H. P. Osborn

On the abundance of circumbinary planets

Circumbinary planets are bodies that orbit both components in a binary star system. This thesis focuses on transits of these planets, which with the aid of the Kepler space telescope have recently led to the discovery of several such objects. First, transit timing variations - departures from strict periodicity in the transit times - are studied. These arise from both the motion of the host stars and relatively rapid precession of the planet’s orbit. Limits on the maximum possible transit timing variation are derived, and tested against N-body simulations of simulated circumbinary systems. These limits are then utilised to form a search algorithm designed to find these planets in light curves, focusing on data from the WASP and Kepler observatories. This search algorithm uses an individual transit search to identify potential transit signatures, then forms periodograms allowing for the possible timing variations. It is used to identify several new candidate planets, as well as confirm detections of previously known circumbinary systems. In addition a number of interesting multiple stellar systems are identified including the as yet unexplained KIC2856960, which display multiple eclipses, significant tidal heating or rapid orbital evolution on the timescale of the 4 year Kepler observations. In 2013 unbiased stellar radii for the eclipsing binaries of the Kepler dataset were not available. A catalogue is produced, derived from spectral energy distribution fits to data from the KIS, HES and 2MASS surveys of the Kepler field, which gives temperatures for these stars accurate to⇠300K. These are then used to find calibrated stellar masses and radii. These parameters, in combination with the search algorithm, are used to study circumbinary planet rates of occurrence in the Kepler dataset. The known sample of eclipsing binaries is tested for detectability, and a Monte Carlo population synthesis used to find probability density functions for these rates. These are a function of the as yet unknown circumbinary planetary inclination distribution, and show that the rate of occurrence of circumbinary planets is consistent with that of single stars if these planets are in the majority coplanar with their host binaries. However, if they are more misaligned, to a degree greater than that implied by a 5# Gaussian distribution, their rate of occurrence becomes significantly higher. Furthermore, it is confirmed that planets of Jupiter size and greater occur less often in circumbinary configurations, and that circumbinary planets are preferentially found around binaries with periods longer than⇠7 days.

K2 variable catalogue : variable stars and eclipsing binaries in K2 campaigns 1 and 0

We have created a catalogue of variable stars found from a search of the publicly available K2 mission data from Campaigns 1 and 0. This catalogue provides the identifiers of 8395 variable stars, including 199 candidate eclipsing binaries with periods up to 60d and 3871 periodic or quasi-periodic objects, with periods up to 20d for Campaign 1 and 15d for Campaign 0. Lightcurves are extracted and detrended from the available data. These are searched using a combination of algorithmic and human classification, leading to a classifier for each object as an eclipsing binary, sinusoidal periodic, quasi periodic, or aperiodic variable. The source of the variability is not identified, but could arise in the non-eclipsing binary cases from pulsation or stellar activity. Each object is cross-matched against variable star related guest observer proposals to the K2 mission, which specifies the variable type in some cases. The detrended lightcurves are also compared to lightcurves currently publicly available. The resulting catalogue is made available online via the MAST archive at this https URL, and gives the ID, type, period, semi-amplitude and range of the variation seen. We also make available the detrended lightcurves for each object.

One of the closest exoplanet pairs to the 3.2 mean motion resonance: K2-19b and c

Aims. The K2 mission has recently begun to discover new and diverse planetary systems. In December 2014, Campaign 1 data from the mission was released, providing high-precision photometry for similar to 22 000 objects over an 80-day timespan. We searched these data with the aim of detecting more important new objects. Methods. Our search through two separate pipelines led to the independent discovery of K2-19b and c, a two-planet system of Neptune-sized objects (4.2 and 7.2 R-circle plus), orbiting a K dwarf extremely close to the 3: 2 mean motion resonance. The two planets each show transits, sometimes simultaneously owing to their proximity to resonance and the alignment of conjunctions. Results. We obtained further ground-based photometry of the larger planet with the NITES telescope, demonstrating the presence of large transit timing variations (TTVs), and used the observed TTVs to place mass constraints on the transiting objects under the hypothesis that the objects are near but not in resonance. We then statistically validated the planets through the PASTIS tool,

K2 variable catalogue – II. Machine learning classification of variable stars and eclipsing binaries in K2 fields 0–4

We are entering an era of unprecedented quantities of data from current and planned survey telescopes. To maximize the potential of such surveys, automated data analysis techniques are required. Here we implement a new methodology for variable star classification, through the combination of Kohonen Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs, an unsupervised machine learning algorithm) and the more common Random Forest (RF) supervised machine learning technique. We apply this method to data from the K2 mission fields 0–4, finding 154 ab-type RR Lyraes (10 newly discovered), 377 δ Scuti pulsators, 133 γ Doradus pulsators, 183 detached eclipsing binaries, 290 semidetached or contact eclipsing binaries and 9399 other periodic (mostly spot-modulated) sources, once class significance cuts are taken into account. We present light-curve features for all K2 stellar targets, including their three strongest detected frequencies, which can be used to study stellar rotation periods where the observed variability arises from spot modulation. The resulting catalogue of variable stars, classes, and associated data features are made available online. We publish our SOM code in PYTHON as part of the open source PYMVPA package, which in combination with already available RF modules can be easily used to recreate the method.

