Rainer Kuschnig

The Very Low Albedo of an Extrasolar Planet: MOST* Space-based Photometry of HD 209458

Measuring the albedo of an extrasolar planet provides insight into its atmospheric composition and its global thermal properties, including heat dissipation and weather patterns. Such a measurement requires very precise photometry of a transiting system, fully sampling many phases of the secondary eclipse. Space-based optical photometry of the transiting system HD 209458 from the MOST (Microvariablity and Oscillations of Stars) satellite, spanning 14 and 44 days in 2004 and 2005, respectively, allows us to set a sensitive limit on the optical eclipse of the hot exosolar giant planet in this system. Our best fit to the observations yields a flux ratio of the planet and star of -->7 ± 9 ppm (parts per million), which corresponds to a geometric albedo through the MOST bandpass (400-700 nm) of -->Ag = 0.038 ± 0.045. This gives a 1 σ upper limit of 0.08 for the geometric albedo and a 3 σ upper limit of 0.17. HD 209458b is significantly less reflective than Jupiter (for which Ag would be about 0.5). This low geometric albedo rules out the presence of bright reflective clouds in this exoplanets atmosphere. We determine refined parameters for the star and exoplanet in the HD 209458 system based on a model fit to the MOST light curve.

An Upper Limit on the Albedo of HD 209458b: Direct Imaging Photometry with the MOST Satellite

We present space-based photometry of the transiting exoplanetary system HD 209458 obtained with the Microvariablity and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) satellite, spanning 14 days and covering 4 transits and 4 secondary eclipses. The HD 209458 photometry was obtained in MOSTs lower precision direct imaging mode, which is used for targets in the brightness range 6.5 ≥ V ≥ 13. We describe the photometric reduction techniques for this mode of observing, in particular the corrections for stray earthshine. We do not detect the secondary eclipse in the MOST data, to a limit in depth of 0.053 mmag (1 σ). We set a 1 σ upper limit on the planet-star flux ratio of 4.88 × 10-5 corresponding to a geometric albedo upper limit in the MOST bandpass (400-700 nm) of 0.25. The corresponding numbers at the 3 σ level are 1.34 × 10-4 and 0.68, respectively. HD 209458b is half as bright as Jupiter in the MOST bandpass. This low geometric albedo value is an important constraint for theoretical models of the HD 209458b atmosphere, in particular ruling out the presence of reflective clouds. A second MOST campaign on HD 209458 is expected to be sensitive to an exoplanet albedo as low as 0.13 (1 σ), if the star does not become more intrinsically variable in the meantime.

MOST* Detects g- and p-Modes in the B Supergiant HD 163899 (B2 Ib/II)

The Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) satellite observed the B supergiant HD 163899 (B2 Ib/II) for 37 days as a guide star and detected 48 frequencies P2.8 cycles day � 1 with amplitudes of a few millimagnitudes (mmag) and less. The frequency range embraces g- and p-mode pulsations. It was generally thought that no g-modes are excited in less luminous B supergiants because strong radiative damping is expected in the core. Our theoretical models, however, show that such g-modes are excited in massive postYmain-sequence stars, in accordance with these

MOST Detects g-Modes in the Be Star HD 163868*

We have extracted a 37 day light curve with a precision of 0.0012 mag per point for the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) guide star, HD 163868 (B5 Ve). Its rich frequency spectrum resembles that of a slowly pulsating B (SPB) star but, being a rapid rotator, we designate it SPBe. The 60 most significant periods lie in three distinct groups centered on 8 days and 14 and 7 hr. We demonstrate that the 14 and 7 hr periods can be modeled by two swarms of high-order, prograde sectorial g-modes (m = -1, -2), which are destabilized by the iron opacity bump. Our model also predicts a group of r-modes with periods near 2.3 days, which correspond to frequencies observed in the tail of the 8 day group. The remaining periodicities, between 7 and 11 days, cannot be explained by unstable modes in our model.

Photometric variability of the T Tauri star TW Hya on time-scales of hours to years

MOST (Microvariability & Oscillations of STars) and ASAS (All Sky Automated Survey) observations have been used to characterize photometric variability of TW Hya on time scales from a fraction of a day to 7.5 weeks and from a few days to 8 years, respectively. The two data sets have very different uncertainties and temporal coverage properties and cannot be directly combined, nevertheless, they suggests a global variability spectrum with “flicker noise” properties, i.e. with amplitudes a / 1/ p f, over > 4 decades in frequency, in the range f = 0.0003 to 10 cycles per day (c/d). A 3.7 d period is clearly present in the continuous 11 day, 0.07 d time resolution, observations by MOST in 2007. Brightness extrema coincide with zero-velocity crossings in periodic (3.56 d) radial velocity variability detected in contemporaneous spectroscopic observations of Setiawan et al. (2008) and interpreted as caused by a planet. The 3.56/3.7 d periodicity was entirely absent in the second, four times longer MOST run in 2008, casting doubt on the planetary explanation. Instead, a spectrum of unstable single periods within the range of 2 – 9 days was observed; the tendency of the periods to progressively shorten was well traced using the wavelet analysis. The evolving periodicities and the overall flicker-noise characteristics of the TW Hya variability suggest a combination of several mechanisms, with the dominant ones probably related to the accretion processes from the disk around the star.

