Confirmation of an He I evaporating atmosphere around the 650-Myr-old sub-Neptune HD235088 b (TOI-1430 b) with CARMENES

TL;DR

This study confirms helium in the atmosphere of the young sub-Neptune HD235088 b, demonstrating atmospheric escape and establishing it as the smallest planet with a solid atmospheric detection, providing a benchmark for atmospheric evolution studies.

Contribution

First detection of helium in the atmosphere of a young sub-Neptune, validating atmospheric escape and refining planetary parameters with new age estimates.

Findings

Helium detected in HD235088 b's atmosphere with variability hints.

Hydrodynamic modeling indicates significant atmospheric mass loss.

HD235088 b is the smallest planet with confirmed atmospheric detection.

Abstract

HD235088 (TOI-1430) is a young star known to host a sub-Neptune-sized planet candidate. We validated the planetary nature of HD235088 b with multiband photometry, refined its planetary parameters, and obtained a new age estimate of the host star, placing it at 600-800 Myr. Previous spectroscopic observations of a single transit detected an excess absorption of He I coincident in time with the planet candidate transit. Here, we confirm the presence of He I in the atmosphere of HD235088 b with one transit observed with CARMENES. We also detected hints of variability in the strength of the helium signal, with an absorption of $-$0.91$\pm$0.11%, which is slightly deeper (2$\sigma$) than the previous measurement. Furthermore, we simulated the He I signal with a spherically symmetric 1D hydrodynamic model, finding that the upper atmosphere of HD235088 b escapes hydrodynamically with a significant mass loss rate of (1.5-5) $\times$10$^{10}$g s$^{-1}$, in a relatively cold outflow, with $T$=3125$\pm$375 K, in the photon-limited escape regime. HD235088 b ($R_{p}$ = 2.045$\pm$0.075 R$_{\oplus}$) is the smallest planet found to date with a solid atmospheric detection - not just of He I but any other atom or molecule. This positions it a benchmark planet for further analyses of evolving young sub-Neptune atmospheres.