Signatures of rocky planet engulfment in HAT-P-4. Implications for chemical tagging studies

Aims. To explore the possible chemical signature of planet formation in the binary system HAT-P-4, by studying abundance vs condensation temperature Tc trends. The star HAT-P-4 hosts a planet detected by transits while its stellar companion does not have any detected planet. We also study the Lithium content, which could shed light on the problem of Li depletion in exoplanet host stars. Conclusions. The exoplanet host star HAT-P-4 is found to be ~0.1 dex more metal rich than its companion, which is one of the highest differences in metallicity observed in similar systems. This could have important implications for chemical tagging studies, disentangling groups of stars with a common origin. We rule out a possible peculiar composition for each star as lambda Boo, delta Scuti or a Blue Straggler. The star HAT-P-4 is enhanced in refractory elements relative to volatile when compared to its stellar companion. Notably, the Lithium abundance in HAT-P-4 is greater than in its companion by ~0.3 dex, which is contrary to the model that explains the Lithium depletion by the presence of planets. We propose a scenario where, at the time of planet formation, the star HAT-P-4 locked the inner refractory material in planetesimals and rocky planets, and formed the outer gas giant planet at a greater distance. The refractories were then accreted onto the star, possibly due to the migration of the giant planet. This explains the higher metallicity, the higher Lithium content, and the negative Tc trend detected. A similar scenario was recently proposed for the solar twin star HIP 68468, which is in some aspects similar to HAT-P-4. We estimate a mass of at least Mrock ~ 10 Mearth locked in refractory material in order to reproduce the observed Tc trends and metallicity.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, A&A Letters accepte

Measuring the continuum polarization with ESPaDOnS

Our goal is to test the feasibility to obtain accurate measurements of the continuum polarization from high-resolution spectra using the spectropolarimetric mode of ESPaDOnS. We used the new pipeline OPERA to reduce recent and archived ESPaDOnS data. A couple of standard polarization stars and several science objects were tested for the linear mode. In addition, the circular mode was tested using several objects from the archive with expected null polarization. Synthetic broad-band polarization was computed from the ESPaDOnS continuum polarization spectra and compared with published values (when available) to quantify the accuracy of the instrument. The continuum linear polarization measured by ESPaDOnS is consistent with broad-band polarimetry measurements available in the literature. The accuracy in the degree of linear polarization is around 0.2-0.3% considering the full sample. The accuracy in polarization position angle using the most polarized objects is better than 5deg. Consistent with this, the instrumental polarization computed for the circular continuum polarization is also between 0.2-0.3%. Our results suggest that measurements of the continuum polarization using ESPaDOnS are viable and can be used to study many astrophysical objects.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, accepted to Astronomy and Astrophysic

Kepler Observations of Very Low-Mass Stars

Observations of very low-mass stars with Kepler represent an excellent opportunity to search for planetary transits and to characterize optical photometric variability at the cool end of the stellar mass distribution. In this paper, we present low-resolution red optical spectra that allow us to identify 18 very low-mass stars that have Kepler light curves available in the public archive. Spectral types of these targets are found to lie in the range dM4.5--dM8.5, implying spectrophotometric distances from 17 pc to 80 pc. Limits to the presence of transiting planets are placed from modelling of the Kepler light curves. We find that the size of the planets detectable by Kepler around these small stars typically lie in the range 1 to 5 Earth radii within the habitable regions (P$\le$10 days). We identify one candidate transit with a period of 1.26 days that resembles the signal produced by a planet slightly smaller than the Moon. However, our pixel by pixel analysis of the Kepler data shows that the signal most likely arises from a background contaminating eclipsing binary. For 11 of these objects reliable photometric periods shorter than 7 days are derived, and are interpreted as rotational modulation of magnetic cool spots. For 3 objects we find possible photometric periods longer than 50 days that require confirmation. H$_\alpha$ emission measurements and flare rates are used as a proxies for chromospheric activity and transversal velocities are used as an indicator of dynamical ages. These data allow us to discuss the relationship between magnetic activity and detectability of planetary transits around very low-mass stars. We show that Super-Earth planets with sizes around 2 Earth radii are detectable with Kepler around about two thirds of the stars in our sample, independently from their level of chromospheric activity.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The Mass of HD 38529 c from Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry and High-Precision Radial Velocities

(Abridged) Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Fine Guidance Sensor astrometric observations of the G4 IV star HD 38529 are combined with the results of the analysis of extensive ground-based radial velocity data to determine the mass of the outermost of two previously known companions. Our new radial velocities obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope and velocities from the Carnegie-California group now span over eleven years. With these data we obtain improved RV orbital elements for both the inner companion, HD 38529 b and the outer companion, HD 38529 c. We identify a rotational period of HD 38529 (P_{rot}=31.65 +/- 0.17 d) with FGS photometry. We model the combined astrometric and RV measurements to obtain the parallax, proper motion, perturbation period, perturbation inclination, and perturbation size due to HD 38529 c. For HD 38529 c we find P = 2136.1 +/- 0.3 d, perturbation semi-major axis \alpha =1.05 +/-0.06$mas, and inclination$i$= 48.3 deg +/- 4 deg. Assuming a primary mass M_* = 1.48 M_{sun}, we obtain a companion mass M_c = 17.6 ^{+1.5}_{-1.2} M_{Jup}, 3-sigma above a 13 M_{Jup} deuterium burning, brown dwarf lower limit. Dynamical simulations incorporating this accurate mass for HD 38529 c indicate that a near-Saturn mass planet could exist between the two known companions. We find weak evidence of an additional low amplitude signal that can be modeled as a planetary-mass (~0.17 M$_{Jup}) companion at P~194 days. Additional observations (radial velocities and/or Gaia astrometry) are required to validate an interpretation of HD 38529 d as a planetary-mass companion. If confirmed, the resulting HD 38529 planetary system may be an example of a "Packed Planetary System".Comment: Accepted by The Astronomical Journa

