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Register a new userA Search for Photometric Variability Towards M71 with the Near-Infrared Transiting ExoplanetS Telescope
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James McCormac Ph.D
Publication date
2013
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
Authors
J. McCormac
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We present the results of a high-cadence photometric survey of an $11times11$ field centred on the globular cluster M71, with the Near-Infrared Transiting ExoplanetS Telescope. The aim of our survey is to search for stellar variability and transiting giant exoplanets. This survey differs from previous photometric surveys of M71 in that it is more sensitive to lower amplitude ($Delta Mleq0.02$ mag) and longer period ($P>2$ d) variability than previous work on this cluster. We have discovered $17$ new variable stars towards M71 and confirm the nature of $13$ previously known objects, for which the orbital periods of $7$ are refined or newly determined. Given the photometric precision of our high-cadence survey on the horizontal branch of M71, we confirm the cluster is devoid of RR Lyrae variable stars within the area surveyed. We present new $B$ and $V$ band photometry of the stars in our sample from which we estimate spectral types of the variable objects. We also search our survey data for transiting hot Jupiters and present simulations of the expected number of detections. Approximately $1,000$ stars were observed on the main-sequence of M71 with sufficient photometric accuracy to detect a transiting hot Jupiter, however none were found.
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Due to the extreme extinction towards the Galactic centre ($A_{V} sim 30$ mag), its stellar population is mainly studied in the near-infrared (NIR) regime. Therefore, a proper analysis of the NIR extinction curve is necessary to fully characterise the stellar structure and population of the inner part of the galaxy. We studied the dependence of the extinction index ($alpha_lambda$) in the NIR on the line of sight, wavelength, and extinction. We used the GALACTICNUCLEUS imaging survey, a high angular resolution catalogue ($0.2$) for the inner part of the Galaxy in $JHK_s$, and studied the spatial variation in the extinction index. We also applied two independent methods based on red clump stars to compute the extinction index between different bands and its variation with wavelength. We did not detect any significant line-of-sight or extinction variation in $alpha$ within the studied region in the nuclear stellar disc. The extinction index between $JH$ and $HK_s$ differs by $0.19 pm 0.05$. We obtained mean values for the extinction indices $alpha_{JH} = 2.43pm0.03$ and $alpha_{HK_s} = 2.23pm0.03$. The dependence of the extinction index on the wavelength could explain the differences obtained for $alpha_lambda$ in the literature since it was assumed constant for the NIR regime.
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Since 2006 WASP-South has been scanning the Southern sky for transiting exoplanets. Combined with Geneva Observatory radial velocities we have so far found over 30 transiting exoplanets around relatively bright stars of magnitude 9--13. We present a status report for this ongoing survey.
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Context: Extended circumstellar emission has been detected within a few 100 milli-arcsec around > 10% of nearby main sequence stars using near-infrared interferometry. Follow-up observations using other techniques, should they yield similar results or non-detections, can provide strong constraints on the origin of the emission. They can also reveal the variability of the phenomenon. Aims: We aim to demonstrate the persistence of the phenomenon over time scales of a few years and to search for variability of our previously detected excesses. Methods: Using VLTI/PIONIER in H band we have carried out multi-epoch observations of the stars for which a near-infrared excess was previously detected with the same observing technique and instrument. The detection rates and distribution of the excesses from our original survey and the follow-up observations are compared statistically. A search for variability of the excesses in our time series is carried out based on the level of the broadband excesses. Results: In 12 of 16 follow-up observations, an excess is re-detected with a significance of > 2 sigma, and in 7 of 16 follow-up observations significant excess (> 3 sigma) has been re-detected. We statistically demonstrate with very high confidence that the phenomenon persists for the majority of the systems. We also present the first detection of potential variability in two sources. Conclusions: We conclude that the phenomenon responsible for the excesses persists over time scales of a few years for the majority of the systems. However, we also find that variability intrinsic to a target can cause it to have no significant excess at the time of a specific observation.
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