Constraining the presence of exotrojans in hot Jupiter systems using TTV observations from TESS

TL;DR

This study uses TESS transit timing data to set upper limits on the presence of exotrojans in hot Jupiter systems, constraining their possible masses and stability.

Contribution

First comprehensive analysis constraining exotrojans in hot Jupiters using TESS TTV data, combining observational limits with dynamical stability considerations.

Findings

Excluded exotrojans more massive than 1 Earth mass in 50% of the sample at 15° libration amplitude.

Raising the libration amplitude to 30° increases the mass limit to 3 Earth masses.

Provided a framework for future high-precision searches with upcoming missions.

Abstract

Co-orbital bodies (Trojans) share a 1:1 mean-motion resonance with a planet. Although Trojans are common in the Solar System, none has yet been confirmed in an exoplanetary system. Hot Jupiters are not expected to retain primordial co-orbitals efficiently, but their deep and frequent transits make them favorable targets for observational constraints using transit timing variations (TTVs). As part of the ExoEcho project, we analyze TESS photometry for 260 confirmed hot Jupiters with published RV-based masses to search for TTV signals compatible with Trojan companions. We derive transit times and compare the observed residuals with co-orbital models computed with REBOUND N-body simulations. Accounting for the degeneracy between Trojan mass and libration amplitude, we place upper mass limits on possible companions over a range of typical libration amplitudes. For a representative libration amplitude of 15 deg, we rule out exotrojans more massive than 1 Earth mass in 130 systems, corresponding to about 50% of the sample. A more conservative chi-square analysis that incorporates observational uncertainties raises this threshold to 3 Earth masses. We further combine these limits with dynamical-stability constraints for the 1:1 resonance to exclude unstable configurations. Our results provide population-level constraints on massive exotrojans in short-period systems and establish a framework for future high-precision searches with missions such as PLATO and ET (Earth 2.0).