Planet Hunters IX. KIC 8462852 – where's the flux? Boyajian, T. S; LaCourse, D. M; Rappaport, S. A ...
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
04/2016, Volume:
457, Issue:
4
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Over the duration of the Kepler mission, KIC 8462852 was observed to undergo irregularly shaped, aperiodic dips in flux of up to ∼20 per cent. The dipping activity can last for between 5 and 80 d. We ...characterize the object with high-resolution spectroscopy, spectral energy distribution fitting, radial velocity measurements, high-resolution imaging, and Fourier analyses of the Kepler light curve. We determine that KIC 8462852 is a typical main-sequence F3 V star that exhibits no significant IR excess, and has no very close interacting companions. In this paper, we describe various scenarios to explain the dipping events observed in the Kepler light curve. We confirm that the dipping signals in the data are not caused by any instrumental or data processing artefact, and thus are astrophysical in origin. We construct scenario-independent constraints on the size and location of a body in the system that are needed to reproduce the observations. We deliberate over several assorted stellar and circumstellar astrophysical scenarios, most of which have problems explaining the data in hand. By considering the observational constraints on dust clumps in orbit around a normal main-sequence star, we conclude that the scenario most consistent with the data in hand is the passage of a family of exocomet or planetesimal fragments, all of which are associated with a single previous break-up event, possibly caused by tidal disruption or thermal processing. The minimum total mass associated with these fragments likely exceeds 10−6 M⊕, corresponding to an original rocky body of >100 km in diameter. We discuss the necessity of future observations to help interpret the system.
The Random Transiter – EPIC 249706694/HD 139139 Rappaport, S.; Vanderburg, A.; Omohundro, M.R. ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
09/2019, Volume:
488, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We have identified a star, EPIC 249706694 (HD 139139), that was observed during K2 Campaign 15 with the Kepler extended mission that appears to exhibit 28 transit-like events over the course of the ...87-day observation. The unusual aspect of these dips, all but two of which have depths of 200 ± 80 ppm, is that they exhibit no periodicity, and their arrival times could just as well have been produced by a random number generator. We show that no more than four of the events can be part of a periodic sequence. We have done a number of data quality tests to ascertain that these dips are of astrophysical origin, and while we cannot be absolutely certain that this is so, they have all the hallmarks of astrophysical variability on one of two possible host stars (a likely bound pair) in the photometric aperture. We explore a number of ideas for the origin of these dips, including actual planet transits due to multiple or dust emitting planets, anomalously large TTVs, S- and P-type transits in binary systems, a collection of dust-emitting asteroids, ‘dipper-star’ activity, and short-lived starspots. All transit scenarios that we have been able to conjure up appear to fail, while the intrinsic stellar variability hypothesis would be novel and untested.
Using Campaign 15 data from theK2mission, we have discovered a triply eclipsing triple star system: EPIC 249432662. The inner eclipsing binary system has a period of 8.23 d, withshallow∼3 per cent ...eclipses. During the entire 80-d campaign, there is also a single eclipse event of a third body in the system that reaches a depth of nearly 50 per cent and has a total duration of 1.7 d, longer than for any previously known third-body eclipse involving unevolved stars. The binary eclipses exhibit clear eclipse timing variations. A combination of photodynamical modeling of the light curve, as well as seven follow-up radial velocity measurements, has led to a prediction of the subsequent eclipses of the third star with a period of 188 d. A campaign of follow-up ground-based photometry was able to capture the subsequent pair of third-body events as well as two further 8-d eclipses. A combined photo-spectro-dynamical analysis then leads to the determination of many of the system parameters. The 8-d binary consists of a pair of M stars, while most of the system light is from a K star around which the pair of M stars orbits.
