The Habitable-zone Planet Finder Reveals A High Mass and a Low Obliquity for the Young Neptune K2-25b

Abstract

Using radial-velocity data from the Habitable-zone Planet Finder, we have measured the mass of the Neptune-sized planet K2-25b, as well as the obliquity of its M4.5-dwarf host star in the 600-800MYr Hyades cluster. This is one of the youngest planetary systems for which both of these quantities have been measured, and one of the very few M dwarfs with a measured obliquity. Based on a joint analysis of the radial velocity data, time-series photometry from the K2 mission, and new transit light curves obtained with diffuser-assisted photometry, the planet's radius and mass are $3.44\pm 0.12{\mathrm{R}}_{\oplus }$ and $24.5_{-5.2}^{+5.7}{\mathrm{M}}_{\oplus }$. These properties are compatible with a rocky core enshrouded by a thin hydrogen-helium atmosphere (5% by mass). We measure an orbital eccentricity of $e=0.43\pm 0.05$. The sky-projected stellar obliquity is $\hat{I}»=3\pm 16^{\circ }$, compatible with spin-orbit alignment, in contrast to other "hot Neptunes" that have been studied around older stars.

Accepted for publication in AJ, 31 pages, 14 figures