Rae Holcomb
A5088058105- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
- Astro and Planetary Science
- Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
- Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
- Astronomical Observations and Instrumentation
- Space Exploration and Technology
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing
- Scientific Research and Discoveries
- Space Satellite Systems and Control
- Astronomical and nuclear sciences
- History and Developments in Astronomy
- Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Spacecraft Design and Technology
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
2024
University of California, Irvine
2020-2024
University of Florida
2023
Rice University
2019
The distribution of spin-orbit angles for systems with wide-separation, tidally detached exoplanets offers a unique constraint on the prevalence dynamically violent planetary evolution histories. Tidally planets provide relatively unbiased view primordial stellar obliquity distribution, since they cannot realign within system lifetime. We present third result from our Stellar Obliquities in Long-period Exoplanet Systems (SOLES) survey: measurement Rossiter-McLaughlin effect across two...
Abstract We present a radial velocity (RV) analysis of TOI-1136, bright Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) system with six confirmed transiting planets, and seventh single-transiting planet candidate. All planets in the are amenable to transmission spectroscopy, making TOI-1136 one best targets for intra-system comparison exoplanet atmospheres. is young (∼700 Myr), exhibits transit timing variations (TTVs). The youth contributes high stellar variability on order 50 m s −1 , much...
Abstract The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has discovered hundreds of new worlds, with TESS planet candidates now outnumbering the total number confirmed planets from Kepler. Owing to differences in survey design, continues provide that are better suited for subsequent follow-up studies, including mass measurement through radial velocity (RV) observations, compared Kepler targets. In this work, we present TESS-Keck Survey’s (TKS) Mass Catalog: a uniform analysis all TKS RV...
Abstract The extreme environments of ultra-short-period planets (USPs) make excellent laboratories to study how exoplanets obtain, lose, retain, and/or regain gaseous atmospheres. We present the confirmation and characterization USP TOI-1347 b, a 1.8 ± 0.1 R ⊕ planet on 0.85 day orbit that was detected with photometry from TESS mission. measured radial velocities system using Keck/HIRES HARPS-N found be unusually massive at 11.1 1.2 M . mass radius b imply an Earth-like bulk composition. A...
Abstract TOI-6255 b (GJ 4256) is an Earth-sized planet (1.079 ± 0.065 R ⊕ ) with orbital period of only 5.7 hr. With the newly commissioned Keck Planet Finder and CARMENES spectrographs, we determine planet’s mass to be 1.44 0.14 M . The just outside Roche limit, P orb / = 1.13 0.10. strong tidal force likely deforms into a triaxial ellipsoid long axis that ∼10% longer than short axis. Assuming reduced stellar quality factor <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"...
Abstract Exoplanet systems with multiple transiting planets are natural laboratories for testing planetary astrophysics. One such system is HD 191939 (TOI 1339), a bright ( V = 9) and Sun-like (G9V) star, which TESS found to host three (b, c, d). The have periods of 9, 29, 38 days each similar sizes from 3 3.4 R ⊕ . To further characterize the system, we measured radial velocity (RV) over 415 Keck/HIRES APF/Levy. We find that M b 10.4 ± 0.9 c 7.2 1.4 , low compared most known comparable...
Abstract SpinSpotter is a robust and automated algorithm designed to extract stellar rotation periods from large photometric data sets with minimal supervision. Our approach uses the autocorrelation function (ACF) identify up one-third observational baseline of data. also provides suite diagnostics that describe features in ACF, which allows user fine-tune tolerance accept period detection. We apply it approximately 130,000 main-sequence stars observed by Transiting Exoplanet Survey...
Abstract Transiting giant exoplanets around M-dwarf stars (GEMS) are rare, owing to the low-mass host stars. However, all-sky coverage of TESS has enabled detection an increasingly large number them enable statistical surveys like Searching for GEMS survey. As part this endeavor, we describe observations six transiting planets, which include precise mass measurements two (K2-419Ab, TOI-6034b) and validation four systems, includes upper limits three (TOI-5218b, TOI-5616b, TOI-5634Ab), while...
