A Search for Planets Transiting the M1Ve Star AU Mic

Details A Search for Planets Transiting the M1Ve Star AU Mic A Search for Planets Transiting the M1Ve Star AU Mic

Aug 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006noao.prop..269f&link_type=abstract

NOAO Proposal ID #2006B-0269

Physics

Scientific paper

We propose to obtain time series photometry of the young M1Ve dwarf star, AU Mic, to search for planetary transits within ~ 0.25 AU of the star. AU Mic is surrounded by a highly inclined debris disk (~ 1° from line-of-sight) containing substructure which suggests the existence of planet-sized objects. Giant planets orbiting close to the star in the plane of disk will transit causing a detectable dip in brightness. We observed the star in Aug 2005 for 28 nights in 4 filters with a sampling interval of ~ 1 minute and a lightcurve precision of 5-7 millimag. We detected one unexplained gray, 3% box-shaped dip which requires further monitoring to determine its origin. Further, given the disk inclination, Jupiter mass planets with periods ≲ 60 days orbiting in the disk would transit the star causing a detectable signal with our tested observing program. The proposed data combined with coordinated observations at the 40' telescope at Siding Spring (for which we plan to propose), would give us a 50% chance of observing transiting planets with periods ≲ 40 days, a significant improvement over our current data. The detection of a transit would enable unprecedented studies of a young (~ 12Myr) planet and provide observational evidence for the connection between planets and planet-forming debris disks.

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