Two Small Temperate Planets Transiting Nearby M Dwarfs in K2 Campaigns 0 and 1
Joshua E. Schlieder, Ian J. M. Crossfield, Erik A. Petigura, Andrew W., Howard, Kimberly M. Aller, Evan Sinukoff, Howard T. Isaacson, Benjamin J., Fulton, David R. Ciardi, Mickael Bonnefoy, Carl Ziegler, Timothy D. Morton,, Sebastien Lepine, Christian Obermeier, Michael C. Liu

TL;DR
This study validates and characterizes two small, temperate exoplanets orbiting nearby M dwarfs using K2 data, spectroscopy, and imaging, highlighting their potential for atmospheric studies and insights into planetary composition.
Contribution
First validation and detailed characterization of two small temperate planets around nearby M dwarfs using combined photometry, spectroscopy, and imaging techniques.
Findings
Both planets have radii between Earth and Neptune.
They receive low stellar insolation, with one possibly Earth-like.
The planets likely have eccentric orbits and temperate temperatures.
Abstract
The prime Kepler mission revealed that small planets (<4 R_earth) are common, especially around low-mass M dwarfs. K2, the re-purposed Kepler mission, continues this exploration of small planets around small stars. Here we combine K2 photometry with spectroscopy, adaptive optics imaging, and archival survey images to analyze two small planets orbiting the nearby, field age, M dwarfs K2-26 (EPIC 202083828) and K2-9. K2-26 is an M1.0 +/- 0.5 dwarf at 93 +/- 7 pc from K2 Campaign 0. We validate its 14.5665 d period planet and estimate a radius of 2.67^+0.46_-0.42 R_earth. K2-9 is an M2.5 +/- 0.5 dwarf at 110 +/- 12 pc from K2 Campaign 1. K2-9b was first identified by Montet et al. 2015; here we present spectra and adaptive optics imaging of the host star and independently validate and characterize the planet. Our analyses indicate K2-9b is a 2.25^+0.53_-0.96 R_earth planet with a 18.4498 d…
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