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Transit timings variations in the three-planet system: TOI-270

Abstract:
We present ground- and space-based photometric observations of TOI-270 (L231-32), a system of three transiting planets consisting of one super-Earth and two sub-Neptunes discovered by TESS around a bright (K-mag = 8.25) M3V dwarf. The planets orbit near low-order mean-motion resonances (5:3 and 2:1) and are thus expected to exhibit large transit timing variations (TTVs). Following an extensive observing campaign using eight different observatories between 2018 and 2020, we now report a clear detection of TTVs for planets c and d, with amplitudes of ∼10 min and a super-period of ∼3 yr, as well as significantly refined estimates of the radii and mean orbital periods of all three planets. Dynamical modelling of the TTVs alone puts strong constraints on the mass ratio of planets c and d and on their eccentricities. When incorporating recently published constraints from radial velocity observations, we obtain masses of Mb=1.48± 0.18, M⊕, Mc=6.20± 0.31, M⊕, and Md=4.20± 0.16, M⊕ for planets b, c, and d, respectively. We also detect small but significant eccentricities for all three planets: eb = 0.0167 ± 0.0084, ec = 0.0044 ± 0.0006, and ed = 0.0066 ± 0.0020. Our findings imply an Earth-like rocky composition for the inner planet, and Earth-like cores with an additional He/H2O atmosphere for the outer two. TOI-270 is now one of the best constrained systems of small transiting planets, and it remains an excellent target for atmospheric characterization.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1093/mnras/stab3483

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Physics
Sub department:
Astrophysics
Oxford college:
All Souls College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0003-1453-0574


Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Journal:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society More from this journal
Volume:
510
Issue:
4
Pages:
5464-5485
Publication date:
2021-12-06
Acceptance date:
2021-11-23
DOI:
EISSN:
1365-2966
ISSN:
0035-8711


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1243511
Local pid:
pubs:1243511
Deposit date:
2023-08-15

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