Identification of the Top TESS Objects of Interest for Atmospheric Characterization of Transiting Exoplanets with JWST
Authors: Hord Benjamin J. , Kempton Eliza M.-R. , Evans-Soma Thomas M. , Latham David W. , Ciardi David R. , Dragomir Diana , Colón Knicole D. , Ross Gabrielle , Vanderburg Andrew , de Beurs Zoe L. , Collins Karen A. , Watkins Cristilyn N. , Bean Jacob , Cowan Nicolas B. , Daylan Tansu , Morley Caroline V. , Ih Jegug , Baker David , Barkaoui Khalid , Batalha Natalie M. , Behmard Aida , Belinski Alexander , Benkhaldoun Zouhair , Benni Paul , Bernacki Krzysztof , Bieryla Allyson , Binnenfeld Avraham , Bosch-Cabot Pau , Bouchy François , Bozza Valerio , Brahm Rafael , Buchhave Lars A. , Calkins Michael , Chontos Ashley , Clark Catherine A. , Cloutier Ryan , Cointepas Marion , Collins Kevin I. , Conti Dennis M. , Crossfield Ian J. M. , Dai Fei , de Leon Jerome P. , Dransfield Georgina , Dressing Courtney , Dustor Adam , Esquerdo Gilbert , Evans Phil , Fajardo-Acosta Sergio B. , Fiołka Jerzy , Forés-Toribio Raquel , Frasca Antonio , Fukui Akihiko , Fulton Benjamin , Furlan Elise , Gan Tianjun , Gandolfi Davide , Ghachoui Mourad , Giacalone Steven , Gilbert Emily A. , Gillon Michaël , Girardin Eric , Gonzales Erica , Grau Horta Ferran , Gregorio Joao , Greklek-McKeon Michael , Guerra Pere , Hartman J. D. , Hellier Coel , Helm Ian , Hełminiak Krzysztof G. , Henning Thomas , Hill Michelle L. , Horne Keith , Howard Andrew W. , Howell Steve B. , Huber Daniel , Isopi Giovanni , Jehin Emmanuel , Jenkins Jon M. , Jensen Eric L. N. , Johnson Marshall C. , Jordán Andrés , Kane Stephen R. , Kielkopf John F. , Krushinsky Vadim , Lasota Sławomir , Lee Elena , Lewin Pablo , Livingston John H. , Lubin Jack , Lund Michael B. , Mallia Franco , Mann Christopher R. , Marino Giuseppi , Maslennikova Nataliia , Massey Bob , Matson Rachel , Matthews Elisabeth , Mayo Andrew W. , Mazeh Tsevi , McLeod Kim K. , Michaels Edward J. , Močnik Teo , Mori Mayuko , Mraz Georgia , Muñoz Jose A. , Narita Norio , Natarajan Krupa , Dyregaard Nielsen Louise , Osborn Hugh , Palle Enric , Panahi Aviad , Papini Riccardo , Plavchan Peter , Polanski Alex S. , Popowicz Adam , Pozuelos Francisco J. , Quinn Samuel N. , Radford Don J. , Reed Phillip A. , Relles Howard M. , Rice Malena , Robertson Paul , Rodriguez Joseph E. , Rosenthal Lee J. , Rubenzahl Ryan A. , Schanche Nicole , Schlieder Joshua , Schwarz Richard P. , Sefako Ramotholo , Shporer Avi , Sozzetti Alessandro , Srdoc Gregor , Stockdale Chris , Tarasenkov Alexander , Tan Thiam-Guan , Timmermans Mathilde , Ting Eric B. , Van Zandt Judah , Vignes JP , Waite Ian , Watanabe Noriharu , Weiss Lauren M. , Wittrock Justin , Zhou George , Ziegler Carl , Zucker Shay 
Published: April 2024

JWST has ushered in an era of unprecedented ability to characterize exoplanetary atmospheres. While there are over 5000 confirmed planets, more than 4000 Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planet candidates are still unconfirmed and many of the best planets for atmospheric characterization may remain to be identified. We present a sample of TESS planets and planet candidates that we identify as “best-in-class” for transmission and emission spectroscopy with JWST. These targets are sorted into bins across equilibrium temperature T
eq and planetary radius R
p and are ranked by a transmission and an emission spectroscopy metric (TSM and ESM, respectively) within each bin. We perform cuts for expected signal size and stellar brightness to remove suboptimal targets for JWST. Of the 194 targets in the resulting sample, 103 are unconfirmed TESS planet candidates, also known as TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs). We perform vetting and statistical validation analyses on these 103 targets to determine which are likely planets and which are likely false positives, incorporating ground-based follow-up from the TESS Follow-up Observation Program to aid the vetting and validation process. We statistically validate 18 TOIs, marginally validate 31 TOIs to varying levels of confidence, deem 29 TOIs likely false positives, and leave the dispositions for four TOIs as inconclusive. Twenty-one of the 103 TOIs were confirmed independently over the course of our analysis. We intend for this work to serve as a community resource and motivate formal confirmation and mass measurements of each validated planet. We encourage more detailed analysis of individual targets by the community.