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A super-massive Neptune-sized planet

Author

Listed:
  • Luca Naponiello

    (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
    University of Florence
    Sapienza University of Rome
    INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Luigi Mancini

    (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
    INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory
    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy)

  • Alessandro Sozzetti

    (INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Aldo S. Bonomo

    (INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Alessandro Morbidelli

    (Université Cote d’Azur, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur)

  • Jingyao Dou

    (University of Bristol)

  • Li Zeng

    (Harvard & Smithsonian
    Harvard University)

  • Zoe M. Leinhardt

    (University of Bristol)

  • Katia Biazzo

    (INAF – Rome Astronomical Observatory)

  • Patricio E. Cubillos

    (INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory
    Austrian Academy of Sciences)

  • Matteo Pinamonti

    (INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Daniele Locci

    (INAF – Palermo Astronomical Observatory)

  • Antonio Maggio

    (INAF – Palermo Astronomical Observatory)

  • Mario Damasso

    (INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Antonino F. Lanza

    (INAF – Catania Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Jack J. Lissauer

    (NASA Ames Research Center
    Stanford University)

  • Karen A. Collins

    (Harvard & Smithsonian)

  • Philip J. Carter

    (University of Bristol)

  • Eric L. N. Jensen

    (Swarthmore College)

  • Andrea Bignamini

    (INAF – Trieste Astronomical Observatory)

  • Walter Boschin

    (Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF
    Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
    Universidad de La Laguna (ULL))

  • Luke G. Bouma

    (NASA Exoplanet Science Institute – Caltech/IPAC)

  • David R. Ciardi

    (NASA Exoplanet Science Institute – Caltech/IPAC)

  • Rosario Cosentino

    (Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF)

  • Ian Crossfield

    (University of Kansas)

  • Silvano Desidera

    (INAF – Padova Astronomical Observatory)

  • Xavier Dumusque

    (Université de Genève)

  • Aldo F. M. Fiorenzano

    (Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF)

  • Akihiko Fukui

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
    The University of Tokyo)

  • Paolo Giacobbe

    (INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Crystal L. Gnilka

    (NASA Ames Research Center
    NASA Exoplanet Science Institute – Caltech/IPAC)

  • Adriano Ghedina

    (Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF)

  • Gloria Guilluy

    (INAF – Turin Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Avet Harutyunyan

    (Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF)

  • Steve B. Howell

    (NASA Ames Research Center)

  • Jon M. Jenkins

    (NASA Ames Research Center)

  • Michael B. Lund

    (NASA Exoplanet Science Institute – Caltech/IPAC)

  • John F. Kielkopf

    (University of Louisville)

  • Katie V. Lester

    (NASA Ames Research Center)

  • Luca Malavolta

    (INAF – Padova Astronomical Observatory
    University of Padova)

  • Andrew W. Mann

    (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

  • Rachel A. Matson

    (United States Naval Observatory)

  • Elisabeth C. Matthews

    (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy)

  • Domenico Nardiello

    (INAF – Padova Astronomical Observatory)

  • Norio Narita

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
    The University of Tokyo
    Astrobiology Center)

  • Emanuele Pace

    (University of Florence)

  • Isabella Pagano

    (INAF – Catania Astrophysical Observatory)

  • Enric Palle

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
    Universidad de La Laguna (ULL))

  • Marco Pedani

    (Fundación Galileo Galilei - INAF)

  • Sara Seager

    (Harvard University
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Joshua E. Schlieder

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Richard P. Schwarz

    (Harvard & Smithsonian)

  • Avi Shporer

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Joseph D. Twicken

    (NASA Ames Research Center
    SETI Institute)

  • Joshua N. Winn

    (Princeton University)

  • Carl Ziegler

    (Stephen F. Austin State University)

  • Tiziano Zingales

    (INAF – Padova Astronomical Observatory
    University of Padova)

Abstract

Neptune-sized planets exhibit a wide range of compositions and densities, depending on factors related to their formation and evolution history, such as the distance from their host stars and atmospheric escape processes. They can vary from relatively low-density planets with thick hydrogen–helium atmospheres1,2 to higher-density planets with a substantial amount of water or a rocky interior with a thinner atmosphere, such as HD 95338 b (ref. 3), TOI-849 b (ref. 4) and TOI-2196 b (ref. 5). The discovery of exoplanets in the hot-Neptune desert6, a region close to the host stars with a deficit of Neptune-sized planets, provides insights into the formation and evolution of planetary systems, including the existence of this region itself. Here we show observations of the transiting planet TOI-1853 b, which has a radius of 3.46 ± 0.08 Earth radii and orbits a dwarf star every 1.24 days. This planet has a mass of 73.2 ± 2.7 Earth masses, almost twice that of any other Neptune-sized planet known so far, and a density of 9.7 ± 0.8 grams per cubic centimetre. These values place TOI-1853 b in the middle of the Neptunian desert and imply that heavy elements dominate its mass. The properties of TOI-1853 b present a puzzle for conventional theories of planetary formation and evolution, and could be the result of several proto-planet collisions or the final state of an initially high-eccentricity planet that migrated closer to its parent star.

Suggested Citation

  • Luca Naponiello & Luigi Mancini & Alessandro Sozzetti & Aldo S. Bonomo & Alessandro Morbidelli & Jingyao Dou & Li Zeng & Zoe M. Leinhardt & Katia Biazzo & Patricio E. Cubillos & Matteo Pinamonti & Dan, 2023. "A super-massive Neptune-sized planet," Nature, Nature, vol. 622(7982), pages 255-260, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:622:y:2023:i:7982:d:10.1038_s41586-023-06499-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06499-2
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