Advancing Exoplanet Formation Understanding Using Bayesian Enhanced SED Fitting Techniques

Several planet formation models have been proposed to explain the gap in the population of planets between 1.8 Rꚛ to 2.0 Rꚛ known as the Radius Valley. To apply these models to confirmed exoplanets, accurate and precise host star and planet parameters are required to ensure the observed measurements correctly match model predictions. By enhancing standard SED fitting using Bayesian methods we derived highly accurate and precise host star and planet parameters. Specifically, we achieved median % fractional uncertainties for stellar and planet radii of 0.34% and 3.30%, respectively. We then produced a sample of 1261 planets with precision better than previous radius valley studies, which was used to derive the slope and position of the radius valley as a function of orbital period, insolation flux and stellar mass. Our most conclusive result was consistent with Core Powered Mass Loss with a planet radius vs. orbital period slope of dlogRp / dlogP = -0.130 ±0.0127 and Rp0 = 0.920 ±0.0311.