Photometry & RV follow-up observations of K2-18

With a radius of ~2 R_{Earth}_ and an orbital period of ~33 days, the planet lies in the temperate zone of its host star and receives stellar irradiation similar to that of Earth. Here we perform radial velocity follow-up observations with the visual channel of CARMENES with the goal of determining the mass and density of the planet.

We measure a planetary semi-amplitude of K_b_~3.5 m/s and a mass of M_b_~9 M_{Earth}_, yielding a bulk density around {rho}_b_~4 g/cm^3^. This indicates a low-mass planet with a composition consistent with a solid core and a volatile-rich envelope. A signal at 9 days was recently reported using radial velocity measurements taken with the HARPS spectrograph.