Coherent Radio Burst on an M Dwarf Hosting a Short-Period Exoplanet

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and ground-based RV facilities are rapidly expanding the number of nearby M dwarfs known to host short-period exoplanets. Such systems are prime candidates to search for star-planet magnetic interaction (SPI). SPI may induce bursts of coherent radio emission from the host star, analogous to the components of Jupiter's radio aurora that are caused by magnetic interaction with Io. We are conducting a search for radio SPI from nearby M dwarfs hosting short-period exoplanets. On one such system, we have detected a coherent radio burst at a frequency of 2 GHz (expected to originate from regions close to the stellar surface). However, such coherent bursts may also be caused by non-planet-associated stellar magnetic activity. We have recently conducted follow-up observations to determine whether the coherent burst recurs at the same phase of the planet's orbit, a criterion that would identify bursts caused by SPI.