Abstract
We have discovered a young M star of mass 0.16 M⊙ and radius 0.63 R⊙, likely in the Upper Sco Association, that exhibits only a single 80 per cent deep occultation of 1-d duration. The star ...has frequent flares and a low-amplitude rotational modulation, but is otherwise quiet over 160 d of cumulative observation during K2 campaigns C2 and C15. We discuss how such a deep eclipse is not possible by one star crossing another in any binary or higher order stellar system in which no mass transfer has occurred. The two possible explanations we are left with are (1) orbiting dust or small particles (e.g. a disc bound to a smaller orbiting body, or unbound dust that emanates from such a body); or (2) a transient accretion event of dusty material near the corotation radius of the star. In either case, the time between such occultation events must be longer than ∼80 d. We model a possible orbiting occulter both as a uniform elliptically shaped surface (e.g. an inclined circular disc) and as a ‘dust sheet’ with a gradient of optical depth behind its leading edge. The required masses in such dust features are then ≳3 × 1019 g and ≳1019 g, for the two cases, respectively.
ABSTRACT
BG Ind is a well-studied, bright, nearby binary consisting of a pair of F stars in a 1.46-d orbit. We have discovered in the TESS light curve for TIC 229804573 (aka BG Ind), a second ...eclipsing binary in the system with a 0.53-d period. Our subsequent analyses of the recent TESS and archival ground-based photometric and radial velocity (RV) data reveal that the two binaries are gravitationally bound in a 721-d period, moderately eccentric orbit. We present the results of a joint spectro-photodynamical analysis of the eclipse timing variation curves of both binaries based on TESS and ground-based archival data, the TESS light curve, archival RV data, and the spectral energy distribution, coupled with the use of PARSEC stellar isochrones. We confirm prior studies of BG Ind that found that the brighter binary A consists of slightly evolved F-type stars with refined masses of 1.32 and 1.43 M⊙, and radii of 1.59 and 2.34R⊙. The previously unknown binary B has two less massive stars of 0.69 and 0.64 M⊙ and radii of 0.64 and 0.61R⊙. Based on a number of different arguments that we discuss, we conclude that the three orbital planes are likely aligned to within 17○.
ABSTRACT
In this work we report the discovery and analysis of three new triply eclipsing triple star systems found with the TESS mission during its observations of the northern skies: TICs 193993801, ...388459317, and 52041148. We utilized the TESS precision photometry of the binary eclipses and third-body eclipsing events, ground-based archival and follow-up photometric data, eclipse timing variations, archival spectral energy distributions, as well as theoretical evolution tracks in a joint photodynamical analysis to deduce the system masses and orbital parameters of both the inner and outer orbits. In one case (TIC 193993801) we also obtained radial velocity measurements of all three stars. This enabled us to ‘calibrate’ our analysis approach with and without ‘truth’ (i.e. RV) data. We find that the masses are good to 1–3 per cent accuracy with RV data and 3–10 per cent without the use of RV data. In all three systems we were able to find the outer orbital period before doing any detailed analysis by searching for a longer-term periodicity in the ASAS-SN archival photometry data – just a few thousand ASAS-SN points enabled us to find the outer periods of 49.28 d, 89.86 d, and 177.0 d, respectively. From our full photodynamical analysis we find that all three systems are coplanar to within 1°−3°. The outer eccentricities of the three systems are 0.003, 0.10, and 0.62, respectively (i.e. spanning a factor of 200). The masses of the three stars {Aa, Ab, and B} in the three systems are: {1.31, 1.19, 1.34}, {1.82, 1.73, 2.19}, and {1.62, 1.48, 2.74} M⊙, respectively.
ABSTRACT We present high-resolution observations of a sample of 75 K2 targets from Campaigns 1-3 using speckle interferometry on the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope and adaptive ...optics imaging at the Keck II telescope. The median SOAR I-band and Keck Ks-band detection limits at 1 ″ were Δ m I = 4.4 mag and Δ m K s = 6.1 mag, respectively. This sample includes 37 stars likely to host planets, 32 targets likely to be eclipsing binaries (EBs), and 6 other targets previously labeled as likely planetary false positives. We find nine likely physically bound companion stars within 3 ″ of three candidate transiting exoplanet host stars and six likely EBs. Six of the nine detected companions are new discoveries. One of these new discoveries, EPIC 206061524, is associated with a planet candidate. Among the EB candidates, companions were only found near the shortest period ones ( P < 3 days), which is in line with previous results showing high multiplicity near short-period binary stars. This high-resolution data, including both the detected companions and the limits on potential unseen companions, will be useful in future planet vetting and stellar multiplicity rate studies for planets and binaries.
