From the list of 2321 transiting planet candidates announced by the Kepler Mission, we select seven targets with favorable properties for the capacity to dynamically maintain an exomoon and present a ...detectable signal. These seven candidates were identified through our automatic target selection (TSA) algorithm and target selection prioritization (TSP) filtering, whereby we excluded systems exhibiting significant time-correlated noise and focused on those with a single transiting planet candidate of radius less than 6 R sub(+ in circle). We find no compelling evidence for an exomoon around any of the seven Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs) but constrain the satellite-to-planet mass ratios for each. For four of the seven KOIs, we estimate a 95% upper quantile of MS/MP < 0.04, which given the radii of the candidates, likely probes down to sub-Earth masses. We also derive precise transit times and durations for each candidate and find no evidence for dynamical variations in any of the KOIs. With just a few systems analyzed thus far in the ongoing "Hunt for Exomoons with Kepler" (HEK) project, projections on eta(ProQuest: Formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) would be premature, but a high frequency of large moons around Super-Earths/Mini-Neptunes would appear to be incommensurable with our results so far.
This paper describes the Vartools program, which is an open-source command-line utility, written in C, for analyzing astronomical time-series data, especially light curves. The program provides a ...general-purpose set of tools for processing light curves including signal identification, filtering, light curve manipulation, time conversions, and modeling and simulating light curves. Some of the routines implemented include the Generalized Lomb–Scargle periodogram, the Box-Least Squares transit search routine, the Analysis of Variance periodogram, the Discrete Fourier Transform including the CLEAN algorithm, the Weighted Wavelet Z-Transform, light curve arithmetic, linear and non-linear optimization of analytic functions including support for Markov Chain Monte Carlo analyses with non-trivial covariances, characterizing and/or simulating time-correlated noise, and the TFA and SYSREM filtering algorithms, among others. A mechanism is also provided for incorporating a user’s own compiled processing routines into the program. Vartools is designed especially for batch processing of light curves, including built-in support for parallel processing, making it useful for large time-domain surveys such as searches for transiting planets. Several examples are provided to illustrate the use of the program.
We report the discovery by the HATSouth survey of HATS-6b, an extrasolar planet transiting a V = 15.2 mag, i = 13.7 mag M1V star with a mass of 0.57 M sub(middot in circle) and a radius of 0.57 R ...sub(middot in circle). HATS-6b has a period of P = 3.3253 d, mass of M sub(p) = 0.32 M sub(J) , radius of R sub(p) = 1.00 R sub(J) , and zero-albedo equilibrium temperature of T sub(eq) = 712.8 + or - 5.1 K. HATS-6 is one of the lowest mass stars known to host a close-in gas giant planet, and its transits are among the deepest of any known transiting planet system. We show that from the transit-based stellar density alone it is possible to measure the mass and radius of a ~0.6 M sub(middot in circle) star to ~7 and ~2% precision, respectively.
We report six new inflated hot Jupiters (HATS-25b through HATS-30b) discovered using the HATSouth global network of automated telescopes. The planets orbit stars with V magnitudes in the range of ...~12-14 and have masses in the largely populated 0.5MJ-0.7M sub(J) region of parameter space but span a wide variety of radii, from 1.17R sub(J) to 1.75R sub(J). HATS-25b, HATS-28b, HATS-29b, and HATS-30b are typical inflated hot Jupiters (Rp= 1.17-1.26R sub(J)) orbiting G-type stars in short period (P= 3.2-4.6 days) orbits. However, HATS-26b (Rp= 1.75R sub(J), P= 3.3024 days) and HATS-27b (Rp= 1.50R sub(J), P= 4.6370 days) stand out as highly inflated planets orbiting slightly evolved F stars just after and in the turn-off points, respectively, which are among the least dense hot Jupiters, with densities of 0.153 g cm super(-3) and 0.180 g cm super(-3), respectively. All the presented exoplanets but HATS-27b are good targets for future atmospheric characterization studies, while HATS-27b is a prime target for Rossiter-McLaughlin monitoring in order to determine its spin-orbit alignment given the brightness (V= 12.8) and stellar rotational velocity (v sin iapproximate 9.3 km s super(-1)) of the host star. These discoveries significantly increase the number of inflated hot Jupiters known, contributing to our understanding of the mechanism(s) responsible for hot Jupiter inflation.
Kepler-22b is the first transiting planet to have been detected in the habitable zone of its host star. At 2.4 R sub(+ in cicle), Kepler-22b is too large to be considered an Earth analog, but should ...the planet host a moon large enough to maintain an atmosphere, then the Kepler-22 system may yet possess a telluric world. Aside from being within the habitable zone, the target is attractive due to the availability of previously measured precise radial velocities and low intrinsic photometric noise, which has also enabled asteroseismology studies of the star. For these reasons, Kepler-22b was selected as a target-of-opportunity by the "Hunt for Exomoons with Kepler" (HEK) project. In this work, we conduct a photodynamical search for an exomoon around Kepler-22b leveraging the transits, radial velocities, and asteroseismology plus several new tools developed by the HEK project to improve exomoon searches. We find no evidence for an exomoon around the planet and exclude moons of mass M sub(S) > 0.5 M sub(+ in cicle) to 95% confidence. By signal injection and blind retrieval, we demonstrate that an Earth-like moon is easily detected for this planet even when the time-correlated noise of the data set is taken into account. We provide updated parameters for the planet Kepler-22b, including a revised mass of M sub(P) < 53 M sub(+ in cicle) to 95% confidence and an eccentricity of 0.13 super(+0.36) sub(-0.13) by exploiting Single-body Asterodensity Profiling. Finally, we show that Kepler-22b has a >95% probability of being within the empirical habitable zone but a <5% probability of being within the conservative habitable zone.