Photodynamical mass determination of the multiplanetary system K2-19

K2-19 is the second multiplanetary system discovered with K2 observations. The system is composed of two Neptune size planets close to the 3: 2 mean-motion resonance. To better characterize the system we obtained two additional transit observations of K2-19b and five additional radial velocity observations. These were combined with K2 data and fitted simultaneously with the system dynamics ( photodynamical model) which increases the precision of the transit time measurements. The higher transit time precision allows us to detect the chopping signal of the dynamic interaction of the planets that in turn permits to uniquely characterize the system. Although the reflex motion of the star was not detected, dynamic modelling of the system allowed us to derive planetary masses of M-b = 44 +/- 12 M-circle plus and M-c = 15.9 +/- 7.0 M-circle plus for the inner and the outer planets, respectively, leading to densities close to Uranus. We also show that our method allows the derivation of mass ratios using only the 80 d of observations during the first campaign of K2.

Variability in the atmosphere of the hot giant planet HAT-P-7 b

The detection of temporal variations in the peak of the phase curve of the hot giant exoplanet HAT-P-7 b is explained by changes in wind speed and cloud coverage in its atmosphere. Such ‘weather’ has never before been observed on a giant exoplanet.

The host stars of Kepler's habitable exoplanets: superflares, rotation and activity

We embark on a detailed study of the light curves of Keplers most Earth-like exoplanet host stars using the full length of Kepler data. We derive rotation periods, photometric activity indices, flaring energies, mass-loss rates, gyrochronological ages, X-ray luminosities and consider implications for the planetary magnetospheres and habitability. Furthermore, we present the detection of superflares in the light curve of Kepler-438, the exoplanet with the highest Earth Similarity Index to date. Kepler-438b orbits at a distance of 0.166 au to its host star, and hence may be susceptible to atmospheric stripping. Our sample is taken from the Habitable Exoplanet Catalogue, and consists of the stars Kepler-22, Kepler-61, Kepler-62, Kepler-174, Kepler-186, Kepler-283, Kepler-296, Kepler-298, Kepler-438, Kepler-440, Kepler-442, Kepler-443 and KOI-4427, between them hosting 15 of the most habitable transiting planets known to date from Kepler.

The Mysterious Dimmings of the T Tauri Star V1334 Tau

We present the discovery of two extended ˜0.12 mag dimming events of the weak-lined T Tauri star V1334. The start of the first event was missed but came to an end in late 2003, and the second began in 2009 February, and continues as of 2016 November. Since the egress of the current event has not yet been observed, it suggests a period of >13 years if this event is periodic. Spectroscopic observations suggest the presence of a small inner disk, although the spectral energy distribution shows no infrared excess. We explore the possibility that the dimming events are caused by an orbiting body (e.g., a disk warp or dust trap), enhanced disk winds, hydrodynamical fluctuations of the inner disk, or a significant increase in the magnetic field flux at the surface of the star. We also find a ˜0.32 day periodic photometric signal that persists throughout the 2009 dimming which appears to not be due to ellipsoidal variations from a close stellar companion. High-precision photometric observations of V1334 Tau during K2 campaign 13, combined with simultaneous photometric and spectroscopic observations from the ground, will provide crucial information about the photometric variability and its origin.

Single transit candidates from K2: detection and period estimation

Photometric surveys such as Kepler have the precision to identify exoplanet and eclipsing binary candidates from only a single transit. K2, with its 75 d campaign duration, is ideally suited to detect significant numbers of single-eclipsing objects. Here we develop a Bayesian transit-fitting tool (‘Namaste: An Mcmc Analysis of Single Transit Exoplanets’) to extract orbital information from single transit events. We achieve favourable results testing this technique on known Kepler planets, and apply the technique to seven candidates identified from a targeted search of K2 campaigns 1, 2 and 3. We find EPIC203311200 to host an excellent exoplanet candidate with a period, assuming zero eccentricity, of 540+410 −230 d and a radius of 0.51 ± 0.05RJup. We also find six further transit candidates for which more follow-up is required to determine a planetary origin. Such a technique could be used in the future with TESS, PLATO and ground-based photometric surveys such as NGTS, potentially allowing the detection of planets in reach of confirmation by Gaia.

K2-29 b/WASP-152 b: AN ALIGNED AND INFLATED HOT JUPITER IN A YOUNG VISUAL BINARY

In the present paper we report the discovery of a new hot Jupiter, K2-29 b, first detected by the Super-WASP observatory and then by the K2 space mission during its campaign 4. The planet has a period of 3.25 days, a mass of 0.73 +/- 0.04M(sic), and a radius of 1.19 +/- 0.02 R(sic). The host star is a relatively bright (V = 12.5) G7 dwarf with a nearby K5V companion. Based on stellar rotation and the abundance of lithium, we find that the system might be as young as similar to 450 Myr. The observation of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect shows that the planet is aligned with respect to the stellar spin. Given the deep transit (20 mmag), the magnitude of the star and the presence of a nearby stellar companion, the planet is a good target for both space- and ground-based transmission spectroscopy, in particular in the near-infrared where both stars are relatively bright.