Abstract Stellar activity contamination of radial velocity (RV) data is one the top challenges plaguing field extreme-precision RV science. Previous work has shown that photometry can be very effective at removing such signals from data, especially stellar caused by rotating starspots and plage. The exact utility for contamination, best way to apply it, not well known. We present a combination photometric study eight Kepler/K2 FGK stars with known variability. use NEID RVs acquired...
Abstract Young, rapidly rotating M dwarfs exhibit prominent starspots, which create quasiperiodic signals in their photometric and Doppler spectroscopic measurements. The periodic can mimic radial velocity (RV) changes expected from orbiting exoplanets. Exoplanets be distinguished activity-induced false positives by the chromaticity long-term incoherence of starspot signals, but these qualities are poorly constrained for fully convective stars. Coherent on may persist hundreds rotations,...
Abstract We present the Distant Giants Survey, a three-year radial velocity campaign to measure P(DG∣CS), conditional occurrence of distant giant planets (DG; M p ∼ 0.3–13 J , P > 1 yr) in systems hosting close-in small planet (CS; R < 10 ⊕ ). For past two years, we have monitored 47 Sun-like stars transiting detected by TESS. selection criteria used assemble our sample and report discovery planets, TOI-1669 b TOI-1694 c. find that <?CDATA $M\sin i=0.573\pm 0.074\,\,{M}_{{\rm{J}}}$?>...
We report the discovery and Doppler mass measurement of a 7.4-day 2.3-$R_\oplus$ mini-Neptune around metal-poor K dwarf BD+29 2654 (TOI-2018). Based on high-resolution Keck/HIRES spectrum, Gaia parallax, multi-wavelength photometry from ultraviolet to mid-infrared, we found that host star has $T_{\text{eff}}=4174^{+34}_{-42}$ K, $\log{g}=4.62^{+0.02}_{-0.03}$, $[\text{Fe/H}]=-0.58\pm0.18$, $M_{\ast}=0.57\pm0.02~M_{\odot}$, $R_{\ast}=0.62\pm0.01~R_{\odot}$. Precise measurements with revealed...
Theories of planet formation predict that low-mass stars should rarely host exoplanets with masses exceeding Neptune. We used radial velocity observations to detect a Neptune-mass exoplanet orbiting LHS 3154, star is nine times less massive than the Sun. The exoplanet's orbital period 3.7 days, and its minimum mass 13.2 Earth masses. simulations show high planet-to-star ratio (>3.5 × 10-4) not an expected outcome either core accretion or gravitational instability theories formation. In...
Abstract TOI-2076 b is a sub-Neptune-sized planet ( R = 2.39 ± 0.10 ⊕ ) that transits young (204 50 MYr) bright V 9.2) K-dwarf hosting system of three transiting planets. Using spectroscopic observations obtained with the NEID spectrograph on WIYN 3.5 m Telescope, we model Rossiter–McLaughlin effect b, and derive sky-projected obliquity <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mi>λ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow>...
Abstract With JWST’s successful deployment and unexpectedly high fuel reserves, measuring the masses of sub-Neptunes transiting bright, nearby stars will soon become bottleneck for characterizing atmospheres small exoplanets via transmission spectroscopy. Using a carefully curated target list observations from more than 2 yr APF-Levy Keck-HIRES Doppler monitoring, TESS-Keck Survey is working toward alleviating this pressure. Here we present mass measurements 11 planets in eight systems that...
Multi-planet systems are valuable arenas for investigating exoplanet architectures and comparing planetary siblings. TOI-1246 is one such system, with a moderately bright K dwarf ($\rm{V=11.6,~K=9.9}$) four transiting sub-Neptunes identified by TESS orbital periods of $4.31~\rm{d},~5.90~\rm{d},~18.66~\rm{d}$, $~37.92~\rm{d}$. We collected 130 radial velocity observations Keck/HIRES TNG/HARPS-N to measure planet masses. refit the 14 sectors photometry refine radii ($\rm{2.97 \pm...
