Exoplanet Transit Timing Observations with the Apache Point Observatory 0.5-m Photometric Telescope

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To date, there are over thirty known transiting exoplanets, which are seen by a periodic, achromatic dip in the flux of the host star as the planet crosses directly in front of it. If the orbits of a planetary system are nearly, but not exactly, edge-on, it may be possible only to see the transit of the innermost planet. However, other planets in the system can cause perturbations to the orbit of the transiting planet by their gravitational interaction. This could result in variations of the exact timing of the transit on the order of several seconds to minutes, an effect that should be detectable with ground-based photometry. We have observed multiple transit events of several previously discovered systems with the 0.5-meter photometric telescope at Apache Point Observatory, taking a series of exposures in the SDSS i-band for each event. The raw data were reduced by an ensemble photometry pipeline, and we fit models of the lightcurve based on the physical parameters of the star, planet, and planet's orbit, as well as the best-fit time for the center of the transit. We then discuss the behavior of the timing measurements and the possibilities for multiple-planet models that may produce these observations. In addition, we argue for the improvement of the systems' published parameters based on our photometry: star and planet mass, star and planet radius, orbital period, orbital semi-major axis, inclination, and eccentricity. This work was supported by NASA grant NAG5-7697.

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