Detection of Habitable Super-Earths via Transit Timing Variation Method

Details Detection of Habitable Super-Earths via Transit Timing Variation Method Detection of Habitable Super-Earths via Transit Timing Variation Method

May 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dda....40.0402k&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DDA meeting #40, #4.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.897

Mathematics

Probability

Scientific paper

As indicated by the simulations of planet formation in our solar system, planets tend to form in multiples. It is therefore expected that many transiting extrasolar planetary systems host more and possibly smaller (e.g., terrestrial-class) objects. These planets may affect the motions of their transiting giant counterparts and cause variations in the periodicity of the time of their transits. To determine the probability of the detection of a Super-Earth object in the habitable zone of a star with a transiting giant planet, we have carried out an expansive numerical simulation of the dynamical evolution of such a Super-Earth for different values of its mass and orbital elements. Since the variations in transit timing are largest if the perturbing and the transiting planets are in low-order resonances, we considered stars whose habitable zones are close to the transiting planet (namely M and K stars) and focused our attention on resonant periodic orbits in the HZ. Results indicate that low-order mean-motion resonances, such as 1:2 and 1:3 resonances, cause strong enhancements in TTV signals and present most probable configurations for the detection of Super-Earth objects. We present the results of our simulations and discuss possible constraints that they may apply to the mass and orbital configuration of a Super-Earth in the habitable zone. We therefore show the implications for the detection of such objects through continuous observations of known transiting planets.
Supports from NASA Astrobiology Institute, and the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii through the Cooperative Agreement NNA04CC08A are acknowledged.

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