Multicolour validation of two temperate mini-Neptunes around M-dwarf habitable zones

ABSTRACT For small planets orbiting within the habitable zones of their host stars, multicolour validation via photometric transit observations offers an efficient alternative to prioritize targets before intensive radial-velocity follow-up, thereby expanding the sample of habitable-zone exoplanets amenable for atmospheric characterization. In this study, we validate two exceptional habitable-zone Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) candidates, orbiting around M-dwarfs, as genuine planets, precisely determining their transit and physical parameters. We perform Bayesian model comparison by jointly fitting multicolour light curves from TESS and ground-based follow-up, including observations with HiPERCAM at the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias. Our approach uses wavelength-dependent transit depth variations and precise transit geometry to reject false positives. We validate TOI-2094 b and TOI-7166 b as two new benchmark temperate mini-Neptunes. TOI-2094 b (1.90 $R_{{\oplus }}$) orbits its M3V star (V = 14.4, d = 50.22 pc) with a period of $\sim$18.79 d, well within the habitable zone ($\sim$0.98 Earth insolation). TOI-7166 b (2.39 $R_{{\oplus }}$) orbits its M4.5V host star (V = 15.8, d = 35.24 pc) with a period of $\sim$12.92 d, placing it near the inner edge of the habitable zone ($\sim$1.93 Earth insolation). Statistical mass and density estimates suggest that TOI-2094 b may be a volatile-rich planet, such as a water world or a gaseous planet, and is less likely to be rocky, while TOI-7166 b is likely to be volatile-rich. Both planets are of great interest for detailed atmospheric characterization with the James Web Space Telescope and future extremely large telescopes, which requires further precise mass measurements.