Radial velocity detection of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system with SPIRou and NIRPS
Authors:
- Alexandrine L’HEureuxALAlexandrine L’HEureux
- Charles CadieuxCCCharles Cadieux
- Pascal PetitPPPascal Petit
- Olivia LimOLOlivia Lim
- Étienne ArtigauÉAÉtienne Artigau
- Neil J. CookNCNeil J. Cook
- Eric AgolEAEric Agol
- Xavier BonfilsXBXavier Bonfils
- Julien MorinJMJulien Morin
- Stefano BellottiSBStefano Bellotti
- Claire MoutouCMClaire Moutou
Open Access
- 23 October 2026
- journal article
- Published by EDP Sciences in Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Vol. 714, A359
Abstract
The TRAPPIST-1 system is well known for its seven transiting Earth-sized exoplanets. It has been extensively studied and characterized, notably with transit timing variations (TTVs), to precisely measure the mass of the planets. Using near-infrared spectroscopic observations obtained as part of the SPIRou Legacy Survey and the NIRPS Guaranteed Time Observation programs, we aimed to verify those values through radial velocity (RV) measurements of the system. Our RV analysis reveals that the current data do not have the precision required to individually detect the TRAPPIST-1 planets. However, we confidently detect (Δ ln 𝒵 = 7.53, 1860:1 odds) the combined RV signature of the planets by using the relative masses derived from the TTV analysis, with TRAPPIST-1 b as a proxy for the whole system. For the first time, the RV signal of the TRAPPIST-1 system is recovered: we find a RV semi-amplitude of K b = 3.65 −0.83 +0.78 m s −1 . This corresponds to a planetary mass of M p , b = 1.31 ± 0.29 M ⊕ and demonstrates that the RV measurements are consistent with the TTV model ( M p , b; TTV = 1.374 ± 0.069 M ⊕ ). Additionally, the NIRPS RVs constrain the presence of giant planets beyond the snow line, excluding Saturn-mass planets out to 2.7-yr orbits and Neptune-mass objects out to 20 d. Through RV, we determined the stellar activity period to be of 3.22 −0.20 +0.22 d. Its agreement with photometric measurements (K2 and TESS) confirms stellar rotation as the origin of the ~3.3-d periodicity observed for TRAPPIST-1. We further investigated stellar activity with SPIRou polarimetric measurements, and placed an upper limit on the longitudinal field (| B l | < 40 G, 3 σ ). This limit is compatible with a weak multipolar large-scale magnetic geometry, as observed in some of the later-type rapidly rotating M dwarfs.Keywords
All Related Versions
This publication has 132 references indexed in Scilit:
- An upper limit on late accretion and water delivery in the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanet systemNature Astronomy, 2021
- Dynamic nested sampling: an improved algorithm for parameter estimation and evidence calculationStatistics and Computing, 2018
- Transit-Timing and Duration Variations for the Discovery and Characterization of Exoplanets2018
- The Exoplanet Handbook2018
- Inward migration of the TRAPPIST-1 planets as inferred from their water-rich compositionsNature Astronomy, 2018
- A seven-planet resonant chain in TRAPPIST-1Nature Astronomy, 2017
- Seven temperate terrestrial planets around the nearby ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1Nature, 2017
- Temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultracool dwarf starNature, 2016
- Three body resonances in close orbiting planetary systems: tidal dissipation and orbital evolutionInternational Journal of Astrobiology, 2014
- Least-squares frequency analysis of unequally spaced dataAstrophysics and Space Science, 1976