Revision of earth-sized Kepler planet candidate properties with high-resolution imaging by the Hubble space telescope
Article
Article Title | Revision of earth-sized Kepler planet candidate properties with high-resolution imaging by the Hubble space telescope |
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ERA Journal ID | 1057 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Cartier, Kimberly M. S. (Author), Gilliland, Ronald L. (Author), Wright, Jason T. (Author) and Ciardi, David R. (Author) |
Journal Title | The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics |
Journal Citation | 804 (2), pp. 97-112 |
Article Number | 97 |
Number of Pages | 16 |
Year | 2015 |
Publisher | IOP Publishing |
Place of Publication | United States |
ISSN | 0004-637X |
1538-4357 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/804/2/97 |
Web Address (URL) | http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/804/2/97 |
Abstract | We present the results of our Hubble Space Telescope program and describe how our analysis methods were used to re-evaluate the habitability of some of the most interesting Kepler planet candidates. Our program observed 22 Kepler Object of Interest (KOI) host stars, several of which were found to be multiple star systems unresolved by Kepler. We use our high-resolution imaging to spatially resolve the stellar multiplicity of Kepler-296, KOI-2626, and KOI-3049, and develop a conversion to the Kepler photometry (Kp) from the F555W and F775W filters on WFC3/UVIS. The binary system Kepler-296 (five planets) has a projected separation of 0.″217 (80 AU); KOI-2626 (one planet candidate) is a triple star system with a projected separation of 0.″201 (70 AU) between the primary and secondary components and 0.″161 (55 AU) between the primary and tertiary; and the binary system KOI-3049 (one planet candidate) has a projected separation of 0.″464 (225 AU). We use our measured photometry to fit the separated stellar components to the latest Victoria-Regina Stellar Models with synthetic photometry to conclude that the systems are coeval. The components of the three systems range from mid-K dwarf to mid-M dwarf spectral types.We solved for the planetary properties of each system analytically and via an MCMC algorithm using our independent stellar parameters. The planets range from ∼1.6 to 4.2 R⊕ mostly Super Earths and mini-Neptunes. As a result of the stellar multiplicity, some planets previously in the Habitable Zone are, in fact, not, and other planets may be habitable depending on their assumed stellar host. |
Keywords | planetary systems; stars: fundamental parameters; stars: individual (KIC 6263593, KIC 11497958, KIC 11768142); techniques: photometric; |
Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 510109. Stellar astronomy and planetary systems |
Public Notes | For access to this article, please click on the URL link provided. |
Byline Affiliations | Pennsylvania State University, United States |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q4302/revision-of-earth-sized-kepler-planet-candidate-properties-with-high-resolution-imaging-by-the-hubble-space-telescope
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