Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Millimagnitude Optical Photometry for the Transiting Planetary Candidate OGLE-TR-109

re: Millimagnitude Optical Photometry for the Transiting Planetary Candidate OGLE-TR-109

[This is an extreme case among the transiting candidates found by the OGLE group because of the early spectral type of the star (FOV), of the low transit amplitude (Ar = 0.008 mag), and of the very short period (P = 0.58909 days) of the oribing companion. Using difference image photometry, we are able to achieve millimagnitude erros in the individual data points. One transit of this star is well defined in our light curve. This confirms the OGLE detection and rules out the possibility of a false positive.]

[The absence of ellipsoidal modulation in the light curve of the primary rules out a low mass star companion or brown dwarf with M>14 +/- 8 M_J. The remaining possibilities for OGLE-TR-109 are a blend between the F-type star and a binary with a bluer primary star, or a new transiting extrasolar planet.]

It IS interesting. Of course I'm hoping that they find that the (close) transiting object is at least a gas giant.

The abstract is here along with pdf link.

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (8 posts)