mass of the RG that matches the dynamical mass within the uncertainties. Asteroseismology also revealed the rotation rate of the core (≈15 days), the envelope (∼150 days), and the inclination (∼75°) of the RG. Three different approaches led to an estimation of the age between 3.3 and 5.8 Gyr, which highlights the difficulty of determining stellar ages despite the exceptional wealth of information available for this system. On short timescales, the inner binary exhibits eclipses with varying depths during a 7.3-year long interval, and no eclipses during the consecutive 11.9 years. This is why Kepler could detect its eclipses but TESS cannot, and the future ESA PLATO mission should detect these. In the long term, the system appears to be stable and owes its evolution to the evolution of its individual components. This triple system could end its current smooth evolution by merging by the end of the RGB of the primary star because the periastron distance is ≈142 R⊙, which is close to the expected radius of the RG at the tip of the RGB

A giant impact as the likely origin of different twins in the Kepler-107 exoplanet system

Measures of exoplanet bulk densities indicate that small exoplanets with radius less than 3 Earth radii (R⊕) range from low-density sub-Neptunes containing volatile elements1 to higher-density rocky planets with Earth-like2 or iron-rich3 (Mercury-like) compositions. Such astonishing diversity in observed small exoplanet compositions may be the product ofdifferent initial conditions of the planet-formation process or different evolutionary paths that altered the planetary properties after formation4. Planet evolution may be especially affected by either photoevaporative mass loss induced by high stellar X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) flux5 or giant impacts6. Although there is some evidence for the former7,8, there are no unambiguous findings so far about the occurrence of giant impacts in an exoplanet system. Here, we characterize the two innermost planets ofthe compact and near-resonant system Kepler-107 (ref. 9). We show that they have nearly identical radii (about 1.5-1.6R⊕), but the outer planet Kepler-107 c is more than twice as dense (about 12.6 g cm-3) as the innermost Kepler-107 b (about 5.3 g cm-3). In consequence, Kepler-107 c must have a larger iron core fraction than Kepler-107 b. This imbalance cannot be explained by the stellar XUV irradiation, which would conversely make the more-irradiated and less-massive planet Kepler-107 b denser than Kepler-107 c. Instead, the dissimilar densities are consistent with a giant impact event on Kepler-107 c that would have stripped off part of its silicate mantle. This hypothesis is supported by theoretical predictions from collisional mantle stripping10, which match the mass and radius of Kepler-107 c