Eleven New Transiting Brown Dwarfs and Very-low-mass Stars from TESS

Abstract We present the discovery of 11 new transiting brown dwarfs (BDs) and low-mass M dwarfs from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission: TOI-2844, TOI-3122, TOI-3577, TOI-3755, TOI-4462, TOI-4635, TOI-4737, TOI-4759, TOI-5240, TOI-5467, and TOI-5882. They consist of five BD companions and six very-low-mass stellar companions ranging in mass from 25 M J to 128 M J . We used a combination of photometric time-series, spectroscopic, and high-resolution imaging follow-up as a part of the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (or TFOP) to characterize each system. With over 50 transiting BDs confirmed, we now have a large enough sample to directly test different formation and evolutionary scenarios. We provide a renewed perspective on the transiting “brown dwarf desert” and its role in differentiating between planetary and stellar formation mechanisms. Our analysis of the eccentricity distribution for the transiting BD sample does not support previous claims of a transition between planetary and stellar formation at ∼42 M J . We also contribute a first look into the metallicity distribution of transiting companions in the range 7–150 M J , showing that this does not support a ∼42 M J transition too. Finally, we also detect a significant lithium absorption feature in one of the BD hosts (TOI-5882). However, we determine that the host star is likely old based on rotation, kinematic, and photometric mdeasurements. We therefore claim that TOI-5882 may be a candidate for planetary engulfment.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astronomical Journal
Published
2025-07-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/addd17
Citations
7
Primary Topic
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
8.08

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article

Eleven New Transiting Brown Dwarfs and Very-low-mass Stars from TESS

Éric Girardin, Samuel N. Quinn, Marziye Jafariyazani, G. Hébrard et al.
7 citations
The Astronomical Journal
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
8.08
article

Eleven New Transiting Brown Dwarfs and Very-low-mass Stars from TESS

Éric Girardin, Samuel N. Quinn, Marziye Jafariyazani, G. Hébrard, N. Heidari, Jon M. Jenkins, Andrew W. Mann, Ivan A. Strakhov, F. Murgas, Akihiko Fukui, Ε. Πάλλη, Cristilyn N. Watkins, Isabelle Boisse, David W. Latham, Howard M. Relles, Ruley He, Jonathan Swift, Karen A. Collins, Jack Schulte, M. Calkins, Sara Seager, T. Forveille, Luca Naponiello, Richard P. Schwarz, J. Southworth, K. Horne, Khalid Barkaoui, Jerome de Leon, Melinda Soares-Furtado, Gilbert A. Esquerdo, Catherine A. Clark, Kevin I. Collins, Carl Ziegler, Avi Shporer, Noah Vowell, Jason D. Eastman, David R. Ciardi, Don J. Radford, Norio Narita, Joseph E. Rodriguez, S. B. Fajardo‐Acosta, Luigi Mancini, Allyson Bieryla, Elisabeth Heldridge, César Briceño, Joshua N. Winn, Gregor Srdoč, Brooke Kotten
article en
7 citations

Abstract

Abstract We present the discovery of 11 new transiting brown dwarfs (BDs) and low-mass M dwarfs from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission: TOI-2844, TOI-3122, TOI-3577, TOI-3755, TOI-4462, TOI-4635, TOI-4737, TOI-4759, TOI-5240, TOI-5467, and TOI-5882. They consist of five BD companions and six very-low-mass stellar companions ranging in mass from 25 M J to 128 M J . We used a combination of photometric time-series, spectroscopic, and high-resolution imaging follow-up as a part of the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (or TFOP) to characterize each system. With over 50 transiting BDs confirmed, we now have a large enough sample to directly test different formation and evolutionary scenarios. We provide a renewed perspective on the transiting “brown dwarf desert” and its role in differentiating between planetary and stellar formation mechanisms. Our analysis of the eccentricity distribution for the transiting BD sample does not support previous claims of a transition between planetary and stellar formation at ∼42 M J . We also contribute a first look into the metallicity distribution of transiting companions in the range 7–150 M J , showing that this does not support a ∼42 M J transition too. Finally, we also detect a significant lithium absorption feature in one of the BD hosts (TOI-5882). However, we determine that the host star is likely old based on rotation, kinematic, and photometric mdeasurements. We therefore claim that TOI-5882 may be a candidate for planetary engulfment.

The Astronomical JournalVol. 170(2)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US), University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT), California Institute of Technology (US), Ames Research Center (US), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Planetary Science Institute (US), University of Wisconsin–Madison (US), University of Liège (BE), Universidad de La Laguna (ES), George Mason University (US), University of St Andrews (GB), Lomonosov Moscow State University (RU), Princeton University (US), Stephen F. Austin State University (US), Aix-Marseille Université (FR), University of Michigan (US), NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (US), Observatoire de Haute-Provence (FR), Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (FR), Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille (FR), Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino (IT), Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (DE), Bowral & District Hospital (AU), Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (CL), Astrobiology Center (JP), Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US), Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (ES), Tokyo Metropolitan Komaba High School (JP), Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (US), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (US), Keele University (GB), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), The University of Tokyo (JP), Michigan State University (US), Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (US), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, California Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Space Telescope Science Institute, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Ames Research Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Science Mission Directorate, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
8.08
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