Abstract We present the stellar and planetary properties for 85 TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs) hosting 108 planet candidates that compose TESS-Keck Survey (TKS) sample. combine photometry, high-resolution spectroscopy, Gaia parallaxes to measure precise accurate properties. then use these parameters as inputs a light-curve processing pipeline recover signals homogeneously fit their transit Among fits, we detect significant transit-timing variations among at least three multiplanet systems...
Abstract We confirm a massive sub-Neptune-sized planet on P = 22.8 days orbit around the star TOI-1824 ( T eff 5200 K, V 9.7 mag). TESS first identified b (formerly TOI-1824.01) as an object of interest in 2020 April after two transits Sector 22 were matched with single transit 21. was subsequently targeted for ground-based Doppler monitoring Keck-HIRES and APF-Levy. Using joint model photometry, radial velocities, Ca ii H K emission measurements activity indicator, we find that is unusually...
Abstract We present a new analysis of Kepler-21, the brightest ( V = 8.5) Kepler system with known transiting exoplanet, Kepler-21 b. b is radius valley planet R 1.6 ± 0.2 ⊕ ) an Earth-like composition (8.38 1.62 g cm –3 ), though its mass and fall in regime possible “water worlds.” utilize Keck/High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer WIYN/NEID radial velocity (RV) data conjunction Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) photometry to perform detailed study activity mitigation between RVs....
Abstract We present optical spectroscopy of 710 solar neighborhood stars collected over 20 years to catalog chromospheric activity and search for stellar cycles. The California Legacy Survey are amenable exoplanet detection using precise radial velocities, we their Ca ii H K time series as a proxy activity. Using the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer at Keck Observatory, measured flux in cores lines determine S -values on Mount Wilson scale <mml:math...
We detail the follow up and characterization of a transiting exo-Venus identified by TESS, GJ 3929b, (TOI-2013b) its non-transiting companion planet, 3929c (TOI-2013c). 3929b is an Earth-sized exoplanet in star's Venus-zone (P$_{b}$ = 2.616272 $\pm$ 0.000005 days; S$_{b}$ 17.3$^{+0.8}_{-0.7}$ S$_{\oplus}$) orbiting nearby M dwarf. most likely sub-Neptune. Using new, ultra-precise NEID spectrometer on WIYN 3.5 m Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, we are able to modify mass...
Abstract We report the detection of a long-period giant planetary companion to nearby M3V star GJ 463 (=Ross 690). The is based on over ten years highly-precise radial velocity measurements with High Resolution Spectrograph at Hobby–Eberly Telescope and HIRES spectrograph Keck. With an orbital period 10 yr minimum mass 1.55 ± 0.15 M Jup , b has comparable Jupiter hence qualifies as analog around low-mass star. demonstrate that signal not produced by magnetic activity cycle host was observed...
We report on the discovery and validation of a transiting long-period mini-Neptune orbiting bright (V = 9.0 mag) G dwarf (TOI 4633; R 1.05 RSun, M 1.10 MSun). The planet was identified in data from Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite by citizen scientists taking part Planet Hunters TESS project. Modeling transit events yields an orbital period 271.9445 +/- 0.0040 days radius 3.2 0.20 REarth. Earth-like incident flux 1.56 0.2 places it optimistic habitable zone around star. Doppler...
Abstract We report the discovery of a close-in ( P orb = 3.349 days) warm Neptune with clear transit timing variations (TTVs) orbiting nearby d 47.3 pc) active M4 star, TOI-2015. characterize planet's properties using Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) photometry, precise near-infrared radial velocities (RVs) Habitable-zone Planet Finder Spectrograph, ground-based and high-contrast imaging. A joint photometry RV fit yields radius <mml:math...