Determination of stellar parameters for Ariel targets: a comparison analysis between different spectroscopic methods

TL;DR

This study compares three spectroscopic methods to accurately determine stellar parameters for Ariel mission targets, ensuring precise characterization of exoplanet host stars before launch.

Contribution

It provides a benchmarking analysis of spectroscopic techniques to establish a homogeneous method for stellar parameter determination for Ariel targets.

Findings

Different spectroscopic methods show varying levels of accuracy and precision.

A recommended method is identified for consistent stellar parameter estimation.

Homogeneous stellar parameters improve exoplanet characterization accuracy.

Abstract

Ariel has been selected as the next ESA M4 science mission and it is expected to be launched in 2028. During its 4-year mission, Ariel will observe the atmospheres of a large and diversified population of transiting exoplanets. A key factor for the achievement of the scientific goal of Ariel is the selection strategy for the definition of the input target list. A meaningful choice of the targets requires an accurate knowledge of the planet hosting star properties and this is necessary to be obtained well before the launch. In this work, we present the results of a bench-marking analysis between three different spectroscopic techniques used to determine stellar parameters for a selected number of targets belonging to the Ariel reference sample. We aim to consolidate a method that will be used to homogeneously determine the stellar parameters of the complete Ariel reference sample. Homogeneous, accurate and precise derivation of stellar parameters is crucial for characterizing exoplanet-host stars and in turn is a key factor for the accuracy of the planet properties.