Two mini-Neptunes transiting the adolescent K-star HIP 113103 confirmed with TESS and CHEOPS

Lowson, N.; Zhou, G.; Huang, C. X.; Wright, D. J.; Edwards, B.; Nabbie, E.; Venner, A.; Quinn, S. N.; Collins, K. A.; Gillen, E.; Battley, M.; Triaud, A.; Hellier, C.; Seager, S.; Winn, J. N.; Jenkins, J. M.; Wohler, B.; Shporer, A.; Schwarz, R. P.; Murgas, F.; Pallé, E.; Anderson, D. R.; West, R. G.; Wittenmyer, R. A.; Bowler, B. P.; Horner, J.; Kane, S. R.; Kielkopf, J.; Plavchan, P.; Zhang, H.; Fairnington, T.; Okumura, J.; Mengel, M. W.; Addison, B. C.
Bibliographical reference

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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2024
Number of authors
34
IAC number of authors
2
Citations
2
Refereed citations
2
Description
We report the discovery of two mini-Neptunes in near 2:1 resonance orbits (P = 7.610303 d for HIP 113103 b and P = 14.245651 d for HIP 113103 c) around the adolescent K-star HIP 113103 (TIC 121490076). The planet system was first identified from the TESS mission, and was confirmed via additional photometric and spectroscopic observations, including a ~17.5 h observation for the transits of both planets using ESA CHEOPS. We place ≤4.5 min and ≤2.5 min limits on the absence of transit timing variations over the 3 yr photometric baseline, allowing further constraints on the orbital eccentricities of the system beyond that available from the photometric transit duration alone. With a planetary radius of Rp = $1.829_{-0.067}^{+0.096}$ R⊕, HIP 113103 b resides within the radius gap, and this might provide invaluable information on the formation disparities between super-Earths and mini-Neptunes. Given the larger radius Rp = $2.40_{-0.08}^{+0.10}$ R⊕ for HIP 113103 c, and close proximity of both planets to HIP 113103, it is likely that HIP 113103 b might have lost (or is still losing) its primordial atmosphere. We therefore present simulated atmospheric transmission spectra of both planets using JWST, HST, and Twinkle. It demonstrates a potential metallicity difference (due to differences in their evolution) would be a challenge to detect if the atmospheres are in chemical equilibrium. As one of the brightest multi sub-Neptune planet systems suitable for atmosphere follow up, HIP 113103 b and HIP 113103 c could provide insight on planetary evolution for the sub-Neptune K-star population.
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