Exoplanet Science

Don Pollacco QUB

Overview

• PLATO’s objectives and space

• Work packages in the definition phase

• Timescales and aims of the definition phase

PLATO Space

Exoplanet Objectives• Detection and Characterisation of Earth Analog systems

• Search for exoplanets around the brightest stars of solar type at all orbital periods and with all physical sizes

• Search for exoplanets around nearby M-type dwarfs with all physical sizes and at all orbital periods, including at orbital distances such that these planets fall within the habitable zones of these very cool stars

• Search for and characterization of exoplanets with a wide variety of sizes, masses and orbits around bright stars

• Full characterization of very bright stars, of all masses and ages, using seismic analysis

5

Reminder: Planet diversity

• Transit fractional radius (relative to host star) inclination.

• RV planetary mass

• 2 solid planets: - CoRoT-7b : Period ~ 0.85 d - MEarth-1b: Period ~ 1.50 d

=> Diversity

Transiting planets

Rad

ius

(Ear

th U

nits

)

ESA Cosmic Vision Dec 1 2009 PLATO: PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars

CoRoT, M-Dwarf surveys

PLATO Planets

• Bright hosts => can be used for many types of follow-up eg atmospheric analysis

• Planets around the nearest hosts (eg 5th Mag G stars, M dwarfs etc) will be prized targets – maybe even direct imaging/spectroscopy

• Bulk composition and diversity

Definition Work Structure

• Structure based on CoRoT, Kepler and ground based experiences/discussions

• Work Packages are mix of mission (eg algorithm development/specification) and “pure” science

• In general recognized experts involved

Exoplanet ScienceD.Pollacco

Exoplanet ScienceD.Pollacco

Light Curve FilteringA.Lanza

Light Curve FilteringA.Lanza

Planet Detection MethodsJ.Cabrera

Planet Detection MethodsJ.Cabrera

Planet Candidate RankingM.Deleuil

Planet Candidate RankingM.Deleuil

Transit Fitting Tools

M.Gillon

Transit Fitting Tools

M.Gillon

PLATA Data Specific Science

D.Pollacco

PLATA Data Specific Science

D.Pollacco

PLATO Interpretation Specific Science

H.Rauer

PLATO Interpretation Specific Science

H.Rauer

Interface to Other WP and PDC

N.Santos

Interface to Other WP and PDC

N.Santos

110 000

111 000 112 000 113 000 114 000 115 000 116 000 117 000

Astrophysical NoiseS.Aigrain

Astrophysical NoiseS.Aigrain

Residual Instrumental

NoiseF.Faedi

Residual Instrumental

NoiseF.Faedi

111 100

111 200

General Planet detection Tools

J.Cabrera

General Planet detection Tools

J.Cabrera

Reflected Light detection

I.Snellen

Reflected Light detection

I.Snellen

Single Transit detectionD.Pollacco

Single Transit detectionD.Pollacco

Other detection methodsR.Silvotti

Other detection methodsR.Silvotti

Ranking ProceduresA.Cameron

Ranking ProceduresA.Cameron

False Positive identification

M.Deleuil

False Positive identification

M.Deleuil

Astrophysical mimics

A.Cameron

Astrophysical mimics

A.Cameron

Transit modeling

S.Csizmadia

Transit modeling

S.Csizmadia

Orbital parameters

M.Deleuil

Orbital parameters

M.Deleuil

112 100

112 200

112 300

112 400

113 100

113 200

113 300

114 100

114 200

Multi-body Systems

S.Desidera

Multi-body Systems

S.Desidera

Planet-Star interaction

S.Mathis

Planet-Star interaction

S.Mathis

M-dwarfs as planet hostsP.Wheatley

M-dwarfs as planet hostsP.Wheatley

Planetary System Characterisation

A.Sozzetti

Planetary System Characterisation

A.Sozzetti

Spectroscopic Noise sources

C.Watson

Spectroscopic Noise sources

C.Watson

Environments of HZ planetsH.Lammer

Environments of HZ planetsH.Lammer

Atmospheres of planetsF.Selsis

Atmospheres of planetsF.Selsis

Mass-Radius Terrestrial

planetsF.Soht

Mass-Radius Terrestrial

planetsF.Soht

Planet formation and orbital evolution

R.Nelson

Planet formation and orbital evolution

R.Nelson

Mass-Radius Gas Giants

T.Guillot

Mass-Radius Gas Giants

T.Guillot

115 100 116 100

115 200

115 300

112 500 116 500

115 400

116 200

116 300

116 400

Light Curve filtering

Concerned with identification and filtering of astrophysical noise (spots etc) and any residual instrumental noise

Transit Detection

Much work already done

Need to optimize and apply to more unusual situations (multi-body systems)

Examine timing capabilities and parameter space

Candidate Ranking

Given the pressure there will be on follow-up observations and in particular the RV facilities, then this is important.

Need to develop efficient ranking procedures

Transiting modelling

Extensive work already in the literature

But need to examine the validity of various techniques (eg small planet approximation) in the PLATO domain

“Near-data” sciencedevelopment

Science areas that will help either in modelling of PLATO related data (eg astrophysical noise effecting RV determination)

Science Interpretation

Areas of “pure” science that PLATO will impact on greatly.

There are (many) others….

Interface specifications

An extremely important work package

This specifies the requirements from other (non esp) areas needed to deliver the exoplanet parameters to the required level of accuracy

Definition Phase Aims• Very preliminary report to ESP PDC (for scaling

purposes) - asap

• Full (literature) review - April 2011. This is to update/inform documentation for implementation phase.

• Recommendations for improvements, developments and optimizations - December 2011