English

Detection and Characterization of the Temperate Super-Earth Ross 318 b

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 2026-05-13 v1

Abstract

Ross~318 is an M3.5V red dwarf exhibiting significant magnetic activity and a stellar rotation period of 51.5\sim51.5\,d. In this work we present a systematic re-analysis of radial velocities (RV) from CARMENES and decade-long HIRES observations, integrated with TESS space-based photometry. We identify a terrestrial-mass planet, Ross~318\,b, with an orbital period P=(39.6299±0.29)P = (39.6299 \pm 0.29)\,d and a minimum mass Msini=(6.21±0.62)MM\sin i = (6.21 \pm 0.62)M_{\oplus}. The dynamical nature of the signal is confirmed by its temporal coherence over a 15-year baseline and its achromaticity between visible and near-infrared channels. TESS photometry from Sectors 18, 19, 24, and 25 (218.6\,d total baseline, 66\,983 cadences) reveals no transit at P=39.63P = 39.63\,d (FAP >10%> 10\%, BLS). An injection-and-recovery test demonstrates that a 22002200\,ppm transit signal corresponding to a 1.74R1.74R_{\oplus} body would have been detected with Signal-to-Pink-Noise Ratio SPNR >12> 12, ruling out a transiting geometry with high confidence. The orbital inclination is constrained to i<88.5i < 88.5^\circ. With an incident stellar flux Seff0.58SS_{eff} \approx 0.58\,S_\oplus and bolometric luminosity L=(0.01478±0.00122)LL_* = (0.01478 \pm 0.00122)L_{\odot}, Ross~318\,b falls within the Conservative Habitable Zone, making it one of the most interesting temperate Super-Earths orbiting an M-dwarf.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2605.11123,
  title  = {Detection and Characterization of the Temperate Super-Earth Ross 318 b},
  author = {G. Conzo and M. Moriconi and S. A. Corrêa},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.11123},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

17 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. Submitted at OEJV