The microlensing event OGLE-2008-BLG-510 is characterised by an evident asymmetric shape of the peak, promptly detected by the ARTEMiS system in real time. The skewness of the light curve appears to be compatible both with binary-lens and binary-sour
ce models, including the possibility that the lens system consists of an M dwarf orbited by a brown dwarf. The detection of this microlensing anomaly and our analysis demonstrates that: 1) automated real-time detection of weak microlensing anomalies with immediate feedback is feasible, efficient, and sensitive, 2) rather common weak features intrinsically come with ambiguities that are not easily resolved from photometric light curves, 3) a modelling approach that finds all features of parameter space rather than just the `favourite model is required, and 4) the data quality is most crucial, where systematics can be confused with real features, in particular small higher-order effects such as orbital motion signatures. It moreover becomes apparent that events with weak signatures are a silver mine for statistical studies, although not easy to exploit. Clues about the apparent paucity of both brown-dwarf companions and binary-source microlensing events might hide here.
We present the first high-precision photometry of the transiting extrasolar planetary system WASP-7, obtained using telescope defocussing techniques and reaching a scatter of 0.68 mmag per point. We find that the transit depth is greater and that the
host star is more evolved than previously thought. The planet has a significantly larger radius (1.330 +/- 0.093 Rjup versus 0.915 +0.046 -0.040 Rjup) and much lower density (0.41 +/- 0.10 rhojup versus 1.26 +0.25 -0.21 rhojup) and surface gravity (13.4 +/- 2.6 m/s2 versus 26.4 +4.4 -4.0 m/s2) than previous measurements showed. Based on the revised properties it is no longer an outlier in planetary mass--radius and period--gravity diagrams. We also obtain a more precise transit ephemeris for the WASP-7 system.
We present high-precision photometry of five consecutive transits of WASP-18, an extrasolar planetary system with one of the shortest orbital periods known. Through the use of telescope defocussing we achieve a photometric precision of 0.47 to 0.83 m
mag per observation over complete transit events. The data are analysed using the JKTEBOP code and three different sets of stellar evolutionary models. We find the mass and radius of the planet to be M_b = 10.43 +/- 0.30 +/- 0.24 Mjup R_b = 1.165 +/- 0.055 +/- 0.014 Rjup (statistical and systematic errors) respectively. The systematic errors in the orbital separation and the stellar and planetary masses, arising from the use of theoretical predictions, are of a similar size to the statistical errors and set a limit on our understanding of the WASP-18 system. We point out that seven of the nine known massive transiting planets (M_b > 3 Mjup) have eccentric orbits, whereas significant orbital eccentricity has been detected for only four of the 46 less massive planets. This may indicate that there are two different populations of transiting planets, but could also be explained by observational biases. Further radial velocity observations of low-mass planets will make it possible to choose between these two scenarios.
(abridged) Some difficulties in determining the physical properties that lead to observed anomalies in microlensing light curves, such as the mass and separation of extra-solar planets orbiting the lens star, or the relative source-lens parallax, are
already anchored in factors that limit the amount of information available from ordinary events and in the adopted parametrization. Moreover, a real-time detection of deviations from an ordinary light curve while these are still in progress can only be done against a known model of the latter, and such is also required for properly prioritizing ongoing events for monitoring in order to maximize scientific returns. Despite the fact that ordinary microlensing light curves are described by an analytic function that only involves a handful of parameters, modelling these is far less trivial than one might be tempted to think. A well-known degeneracy for small impacts, and another one for the initial rise of an event, makes an interprediction of different phases impossible, while determining a complete set of model parameters requires the assessment of the fundamental characteristics of all these phases. While the wing of the light curve provides valuable information about the time-scale that absorbs the physical properties, the peak flux of the event can be meaningfully predicted only after about a third of the total magnification has been reached. Parametrizations based on observable features not only ease modelling by bringing the covariance matrix close to diagonal form, but also allow good predictions of the measured flux without the need to determine all parameters accurately. Campaigns intending to infer planet populations from observed microlensing events need to invest some time into acquiring data that allows to properly determine the magnification function.
With several detections, the technique of gravitational microlensing has proven useful for studying planets that orbit stars at Galactic distances, and it can even be applied to detect planets in neighbouring galaxies. So far, planet detections by mi
crolensing have been considered to result from a change in the bending of light and the resulting magnification caused by a planet around the foreground lens star. However, in complete analogy to the annual parallax effect caused by the revolution of the Earth around the Sun, the motion of the source star around the common barycentre with an orbiting planet can also lead to observable deviations in microlensing light curves that can provide evidence for the unseen companion. We discuss this effect in some detail and study the prospects of microlensing observations for revealing planets through this alternative detection channel. Given that small distances between lens and source star are favoured, and that the effect becomes nearly independent of the source distance, planets would remain detectable even if their host star is located outside the Milky Way with a sufficiently good photometry (exceeding present-day technology) being possible. From synthetic light curves arising from a Monte-Carlo simulation, we find that the chances for such detections are not overwhelming and appear practically limited to the most massive planets (at least with current observational set-ups), but they are large enough for leaving the possibility that one or the other signal has already been observed. However, it may remain undetermined whether the planet actually orbits the source star or rather the lens star, which leaves us with an ambiguity not only with respect to its location, but also to its properties.
