Understanding disk evolution and dissipation is essential for studies of planet formation. Transition disks, i.e., disks with large dust cavities and gaps, are promising candidates of active evolution. About two dozen candidates, selected by their Spectral Energy Distribution (SED), have been confirmed to have dust cavities through millimeter interferometric imaging, but this sample is biased toward the brightest disks. The Spitzer surveys of nearby low-mass star-forming regions have resulted in more than 4000 young stellar objects (YSOs). Using color criteria, we selected a sample of ~150 candidates and an additional 40 candidates and known transition disks from the literature. The Spitzer data were complemented by new observations at longer wavelengths, including new JCMT and APEX submillimeter photometry, and WISE and Herschel-PACS mid- and far-infrared photometry. Furthermore, optical spectroscopy was obtained and stellar types were derived for 85% of the sample, including information from the literature. The SEDs were fit to a grid of RADMC-3D disk models with a limited number of parameters: disk mass, inner disk mass, scale height and flaring, and disk cavity radius, where the latter is the main parameter of interest. About 72% of our targets possibly have dust cavities based on the SED. The derived cavity sizes are consistent with imaging/modeling results in the literature, where available. Trends are found with the L_disk_ over L_*_ ratio and stellar mass and a possible connection with exoplanet orbital radii. A comparison with a previous study where color observables are used (Cieza et al., 2010, Cat. J/ApJ/712/925) reveals large overlap between their category of planet-forming disks and our transition disks with cavities. A large number of the new transition disk candidates are suitable for follow-up observations with ALMA.
The TRAPPIST-1 planetary system provides an exceptional opportunity for the atmospheric characterization of temperate terrestrial exoplanets with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Assessing the potential impact of stellar contamination on the planets' transit transmission spectra is an essential precursor to this characterization. Planetary transits themselves can be used to scan the stellar photosphere and to constrain its heterogeneity through transit depth variations in time and wavelength. In this context, we present our analysis of 169 transits observed in the optical from space with K2 and from the ground with the SPECULOOS and Liverpool telescopes. Combining our measured transit depths with literature results gathered in the mid-/near-IR with Spitzer/IRAC and HST/WFC3, we construct the broadband transmission spectra of the TRAPPIST-1 planets over the 0.8-4.5 {mu}m spectral range. While planet b, d, and f spectra show some structures at the 200-300 ppm level, the four others are globally flat. Even if we cannot discard their instrumental origins, two scenarios seem to be favored by the data: a stellar photosphere dominated by a few high-latitude giant (cold) spots, or, alternatively, by a few small and hot (3500-4000 K) faculae. In both cases, the stellar contamination of the transit transmission spectra is expected to be less dramatic than predicted in recent papers. Nevertheless, based on our results, stellar contamination can still be of comparable or greater order than planetary atmospheric signals at certain wavelengths. Understanding and correcting the effects of stellar heterogeneity therefore appears essential for preparing for the exploration of TRAPPIST-1 with JWST.
We describe a new metric that uses machine learning to determine if a periodic signal found in a photometric time series appears to be shaped like the signature of a transiting exoplanet. This metric uses dimensionality reduction and k-nearest neighbors to determine whether a given signal is sufficiently similar to known transits in the same data set. This metric is being used by the Kepler Robovetter to determine which signals should be part of the Q1-Q17 DR24 catalog of planetary candidates. The Kepler Mission reports roughly 20000 potential transiting signals with each run of its pipeline, yet only a few thousand appear to be sufficiently transit shaped to be part of the catalog. The other signals tend to be variable stars and instrumental noise. With this metric, we are able to remove more than 90% of the non-transiting signals while retaining more than 99% of the known planet candidates. When tested with injected transits, less than 1% are lost. This metric will enable the Kepler mission and future missions looking for transiting planets to rapidly and consistently find the best planetary candidates for follow-up and cataloging.
We present the discovery of seven new planets and eight planet candidates around subgiant stars, as additions to the known sample of planets around "retired A stars". Among these are the possible first three-planet systems around subgiant stars, HD 163607 and HD 4917. Additionally, we present calculations of possible transit times, durations, depths, and probabilities for all known planets around subgiant (3<logg<4) stars, focused on possible transits during the TESS mission. While most have transit probabilities of 1%-2%, we find that there are three planets with transit probabilities >9%.
We present results of an extensive photometric search for planetary and low-luminosity object transits in the Galactic disk stars commencing the third phase of the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment - OGLE-III.
