Modeling Kepler transit light curves as false positives: rejection of blend scenarios for Kepler-9, and validation of Kepler-9 d, a super-earth-size planet in a multiple system
Article
Article Title | Modeling Kepler transit light curves as false positives: rejection of blend scenarios for Kepler-9, and validation of Kepler-9 d, a super-earth-size planet in a multiple system |
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ERA Journal ID | 1057 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Torres, Guillermo (Author), Fressin, Francois (Author), Batalha, Natalie M. (Author), Borucki, William J. (Author), Brown, Timothy M. (Author), Bryson, Stephen T. (Author), Buchhave, Lars A. (Author), Charbonneau, David (Author), Ciardi, David R. (Author), Dunham, Edward W. (Author), Fabrycky, Daniel C. (Author), Ford, Eric B. (Author), Gautier, Thomas N. (Author), Gilliland, Ronald L. (Author), Holman, Matthew J. (Author), Howell, Steve B. (Author), Isaacson, Howard (Author), Jenkins, Jon M. (Author), Koch, David G. (Author), Latham, David W. (Author), Lissauer, Jack J. (Author), Marcy, Geoffrey W. (Author), Monet, David G. (Author), Prsa, Andrej (Author), Quinn, Samuel N. (Author), Ragozzine, Darin (Author), Rowe, Jason F. (Author), Sasselov, Dimitar D. (Author), Steffen, Jason H. (Author) and Welsh, William F. (Author) |
Journal Title | The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics |
Journal Citation | 727 (1), pp. 24-41 |
Article Number | 24 |
Number of Pages | 18 |
Year | 2011 |
Publisher | IOP Publishing |
Place of Publication | United States |
ISSN | 0004-637X |
1538-4357 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/727/1/24 |
Web Address (URL) | http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/727/1/24 |
Abstract | Light curves from the Kepler Mission contain valuable information on the nature of the phenomena producing the transit-like signals. To assist in exploring the possibility that they are due to an astrophysical false positive, we describe a procedure (BLENDER) to model the photometry in terms of a 'blend' rather than a planet orbiting a star. A blend may consist of a background or foreground eclipsing binary (or star-planet pair) whose eclipses are attenuated by the light of the candidate and possibly other stars within the photometric aperture. We apply BLENDER to the case of Kepler-9 (KIC 3323887), a target harboring two previously confirmed Saturn-size planets (Kepler-9 b and Kepler-9 c) showing transit timing variations, and an additional shallower signal with a 1.59 day period suggesting the presence of a super-Earth-size planet. Using BLENDER together with constraints from other follow-up observations we are able to rule out all blends for the two deeper signals and provide independent validation of their planetary nature. For the shallower signal, we rule out a large fraction of the false positives that might mimic the transits. The false alarm rate for remaining blends depends in part (and inversely) on the unknown frequency of small-size planets. Based on several realistic estimates of this frequency, we conclude with very high confidence that this small signal is due to a super-Earth-size planet (Kepler-9 d) in a multiple system, rather than a false positive. The radius is determined to be 1.64+0.19-0.14 R., and current spectroscopic observations are as yet insufficient to establish its mass. |
Keywords | Binaries: eclipsing; Planetary systems; Stars; Kepler-9; KIC 3323887; KOI-377 |
Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 510109. Stellar astronomy and planetary systems |
519999. Other physical sciences not elsewhere classified | |
Public Notes | For access to this article, please click on the URL link provided. |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
Byline Affiliations | Center for Astrophysics Harvard and Smithsonian, United States |
San Jose University, United States | |
NASA Ames Research Center, United States | |
Las Cumbres Observatory, United States | |
University of Copenhagen, Denmark | |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States | |
Lowell Observatory, United States | |
University of Florida, United States | |
California Institute of Technology (Caltech), United States | |
Space Telescope Science Institute, United States | |
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, United States | |
San Francisco State University, United States | |
SETI Institute, United States | |
University of California, United States | |
United States Naval Observatory, United States | |
Villanova University, United States | |
Fermilab Cosmic Physics Centre, United States | |
San Diego State University, United States |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q4344/modeling-kepler-transit-light-curves-as-false-positives-rejection-of-blend-scenarios-for-kepler-9-and-validation-of-kepler-9-d-a-super-earth-size-planet-in-a-multiple-system
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