James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post


Literature
Date: 6/4/2024

Harvard ADS: Stellar Characterization and Chemical Abundances of Exoplanet Hosting M dwarfs from APOGEE Spectra: Future JWST Targets


Paper abstract: Exoplanets hosting M dwarfs are the best targets to characterize Earth-like or super-Earth planetary atmospheres with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We determine detailed stellar parameters (T_{\rm eff}, logg, and \xi) and individual abundances of twelve elements for four cool M dwarfs hosting exoplanets TOI-1685, GJ 436, GJ 3470, and TOI-2445, scheduled for future observations by the JWST. The analysis utilizes high-resolution near-infrared spectra from the SDSS-IV APOGEE survey between 1.51-1.69\mu. Based on 1D-LTE plane-parallel models, we find that TOI-2445 is slightly metal-poor ([Fe/H] = -0.16\pm0.09), while TOI-1685, GJ 436 and GJ 3470 are more metal-rich ([Fe/H] = 0.06\pm0.18, 0.10\pm0.20 dex, 0.25\pm0.15). The derived C/O ratios for TOI-2445, TOI-1685, GJ 436, and GJ 3470 are 0.526\pm0.027, 0.558\pm0.097, 0.561\pm0.029, and 0.638\pm0.015, respectively. From results for 28 M dwarfs analyzed homogeneously from APOGEE spectra, we find exoplanet-hosting M dwarfs exhibit a C/O abundance ratio approximately 0.01 to 0.05 higher than those with non-detected exoplanets, at limits of a statistically significant offset. A linear regression of [Fe/H] \textit{vs.} C/O distribution reveals a noticeable difference in the angular coefficient between FGK dwarfs (0.27) and M dwarfs (0.13). Assuming our abundance ratios of Ca/Mg, Si/Mg, Al/Mg, and Fe/Mg, we determine a mass of 3.276^{+0.448}_{-0.419}M_{\oplus} for TOI-2445 b, having density (6.793^{+0.005}_{-0.099} g.cm^{-3}) and core mass fraction (0.329_{-0.049}^{+0.028}) very similar to Earth's. We also present an atlas of 113 well-defined spectral lines to analyze M dwarfs in the H-band and a comprehensive evaluation of uncertainties from variations in the atmospheric parameters, signal-to-noise, and pseudo-continuum.