{
  "abstract": "Empirical relations and planet formation simulations suggest an upper mass limit for rocky planets of ∼10 M ⊕ , as cores above this will almost certainly undergo runaway gas accretion. Nevertheless, a small number of planets appear to have densities consistent with rocky Earth-like compositions above this threshold, indicating that unusual formation and evolutionary scenarios are capable of producing extremely massive rocky planets. However, all of these planets orbit active stars with log R HK ′ > −4.75. We find a <1% probability that all literature ultramassive rocky planets would coincidentally orbit such active stars, and find no astrophysical reason to expect mega-Earths to preferentially form around active stars. We therefore conclude that mega-Earths are artifacts of stellar activity, and we question the reliability of Gaussian processes to enable mass measurements for rocky planets around active stars.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "McGill University"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Casey L. Brinkman",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4480-310X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nicolas B. Cowan",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6129-5699"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1yhpc424jnr30.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3847/2041-8213/aeb5f5",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "1yhpc424jnr30",
  "issns": [
    "2041-8213",
    "2041-8205"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb5f5",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "feed-journal",
      "astronomy/general"
    ]
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  "pdf_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb5f5/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-06",
  "publisher": "American Astronomical Society",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1yhpc424jnr30.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-06T18:20:56Z",
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      "url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb5f5"
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      "first_seen": "2026-11-07T00:20:58Z",
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      "url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb5f5"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:3103|Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies",
      "subfield": "stellar"
    }
  ],
  "title": "“Mega-Earths” are Likely an Artifact of Stellar Activity",
  "title_text": "“Mega-Earths” are Likely an Artifact of Stellar Activity",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-07T12:20:36Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1yhpc424jnr30",
  "venue": "The Astrophysical Journal Letters",
  "versions": []
}