A hot sub-Neptune in the desert and a temperate super-Earth around faint M dwarfs

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Abstract
Aims. We report the discovery and validation of two TESS exoplanets orbiting faint M dwarfs: TOI-4479b and TOI-2081b. Methods. We jointly analyzed space (TESS mission) and ground-based (MuSCAT2, MuSCAT3 and SINISTRO instruments) light curves using our multicolor photometry transit analysis pipeline. This allowed us to compute contamination limits for both candidates and validate them as planet-sized companions. Results. We found TOI-4479b to be a sub-Neptune-sized planet (Rp = 2.82−0.63+0.65 R⊕) and TOI-2081b to be a super-Earth-sized planet (Rp = 2.04−0.54+0.50 R⊕). Furthermore, we obtained that TOI-4479b, with a short orbital period of 1.15890−0.00001+0.00002 days, lies within the Neptune desert and is in fact the largest nearly ultra-short period planet around an M dwarf known to date. Conclusions. These results make TOI-4479b rare among the currently known exoplanet population of M dwarf stars and an especially interesting target for spectroscopic follow-up and future studies of planet formation and evolution.
Funding Information
  • NASA
  • Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
  • JSPS KAKENHI (JP18H05439)
  • JST PRESTO (JPMJPR1775)
  • NSF
  • not
  • IAA
  • University of Copenhagen
  • European Union (PRE2020-093107)
  • FSE (PRE2020-093107)
  • European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and in- novation programme (80NSSC20K0250)
  • NASA Exoplanets Re- search Program (DNR 2020- 00104)
  • Swedish National Space Agency (PID2019-109522GB-C52, PID2019-109522GB-C51, PRE2020-093107)
  • Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (SEV-2017-0709)
  • Centre of Excellence "Severo Ochoa" award to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (18H05442, 15H02063, 22000005, JP15H02063, JP17H04574, JP18H05439, P18H05442, JP20K14518, JP20K14521, JP21K13975, JP21K20376)
  • JSPS KAKENHI Grant (JP20J21872)
  • Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (JPMJCR1761)
  • JST CREST Grant (AB022006, AB031010, AB031014)

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