English

Stellar parameters for TRAPPIST-1

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics 2018-02-07 v1 Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Abstract

TRAPPIST-1 is an ultracool dwarf star transited by seven Earth-sized planets, for which thorough characterization of atmospheric properties, surface conditions encompassing habitability and internal compositions is possible with current and next generation telescopes. Accurate modeling of the star is essential to achieve this goal. We aim to obtain updated stellar parameters for TRAPPIST- 1 based on new measurements and evolutionary models, compared to those used in discovery studies. We present a new measurement for the parallax of TRAPPIST-1, 82.4 ±\pm 0.8 mas, based on 188 epochs of observations with the TRAPPIST and Liverpool Telescopes from 2013 to 2016. This revised parallax yields an updated luminosity of L=(5.22±0.19)×104LL_*=(5.22\pm0.19)\times 10^{-4} L_{\odot}, very close to the previous estimate but almost twice more precise. We next present an updated estimate for TRAPPIST-1 stellar mass, based on two approaches: mass from stellar evolution modeling, and empirical mass derived from dynamical masses of equivalently classified ultracool dwarfs in astrometric binaries. We combine them through a Monte-Carlo approach to derive a semi-empirical estimate for the mass of TRAPPIST-1. We also derive estimate for the radius by combining this mass with stellar density inferred from transits, as well as estimate for the effective temperature from our revised luminosity and radius. Our final results are M=0.089±0.006MM_*=0.089 \pm 0.006 M_{\odot}, R=0.121±0.003RR_* = 0.121 \pm 0.003 R_{\odot}, and Teff=T_{\rm eff} = 2516 ±\pm 41 K. Considering the degree to which TRAPPIST-1 system will be scrutinized in coming years, these revised and more precise stellar parameters should be considered when assessing the properties of TRAPPIST-1 planets.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1712.01911,
  title  = {Stellar parameters for TRAPPIST-1},
  author = {Valerie Van Grootel and Catarina S. Fernandes and Michaël Gillon and Emmanuel Jehin and Jean Manfroid and Richard Scuflaire and Adam J. Burgasser and Artem Burdanov and Laetitia Delrez and Brice-Olivier Demory and Julien de Wit and Didier Queloz and Amaury H. M. J. Triaud},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1712.01911},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal

R2 v1 2026-06-22T23:08:01.398Z