A Deep Search for Transits of Extrasolar Giant Planets

Details A Deep Search for Transits of Extrasolar Giant Planets A Deep Search for Transits of Extrasolar Giant Planets

Feb 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001noao.prop..377s&link_type=abstract

NOAO Proposal ID #2001A-0377

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Scientific paper

We propose to conduct a deep search for transiting close-in extrasolar planets using the MOSAIC II wide-field imager on the CTIO 4m telescope. We will take repeated short I-band exposures during 11 nights (5 Chilean time and 6 USA time) of a single well-chosen field with ~100,000 stars in the range 15<=I<=20. Relative photometry accurate to 0.0007-0.007 mag (and 0.0003-0.003 mag when averaged over 5 exposures) will yield light curves which will allow the identification of transiting planets. Based on the number of known close-in planets, we estimate that we will find ~80 transiting planets, mainly larger-than-Neptune-sized planets for A or later stars, but with the possibility of detecting Earth-sized planets around M stars. Our project differs from other ongoing searches in that it will probe a much larger volume, and will monitor a much larger number of late-type stars with high photometric accuracy, thus becoming sensitive to much smaller planets. By sampling a large number of stars, we will be able to determine the frequency and size distribution of close-in giant planets for a range of spectral types, which will be very valuable for placing constraints on planet formation theories. These observations will also provide a large data base of high precision light curves for variable stars.

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