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TOI-2015 b: A sub-Neptune in strong gravitational interaction with an outer non-transiting planet

Barkaoui, K. ; Korth, J. LU and Zúñiga-Fernández, S. (2025) In Astronomy and Astrophysics 695.
Abstract
TOI-2015 is a known exoplanetary system around an M4 dwarf star, consisting of a transiting sub-Neptune planet in a 3.35-day orbital period, TOI-2015 b, accompanied by a non-transiting companion, TOI-2015 c. High-precision radial-velocity measurements were taken with the MAROON-X spectrograph, and high-precision photometric data were collected, primarily using the SPECULOOS, MUSCAT, TRAPPIST and LCOGT networks. We collected 63 transit light curves and 49 different transit epochs for TOI-2015 b. We recharacterized the target star by combining optical spectra obtained by the MAROON-X, Shane/KAST and IRTF/SpeX spectrographs, Bayesian model averaging (BMA) and spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis. The TOI-2015 host star is a K = 10.3... (More)
TOI-2015 is a known exoplanetary system around an M4 dwarf star, consisting of a transiting sub-Neptune planet in a 3.35-day orbital period, TOI-2015 b, accompanied by a non-transiting companion, TOI-2015 c. High-precision radial-velocity measurements were taken with the MAROON-X spectrograph, and high-precision photometric data were collected, primarily using the SPECULOOS, MUSCAT, TRAPPIST and LCOGT networks. We collected 63 transit light curves and 49 different transit epochs for TOI-2015 b. We recharacterized the target star by combining optical spectra obtained by the MAROON-X, Shane/KAST and IRTF/SpeX spectrographs, Bayesian model averaging (BMA) and spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis. The TOI-2015 host star is a K = 10.3 mag M4-type dwarf with a subsolar metallicity of [Fe/H] =-0.31 ± 0.16, and an effective temperature of Teff ≈ 3200 K. Our photodynamical analysis of the system strongly favors the 5:3 mean-motion resonance and in this scenario the planet b (TOI-2015 b) has an orbital period of Pb = 3.34 days, a mass of Mp = 9.02-0.36+0.32M⊕, and a radius of Rp = 3.309-0.011+0.013R⊕, resulting in a density of ρp = 0.25 ± 0.01 ρ⊕ = 1.40 ± 0.06 g cm-3; this is indicative of a Neptune-like composition. Its transits exhibit large (> 1 hr) timing variations characteristic of an outer perturber in the system. We performed a global analysis of the high-resolution radial-velocity measurements, the photometric data, and the TTVs, and inferred that TOI-2015 hosts a second planet, TOI-2015 c, in a non-transiting configuration. Our analysis places it near a 5:3 resonance with an orbital period of Pc = 5.583 days and a mass of Mp = 8.91-0.40+0.38M⊕. The dynamical configuration of TOI-2015 b and TOI-2015 c can be used to constrain the system's planetary formation and migration history. Based on the mass-radius composition models, TOI-2015 b is a water-rich or rocky planet with a hydrogen-helium envelope. Moreover, TOI-2015 b has a high transmission-spectroscopic metric (TSM=149), making it a favorable target for future transmission spectroscopic observations with the JWST to constrain the atmospheric composition of the planet. Such observations would also help to break the degeneracies in theoretical models of the planet's interior structure. © The Authors 2025. (Less)
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keywords
Planets and satellites: detection, Planets and satellites: formation, Stars: individual: TOI-2015, Exoplanets, Photometry, Stars, X ray spectrographs, Gravitational interaction, High-precision, Neptune, Orbital periods, Photometric data, Planets and satellites: detections, Radial velocity measurements, Star: individual: TOI-2015, Stars: individual: proxima Centauri, Velocity measurement
in
Astronomy and Astrophysics
volume
695
article number
A281
publisher
EDP Sciences
external identifiers
  • scopus:105002256818
ISSN
0004-6361
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202452916
language
English
LU publication?
yes
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52f6a678-4ff9-4d2d-8ac8-cc0acbf16f4c
date added to LUP
2026-03-06 11:43:18
date last changed
2026-03-06 11:43:55
@article{52f6a678-4ff9-4d2d-8ac8-cc0acbf16f4c,
  abstract     = {{TOI-2015 is a known exoplanetary system around an M4 dwarf star, consisting of a transiting sub-Neptune planet in a 3.35-day orbital period, TOI-2015 b, accompanied by a non-transiting companion, TOI-2015 c. High-precision radial-velocity measurements were taken with the MAROON-X spectrograph, and high-precision photometric data were collected, primarily using the SPECULOOS, MUSCAT, TRAPPIST and LCOGT networks. We collected 63 transit light curves and 49 different transit epochs for TOI-2015 b. We recharacterized the target star by combining optical spectra obtained by the MAROON-X, Shane/KAST and IRTF/SpeX spectrographs, Bayesian model averaging (BMA) and spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis. The TOI-2015 host star is a K = 10.3 mag M4-type dwarf with a subsolar metallicity of [Fe/H] =-0.31 ± 0.16, and an effective temperature of Teff ≈ 3200 K. Our photodynamical analysis of the system strongly favors the 5:3 mean-motion resonance and in this scenario the planet b (TOI-2015 b) has an orbital period of Pb = 3.34 days, a mass of Mp = 9.02-0.36+0.32M⊕, and a radius of Rp = 3.309-0.011+0.013R⊕, resulting in a density of ρp = 0.25 ± 0.01 ρ⊕ = 1.40 ± 0.06 g cm-3; this is indicative of a Neptune-like composition. Its transits exhibit large (> 1 hr) timing variations characteristic of an outer perturber in the system. We performed a global analysis of the high-resolution radial-velocity measurements, the photometric data, and the TTVs, and inferred that TOI-2015 hosts a second planet, TOI-2015 c, in a non-transiting configuration. Our analysis places it near a 5:3 resonance with an orbital period of Pc = 5.583 days and a mass of Mp = 8.91-0.40+0.38M⊕. The dynamical configuration of TOI-2015 b and TOI-2015 c can be used to constrain the system's planetary formation and migration history. Based on the mass-radius composition models, TOI-2015 b is a water-rich or rocky planet with a hydrogen-helium envelope. Moreover, TOI-2015 b has a high transmission-spectroscopic metric (TSM=149), making it a favorable target for future transmission spectroscopic observations with the JWST to constrain the atmospheric composition of the planet. Such observations would also help to break the degeneracies in theoretical models of the planet's interior structure.  © The Authors 2025.}},
  author       = {{Barkaoui, K. and Korth, J. and Zúñiga-Fernández, S.}},
  issn         = {{0004-6361}},
  keywords     = {{Planets and satellites: detection; Planets and satellites: formation; Stars: individual: TOI-2015; Exoplanets; Photometry; Stars; X ray spectrographs; Gravitational interaction; High-precision; Neptune; Orbital periods; Photometric data; Planets and satellites: detections; Radial velocity measurements; Star: individual: TOI-2015; Stars: individual: proxima Centauri; Velocity measurement}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{EDP Sciences}},
  series       = {{Astronomy and Astrophysics}},
  title        = {{TOI-2015 b: A sub-Neptune in strong gravitational interaction with an outer non-transiting planet}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452916}},
  doi          = {{10.1051/0004-6361/202452916}},
  volume       = {{695}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}