Identification of strong photometric activity in the components of LHS 1070

Activity in low-mass stars is an important ingredient in the evolution of such objects. Fundamental physical properties such as age, rotation, magnetic field are correlated with activity. Aims: We show that two components of the low-mass triple system LHS 1070 exhibit strong flaring activity. We identify the flaring components and obtained an improved astrometric solution for the LHS 1070 A/(B+C) system. Methods: Time-series CCD observations were used to monitor LHS 1070 in the B and I_C bands. H-band data were used to obtain accurate astrometry for the LHS 1070 A/(B+C) system. Results: We have found that two components of the triple system LHS 1070 exhibit photometric activity. We identified that components A and B are the flaring objects. We estimate the total energy, ~2.0 x 10^{33} ergs, and the magnetic field strength, ~5.5 kG, of the flare observed in LHS 1070 B. This event is the largest amplitude, \Delta B > 8.2 mag, ever observed in a flare star.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&

The Mass of the Candidate Exoplanet Companion to HD136118 from Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry and High-Precision Radial Velocities

We use Hubble Space Telescope Fine Guidance Sensor astrometry and high-cadence radial velocities for HD136118 from the HET with archival data from Lick to determine the complete set of orbital parameters for HD136118b. We find an orbital inclination for the candidate exoplanet of i_{b} = 163.1 +- 3.0 deg. This establishes the actual mass of the object, M_{b} = 42^{+11}_{-18} MJup, in contrast to the minimum mass determined from the radial velocity data only, M_{b}sin{i} ~ 12 MJup. Therefore, the low-mass companion to HD 136118 is now identified as a likely brown dwarf residing in the "brown dwarf desert".Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, 10 tables. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

Espectroscopía Gemini-GRACES de estrellas evolucionadas con enanas marrones

A partir de espectros de alta resolución Gemini-GRACES, aquí se presentan parámetros fundamentales refinados y abundancias químicas detalladas de dos gigantes rojas que albergan enanas marrones, HD 54719 y HD 180314. Las abundancias químicas de ambas estrellas son consistentes con las de aquellas evolucionadas cercanas. HD 180314 presenta una abundancia relativamente alta de litio (A(Li)NLT E = 1.28 dex), que probablemente es remanente de su fase de secuencia principal. El análisis de las metalicidades de ambas estrellas indicaría, como tendencia inicial, que las gigantes con enanas marrones son pobres en metales.Based on high-resolution spectra from Gemini-GRACES, here we present refined fundamental parameters and detailed chemical abundances of two red giants hosting brown dwarfs, HD 54719 and HD 180314. The abundances of both stars are consistent with those of nearby evolved thin disk stars. HD 180314 presents a relatively high abundance of lithium (A(Li)NLT E = 1.28 dex), which is likely a remnant from the main-sequence phase. The metallicities of both stars show, as an initial trend, that giants with brown dwarfs are metal-poor.Fil: Zuloaga, Camila. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Jofré, Emiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Petrucci, Romina Paola. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Martioli, Eder. Laboratorio Nacional de Astrofisica; Brasi

Modeling Multi-Wavelength Stellar Astrometry. III. Determination of the Absolute Masses of Exoplanets and Their Host Stars

Astrometric measurements of stellar systems are becoming significantly more precise and common, with many ground and space-based instruments and missions approaching 1 microarcsecond precision. We examine the multi-wavelength astrometric orbits of exoplanetary systems via both analytical formulae and numerical modeling. Exoplanets have a combination of reflected and thermally emitted light that cause the photocenter of the system to shift increasingly farther away from the host star with increasing wavelength. We find that, if observed at long enough wavelengths, the planet can dominate the astrometric motion of the system, and thus it is possible to directly measure the orbits of both the planet and star, and thus directly determine the physical masses of the star and planet, using multi-wavelength astrometry. In general, this technique works best for, though is certainly not limited to, systems that have large, high-mass stars and large, low-mass planets, which is a unique parameter space not covered by other exoplanet characterization techniques. Exoplanets that happen to transit their host star present unique cases where the physical radii of the planet and star can be directly determined via astrometry alone. Planetary albedos and day-night contrast ratios may also be probed via this technique due to the unique signature they impart on the observed astrometric orbits. We develop a tool to examine the prospects for near-term detection of this effect, and give examples of some exoplanets that appear to be good targets for detection in the K to N infrared observing bands, if the required precision can be achieved.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal. 9 pages, 6 figures, 1 table in emulateapj forma