# Catalog for the ESPRESSO blind radial velocity exoplanet survey

## TL;DR

This paper presents a catalog of 45 carefully selected nearby stars, characterized spectroscopically, to optimize the search for Earth-like exoplanets using the ESPRESSO spectrograph, aiding in targeted radial velocity surveys.

## Contribution

The paper provides a detailed spectroscopic catalog of 45 prime target stars for ESPRESSO's blind search for Earth-class exoplanets, including stellar parameters and activity levels.

## Key findings

- Identification of 45 optimal target stars for Earth-like planet detection.
- Comprehensive spectroscopic characterization including activity, rotation, and chemical abundances.
- Establishment of a valuable resource for future exoplanet radial velocity surveys.

## Abstract

One of the main scientific drivers for ESPRESSO,\'Echelle SPectrograph, is the detection and characterization of Earth-class exoplanets. With this goal in mind, the ESPRESSO Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) Catalog identifies the best target stars for a blind search for the radial velocity (RV) signals caused by Earth-class exoplanets. Using the most complete stellar catalogs available, we screened for the most suitable G, K, and M dwarf stars for the detection of Earth-class exoplanets with ESPRESSO. For most of the stars, we then gathered high-resolution spectra from new observations or from archival data. We used these spectra to spectroscopically investigate the existence of any stellar binaries, both bound or background stars. We derived the activity level using chromospheric activity indexes using $log(R'_{HK})$, as well as the projected rotational velocity $\textit{v sin i}$. For the cases where planet companions are already known, we also looked at the possibility that additional planets may exist in the host's habitable zone using dynamical arguments. We estimated the spectroscopic contamination level, $\textit{v sin i}$, activity, stellar parameters and chemical abundances for 249 of the most promising targets. Using these data, we selected 45 stars that match our criteria for detectability of a planet like Earth. The stars presented and discussed in this paper constitute the ESPRESSO GTO catalog for the RV blind search for Earth-class planets. They can also be used for any other work requiring a detailed spectroscopic characterization of stars in the solar neighborhood.