Elemental Abundances of the Super-Neptune WASP-107b’s Host Star Using High-resolution, Near-infrared Spectroscopy

Neda Hejazi*, Ian J.M. Crossfield, Thomas Nordlander, Megan Mansfield, Diogo Souto, Emilio Marfil, David R. Coria, Jonathan Brande, Alex S. Polanski, Joseph E. Hand, Kate F. Wienke

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    14 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We present the first elemental abundance measurements of the K dwarf (K7V) exoplanet-host star WASP-107 using high-resolution (R ≃45,000), near-infrared (H- and K-band) spectra taken from Gemini-S/IGRINS. We use the previously determined physical parameters of the star from the literature and infer the abundances of 15 elements—C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni, all with precision < 0.1 dex—based on model fitting using MARCS model atmospheres and the Turbospectrum spectral synthesis code. Our results show near-solar abundances and a carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) of 0.50 ± 0.10, which is consistent with the solar value of 0.54 ± 0.09. The orbiting planet, WASP-107b, is a super-Neptune with a mass in the Neptune regime (=1.8 M Nep) and a radius close to Jupiter's (=0.94 R Jup). This planet is also being targeted by four JWST Cycle 1 programs in transit and eclipse, which should provide highly precise measurements of atmospheric abundances. This will enable us to properly compare the planetary and stellar chemical abundances, which is essential in understanding the formation mechanisms, internal structure, and chemical composition of exoplanets. Our study is a proof-of-concept that will pave the way for such measurements to be made for all of JWST’s cooler exoplanet-host stars.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article number79
    JournalAstrophysical Journal
    Volume949
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2023

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