Abstract
This article presents the history of the Visual Survey Group (VSG)—a Professional-Amateur (Pro-Am) collaboration within the field of astronomy working on data from several space missions ...(Kepler, K2 and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). This paper covers the formation of the VSG, its survey-methods including the most common tools used and its discoveries made over the past decade. So far, the group has visually surveyed nearly 10 million light curves and authored 69 peer-reviewed papers which mainly focus on exoplanets and discoveries involving multistellar systems. The preferred manual search-method carried out by the VSG has revealed its strength by detecting numerous objects which were overlooked or discarded by automated search programs, uncovering some of the most rare stars in our galaxy, and leading to several serendipitous discoveries of unprecedented astrophysical phenomena. The main purpose of the VSG is to assist in the exploration of our local universe, and we therefore advocate continued crowd-sourced examination of time-domain data sets, and invite other research teams to reach out in order to establish collaborating projects.
ABSTRACT
We report the discovery with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) of a third set of eclipses from V994 Herculis (V994 Her, TIC 424508303), previously only known as a doubly ...eclipsing system. The key implication of this discovery and our analyses is that V994 Her is the second fully characterized (2+2) + 2 sextuple system, in which all three binaries eclipse. In this work, we use a combination of ground-based observations and TESS data to analyse the eclipses of binaries A and B in order to update the parameters of the inner quadruple’s orbit (with a derived period of 1062 ± 2 d). The eclipses of binary C that were detected in the TESS data were also found in older ground-based observations, as well as in more recently obtained observations. The eclipse timing variations of all three pairs were studied in order to detect the mutual perturbations of their constituent stars, as well as those of the inner pairs in the (2 + 2) core. At the longest periods they arise from apsidal motion, which may help constraining parameters of the component stars’ internal structure. We also discuss the relative proximity of the periods of binaries A and B to a 3:2 mean motion resonance. This work represents a step forward in the development of techniques to better understand and characterize multiple star systems, especially those with multiple eclipsing components.
A study of nine compact triply eclipsing triples Rappaport, S A; Borkovits, T; Gagliano, R ...
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
03/2023, Volume:
521, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
ABSTRACT
In this work, we report the independent discovery and analysis of nine new compact triply eclipsing triple star systems found with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission: ...TICs 47151245, 81525800, 99013269, 229785001, 276162169, 280883908, 294803663, 332521671, and 356324779. Each of these nine systems exhibits distinct third-body eclipses where the third (‘tertiary’) star occults the inner eclipsing binary (EB), or vice versa. We utilize a photodynamical analysis of the TESS photometry, archival photometric data, TESS eclipse timing variations of the EBs, available archival spectral energy distribution (SED) curves, and, in some cases, newly acquired radial velocity observations, to solve for the parameters of all three stars, as well as most of the orbital elements. From these analyses we find that the outer orbits of all nine systems are viewed nearly edge on (i.e. within ≲4°), and six of the systems are coplanar to within 5°; the others have mutual inclination angles of 20°, 41°, and possibly 179° (i.e. a retrograde outer orbit). The outer orbital periods range from 47.8 to 604 d, with eccentricities spanning 0.004–0.61. The masses of all 18 EB stars are in the range of 0.9–2.6 M⊙ and are mostly situated near the main sequence. By contrast, the masses and radii of the tertiary stars range from 1.4 to 2.8 M⊙ and 1.5 to 13 R⊙, respectively. We make use of the system parameters from these nine systems, plus those from a comparable number of compact triply eclipsing triples published previously, to gain some statistical insight into their properties.
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