Determining the Exoplanet Detection Capabilities via the Transit Method of the CWU 0.6-m Telescope
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
Ellensburg
Event Website
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source
Start Date
16-5-2021
End Date
22-5-2021
Keywords
Astronomy, Exoplanets, Detection
Abstract
With the growth of astrophysics research surrounding extrasolar planets, determining the detection capabilities of the Central Washington University Discovery Hall Observatory’s 0.6-m Telescope will grant students a greater understanding of the research opportunities at CWU for this field. Utilizing the following stellar systems with confirmed extra-solar planets: HAT-P-18, HAT-P-32, and Kepler-20, images of these systems and their associated star field were captured. Stellar magnitudes of each of the three parent stars in this study were measured over 11 nights from 1 October 2020 through 12 March 2021. The resulting light curves are consistent with the transit depth and transit length associated with the exoplanets HAT-P-32b and Kepler-20c indicating possible detection of these exoplanets. The next steps of this project are the detailed analysis and utilization of that analysis to determine a theoretical limit for how small an extrasolar planet can be before it’s undetectable by the 0.6m telescope.
Recommended Citation
McRae, Josh, "Determining the Exoplanet Detection Capabilities via the Transit Method of the CWU 0.6-m Telescope" (2021). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 73.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2021/COTS/73
Department/Program
Physics
Additional Mentoring Department
https://cwu.studentopportunitycenter.com/determining-the-exoplanet-detection-capabilities-via-the-transit-method-of-the-cwu-0-6-m-telescope/
Determining the Exoplanet Detection Capabilities via the Transit Method of the CWU 0.6-m Telescope
Ellensburg
With the growth of astrophysics research surrounding extrasolar planets, determining the detection capabilities of the Central Washington University Discovery Hall Observatory’s 0.6-m Telescope will grant students a greater understanding of the research opportunities at CWU for this field. Utilizing the following stellar systems with confirmed extra-solar planets: HAT-P-18, HAT-P-32, and Kepler-20, images of these systems and their associated star field were captured. Stellar magnitudes of each of the three parent stars in this study were measured over 11 nights from 1 October 2020 through 12 March 2021. The resulting light curves are consistent with the transit depth and transit length associated with the exoplanets HAT-P-32b and Kepler-20c indicating possible detection of these exoplanets. The next steps of this project are the detailed analysis and utilization of that analysis to determine a theoretical limit for how small an extrasolar planet can be before it’s undetectable by the 0.6m telescope.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2021/COTS/73
Faculty Mentor(s)
Cassandra Fallscheer