Detecting Extrasolar Planetary Transits Through Photoelectric Photometry

Violet PooleDr. Matthew Beaky

Most extrasolar planets have been detected by the radial velocity method

i

Minimum massM sin i

Astrophysical Journal 587, p. 423

An extrasolar planetary transit is seen from Earth as a dimming of light from the parent star € Δmtime

Inclination angle (i) Planet mass DensityComposition{

Extrasolar planetary transit observations are usually made with CCD cameras

T. Castellano & G. Laughlin, Proceedings of the 21st IAPPP-WW Conf., 2002

All observations were made at the Truman Observatory in Kirksville, Missouri

Meade LX200GPS14 inch SCT

Optec SSP3-APhotoelectric Photometer

Δm = –2.5 log (Var / Comp)

Making photometric measurements of a non-variable star established system precision

HD195019

A partial transit of HD209458 was observed

We made photometric observations of HD149026, a planetary transit candidate…

…but we were unsuccessful in our effort to observe a second transit

We later learned that HD149026 had in fact been observed to transit

N2K ConsortiumAstrophysical Journal 633, p. 465

Δm ~ 0.003

Photoelectric photometry is a valid alternative method for observing extrasolar planetary transits

Transit Search: www.transitsearch.org

Transit Timing