We report the discovery of two exoplanets transiting high-jitter stars. HAT-P-32b orbits the bright V = 11.289 late-F-early-G dwarf star GSC 3281-00800, with a period P = 2.150008 ? 0.000001 d. The ...stellar and planetary masses and radii depend on the eccentricity of the system, which is poorly constrained due to the high-velocity jitter (~80 m s--1). Assuming a circular orbit, the star has a mass of 1.16 ? 0.04 M and radius of 1.22 ? 0.02 R , while the planet has a mass of 0.860 ? 0.164 M J and a radius of 1.789 ? 0.025 R J. The second planet, HAT-P-33b, orbits the bright V = 11.188 late-F dwarf star GSC 2461-00988, with a period P = 3.474474 ? 0.000001 d. As for HAT-P-32, the stellar and planetary masses and radii of HAT-P-33 depend on the eccentricity, which is poorly constrained due to the high jitter (~50 m s--1). In this case, spectral line bisector spans (BSs) are significantly anti-correlated with the radial velocity residuals, and we are able to use this correlation to reduce the residual rms to ~35 m s--1. We find that the star has a mass of 1.38 ? 0.04 M and a radius of 1.64 ? 0.03 R while the planet has a mass of 0.762 ? 0.101 M J and a radius of 1.686 ? 0.045 R J for an assumed circular orbit. Due to the large BS variations exhibited by both stars we rely on detailed modeling of the photometric light curves to rule out blend scenarios. Both planets are among the largest radii transiting planets discovered to date.
We report the discovery by the HATSouth network of HATS-18b: a (ProQuest: Formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) planet in a 0.8378 day orbit, around a solar analog star (mass 1.037 + or - 0.047 ...Mmiddot in circle and radius (ProQuest: Formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) Rmiddot in circle) V= 14.067 + or - 0.040 mag. The high planet mass, combined with its short orbital period, implies strong tidal coupling between the planetary orbit and the star. In fact, given its inferred age, HATS-18 shows evidence of significant tidal spin up, which together with WASP-19 (a very similar system) allows us to constrain the tidal quality factor for Sun-like stars to be in the range of 6.5 <, ~ log sub(10)(Q*/k sub(2)) <, ~ 7 even after allowing for extremely pessimistic model uncertainties. In addition, the HATS-18 system is among the best systems (and often the best system) for testing a multitude of star-planet interactions, be they gravitational, magnetic, or radiative, as well as planet formation and migration theories.
Nowadays, conventional coal or gas fired power plants are the dominant way to generate electricity in the world. In recent years there is a growth in the field of renewable energy sources in order to ...avoid the threat of climate change from fossil fuel combustion. Solar energy, as an environmental friendly energy source, may be the answer to the reduction of global CO2 emissions. This paper presents the concept of Solar Aided Power Generation (SAPG), a combination of renewable and conventional energy sources technologies. The operation of the 300 MW lignite fired power plant of Ptolemais integrated with a solar field of parabolic trough collectors was simulated using TRNSYS software in both power boosting and fuel saving modes. The power plant performance, power output variation, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions were calculated. Furthermore, an economic analysis was carried out for both power boosting and fuel saving modes of operation and optimum solar contribution was estimated.
•Development of new TRNSYS program for simulation of SAPG.•Investigation of optimum solar contribution to existing lignite fire power plant.•Economic analysis of real case study.
We report on the discovery of HAT-P-12b, a transiting extrasolar planet orbiting the moderately bright V 12.8 K4 dwarf GSC 03033 - 00706, with a period P = 3.2130598 +/- 0.0000021 d, transit epoch Tc ...= 2454419.19556 +/- 0.00020 (BJD), and transit duration 0.0974 +/- 0.0006 d. The host star has a mass of 0.73 +/- 0.02 M, radius of 0.70+0.02 -0.01 R, effective temperature 4650 +/- 60 K, and metallicity Fe/H = -0.29 +/- 0.05. We find a slight correlation between the observed spectral line bisector spans and the radial velocity, so we consider, and rule out, various blend configurations including a blend with a background eclipsing binary, and hierarchical triple systems where the eclipsing body is a star or a planet. We conclude that a model consisting of a single star with a transiting planet best fits the observations, and show that a likely explanation for the apparent correlation is contamination from scattered moonlight. Based on this model, the planetary companion has a mass of 0.211 +/- 0.012 M J and radius of 0.959+0.029 -0.021 R J yielding a mean density of 0.295 +/- 0.025 g cm-3. Comparing these observations with recent theoretical models, we find that HAT-P-12b is consistent with a ~1-4.5 Gyr, mildly irradiated, H/He-dominated planet with a core mass MC 10 M {circled plus}. HAT-P-12b is thus the least massive H/He-dominated gas giant planet found to date. This record was previously held by Saturn.
We report the discovery by the HATSouth survey of HATS-4b, an extrasolar planet transiting a V = 13.46 mag G star. HATS-4b has a period of P approximately 2.5167 days, mass of M sub(p) approximately ...1.32 M sub(Jup), radius of R sub(p) approximately 1.02 R sub(Jup), and density of rho sub(p) = 1.55 + or - 0.16 g cm super(-3) approximately 1.24 rho sub(Jup). The host star has a mass of 1.00 M sub(odot), a radius of 0.92 R sub(odot), and a very high metallicity Fe/H = 0.43 + or - 0.08. HATS-4b is among the densest known planets with masses between 1 and 2 M sub(J) and is thus likely to have a significant content of heavy elements of the order of 75 M sub(+ in circle). In this paper we present the data reduction, radial velocity measurements, and stellar classification techniques adopted by the HATSouth survey for the CORALIE spectrograph. We also detail a technique for simultaneously estimating v sin i and macroturbulence using high resolution spectra.
PDF