Pulsations of the Oe Star ζ Ophiuchi from MOST Satellite* Photometry and Ground-based Spectroscopy

Twenty-four days of highly precise Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) satellite photometry obtained in mid-2004 of the rapidly rotating O9.5 V star ζ Oph have yielded at least a dozen significant oscillation frequencies between 1 and 10 cycles day-1, clearly indicating its relationship to β Cephei variables. Eight periods were found in He I λ4922 and Hβ line profile variations (LPV) of which six coincide with those from the MOST photometry. This unique photometric and spectroscopic detection of radial and nonradial pulsations leads to a plausible model in which high l-modes are excited when their frequencies in the corotating frame are similar to those of low-order radial modes. We propose that the dominant photometric 4.6 hr period (f1) corresponds to a radial first overtone excited by the κ-mechanism associated with the Fe opacity bump. No unambiguous rotational period can be identified in either the light curve or the LPV.

MOST* Detects g-Modes in the Late-Type Be Star β Canis Minoris (B8 Ve)

The Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) satellite has detected low-amplitude light variations (?m ~ 1 mmag) in the Be star ? CMi (B8 Ve). The observations lasted 41 days and the variations have typical periods ~0.3 days. We demonstrate that the dominant frequencies are consistent with prograde high-order g-modes of m = -1 excited by the Fe bump of opacity in an intermediate-mass (?3.5 M?) star with a nearly critical rotation period of 0.38 days. This is the first detection of nonradial g-mode pulsations in a Be star later than B6 leading to the possibility that pulsations are excited in all classical Be stars.

MOST SPACE-BASED PHOTOMETRY OF THE TRANSITING EXOPLANET SYSTEM HD 209458: TRANSIT TIMING TO SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL PLANETS

We report on the measurement of transit times for the HD 209458 planetary system from photometry obtained with the MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars) space telescope. Deviations from a constant orbital period can indicate the presence of additional planets in the system that are yet undetected, potentially with masses approaching an Earth mass. The MOST data sets of HD 209458 from 2004 and 2005 represent unprecedented time coverage with nearly continuous observations spanning 14 and 43 days and monitoring three transits and 12 consecutive transits, respectively. The transit times that we obtain show no variations on three scales: (1) no long-term change in P since before 2004 at 25 ms level, (2) no trend in transit timings during the 2005 run, and (3) no individual transit timing deviations above 80 s level. Together with previously published transit times from Agol & Steffen, this allows us to place limits on the presence of additional close-in planets in the system, in some cases down to below an Earth mass. This result, along with previous radial velocity work, now eliminates the possibility that a perturbing planet could be responsible for the additional heat source needed to explain HD 209458bs anomalous low density.

MOST* Space-based Photometry of the Transiting Exoplanet System HD 189733: Precise Timing Measurements for Transits across an Active Star

We have measured transit times for HD 189733b passing in front of its bright (V = 7.67), chromospherically active, and spotted parent star. Nearly continuous broadband optical photometry of this system was obtained with the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) space telescope during 21 days in 2006 August, monitoring 10 consecutive transits. We have used these data to search for deviations from a constant orbital period which can indicate the presence of additional planets in the system that are as yet undetected by Doppler searches. There are no transit timing variations above the level of ±45 s, ruling out super-Earths (of masses 1-4 M⊕) in the 1:2 and 2:3 inner resonances, and planets of 20 M⊕ in the 2:1 outer resonance of the known planet. We also discuss complications in measuring transit times for a planet that transits an active star with large starspots, and how the transits can help constrain and test spot models. This has implications for the large number of such systems expected to be discovered by the COROT and Kepler missions.

delta Ceti Is Not Monoperiodic: Seismic Modeling of a beta Cephei Star from MOST Space-based Photometry

The β Cephei star δ Ceti was considered one of the few monoperiodic variables in its class. Despite (or perhaps because of) its apparently simple oscillation spectrum, it has been challenging and controversial to identify this stars pulsation mode and constrain its physical parameters seismically. Broadband time-resolved photometry of δ Ceti spanning 18.7 days with a duty cycle of about 65% obtained by the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) satellite—the first scientific observations ever obtained by MOST—reveals that the star is actually multiperiodic. Besides the well-known dominant frequency of f1 = 6.205886 day-1, we have discovered in the MOST data its first harmonic 2f1 and three other frequencies (f2 = 3.737, f3 = 3.673, and f4 = 0.318 day-1), all detected with a signal-to-noise ratio > 4. In retrospect, f2 was also present in archival spectral line-profile data but at lower S/N. We present seismic models whose modes match exactly the frequencies f1 and f2. Only one model falls within the common part of the error boxes of the stars observed surface gravity and effective temperature from photometry and spectroscopy. In this model, f1 is the radial (l = 0) first overtone, and f2 is the g2 (l = 2, m = 0) mode. This model has a mass of 10.2 ± 0.2 M☉ and an age of 17.9 ± 0.3 Myr, making δ Ceti an evolved β Cephei star. If f2 and f3 are rotationally split components of the same g2 mode, then the stars equatorial rotation velocity is either 27.6 km s-1 or half this value. Given its v sin i of about 1 km s-1, this implies that we are seeing δ Ceti nearly pole-on.