We used VLT/VIMOS images in the V band to obtain light curves of extrasolar planetary transits OGLE-TR-111 and OGLE-TR-113, and candidate planetary transits: OGLE-TR-82, OGLE-TR-86, OGLE-TR-91, OGLE-TR-106, OGLE-TR-109, OGLE-TR-110, OGLE-TR-159, OGLE-TR-167, OGLE-TR-170, OGLE-TR-171. Using difference imaging photometry, we were able to achieve millimagnitude errors in the individual data points. We present the analysis of the data and the light curves, by measuring transit amplitudes and ephemerides, and by calculating geometrical parameters for some of the systems. We observed 9 OGLE objects at the predicted transit moments. Two other transits were shifted in time by a few hours. For another seven objects we expected to observe transits during the VIMOS run, but they were not detected. The stars OGLE-TR-111 and OGLE-TR-113 are probably the only OGLE objects in the observed sample to host planets, with the other objects being very likely eclipsing binaries or multiple systems. In this paper we also report on four new transiting candidates which we have found in the data.
Many of the known hot Jupiters are formally unstable to tidal orbital decay. The only hot Jupiter for which orbital decay has been directly detected is WASP-12, for which transit-timing measurements spanning more than a decade have revealed that the orbital period is decreasing at a rate of dP/dt~10^-9^, corresponding to a reduced tidal quality factor of about 2x10^5^. Here, we present a compilation of transit-timing data for WASP-12 and 11 other systems that are especially favorable for detecting orbital decay: KELT-16; WASP-18, 19, 43, 72, 103, 114, and 122; HAT-P-23; HATS-18; and OGLE-TR-56. For most of these systems we present new data that extend the time baseline over which observations have been performed. None of the systems besides WASP-12 display convincing evidence for period changes, with typical upper limits on dP/dt on the order of 10^-9^ or 10^-10^, and lower limits on the reduced tidal quality factor on the order of 10^5^. One possible exception is WASP-19, which shows a statistically significant trend, although it may be a spurious effect of starspot activity.
I report the discovery of non-transiting close companions to two transiting warm Jupiters (WJs), Kepler-448/KOI-12b (orbital period P=17.9days, radius R_p_=1.23_-0.05_^+0.06^R_Jup_) and Kepler-693/KOI-824b (P=15.4days, R_p_=0.91+/-0.05R_Jup_), via dynamical modeling of their transit timing and duration variations (TTVs and TDVs). The companions have masses of 22_-5_^+7^M_Jup_ (Kepler-448c) and 150_-40_^+60^M_Jup_ (Kepler-693c), and both are on eccentric orbits (e=0.65_-0.09_^+0.13^ for Kepler-448c and e=0.47_-0.06_^+0.11^ for Kepler-693c) with periastron distances of 1.5au. Moderate eccentricities are detected for the inner orbits as well (e=0.34_-0.07_^+0.08^ for Kepler-448b and e=0.2_-0.1_^+0.2^ for Kepler-693b). In the Kepler-693 system, a large mutual inclination between the inner and outer orbits (53_-9_^+7^deg or 134_-10_^+11^deg) is also revealed by the TDVs. This is likely to induce a secular oscillation in the eccentricity of the inner WJ that brings its periastron close enough to the host star for tidal star-planet interactions to be significant. In the Kepler-448 system, the mutual inclination is weakly constrained, and such an eccentricity oscillation is possible for a fraction of the solutions. Thus these WJs may be undergoing tidal migration to become hot Jupiters (HJs), although the migration via this process from beyond the snow line is disfavored by the close-in and massive nature of the companions. This may indicate that WJs can be formed in situ and could even evolve into HJs via high-eccentricity migration inside the snow line.
The architectures of multiple planet systems can provide valuable constraints on models of planet formation, including orbital migration, and excitation of orbital eccentricities and inclinations. NASA's Kepler mission has identified 1235 transiting planet candidates. The method of transit timing variations (TTVs) has already confirmed seven planets in two planetary systems. We perform a transit timing analysis of the Kepler planet candidates. We find that at least ~11% of planet candidates currently suitable for TTV analysis show evidence suggestive of TTVs, representing at least ~65 TTV candidates. In all cases, the time span of observations must increase for TTVs to provide strong constraints on planet masses and/or orbits, as expected based on N-body integrations of multiple transiting planet candidate systems (assuming circular and coplanar orbits).
We extract transit timing variation (TTV) signals for 12 pairs of transiting planet candidates that are near first-order mean motion resonances (MMR), using publicly available Kepler light curves (Q0-Q14). These pairs show significant sinusoidal TTVs with theoretically predicted periods, which demonstrate these planet candidates are orbiting and interacting in the same system. Although individual masses cannot be accurately extracted based only on TTVs because of the well-known degeneracy between mass and eccentricity, TTV phases and amplitudes can still place upper limits on the masses of the candidates, confirming their planetary nature. Furthermore, the mass ratios of these planet pairs can be relatively tightly constrained using these TTVs. The planetary pair in KOI 880 seems to have particularly high mass and density ratios, which might indicate very different internal compositions of these two planets. Some of these newly confirmed planets are also near MMR with other candidates in the system, forming unique resonance chains (e.g., KOI 500).
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