(abridged) The study of other worlds is key to understanding our own, and not only provides clues to the origin of our civilization, but also looks into its future. Rather than in identifying nearby systems and learning about their individual propert
ies, the main value of the technique of gravitational microlensing is in obtaining the statistics of planetary populations within the Milky Way and beyond. Only the complementarity of different techniques currently employed promises to yield a complete picture of planet formation that has sufficient predictive power to let us understand how habitable worlds like ours evolve, and how abundant such systems are in the Universe. A cooperative three-step strategy of survey, follow-up, and anomaly monitoring of microlensing targets, realized by means of an automated expert system and a network of ground-based telescopes is ready right now to be used to obtain a first census of cool planets with masses reaching even below that of Earth orbiting K and M dwarfs in two distinct stellar populations, namely the Galactic bulge and disk. The hunt for extra-solar planets acts as a principal science driver for time-domain astronomy with robotic-telescope networks adopting fully-automated strategies. Several initiatives, both into facilities as well as into advanced software and strategies, are supposed to see the capabilities of gravitational microlensing programmes step-wise increasing over the next 10 years. New opportunities will show up with high-precision astrometry becoming available and studying the abundance of planets around stars in neighbouring galaxies becoming possible. Finally, we should not miss out on sharing the vision with the general public, and make its realization to profit not only the scientists but all the wider society.
We investigate constraints on additional planets orbiting the distant M-dwarf star OGLE-2005-BLG-390L, around which photometric microlensing data has revealed the existence of the sub-Neptune-mass planet OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb. We specifically aim to st
udy potential Jovian companions and compare our findings with predictions from core-accretion and disc-instability models of planet formation. We also obtain an estimate of the detection probability for sub-Neptune mass planets similar to OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb using a simplified simulation of a microlensing experiment. We compute the efficiency of our photometric data for detecting additional planets around OGLE-2005-BLG-390L, as a function of the microlensing model parameters and convert it into a function of the orbital axis and planet mass by means of an adopted model of the Milky Way. We find that more than 50 % of potential planets with a mass in excess of 1 M_J between 1.1 and 2.3 AU around OGLE-2005-BLG-390L would have revealed their existence, whereas for gas giants above 3 M_J in orbits between 1.5 and 2.2 AU, the detection efficiency reaches 70 %; however, no such companion was observed. Our photometric microlensing data therefore do not contradict the existence of gas giant planets at any separation orbiting OGLE-2005-BLG-390L. Furthermore we find a detection probability for an OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb-like planet of around 2-5 %. In agreement with current planet formation theories, this quantitatively supports the prediction that sub-Neptune mass planets are common around low-mass stars.
(abridged) The technique of gravitational microlensing is currently unique in its ability to provide a sample of terrestrial exoplanets around both Galactic disk and bulge stars, allowing to measure their abundance and determine their distribution wi
th respect to mass and orbital separation. In order to achieve these goals in reasonable time, a well-coordinated effort involving a network of either 2m or 4 x 1m telescopes at each site is required. It could lead to the first detection of an Earth-mass planet outside the Solar system, and even planets less massive than Earth could be discovered. From April 2008, ARTEMiS (Automated Robotic Terrestrial Exoplanet Microlensing Search) is planned to provide a platform for a three-step strategy of survey, follow-up, and anomaly monitoring. As an expert system embedded in eSTAR (e-Science Telescopes for Astronomical Research), ARTEMiS will give advice on the optimal targets to be observed at any given time, and will also alert on deviations from ordinary microlensing light curves by means of the SIGNALMEN anomaly detector. While the use of the VOEvent (Virtual Observatory Event) protocol allows a direct interaction with the telescopes that are part of the HTN (Heterogeneous Telescope Networks) consortium, additional interfaces provide means of communication with all existing microlensing campaigns that rely on human observers. The success of discovering a planet by microlensing critically depends on the availability of a telescope in a suitable location at the right time, which can mean within 10 min. Real-time modelling offers the opportunity of live discovery of extra-solar planets, thereby providing Science live to your home.
We investigate the accuracy of astrometric measurements with the VLT/FORS1 camera and consider potential applications. The study is based on two-epoch (2000 and 2002/2003) frame series of observations of a selected Galactic Bulge sky region that were
obtained with FORS1 during four consecutive nights each. Reductions were carried out with a novel technique that eliminates atmospheric image motion and does not require a distinction between targets and reference objects. The positional astrometric precision was found to be limited only by the accuracy of the determination of the star photocentre, which is typically 200-300 microarcsec per single measurement for bright unsaturated stars B=18-19. Several statistical tests have shown that at time-scales of 1-4 nights the residual noise in measured positions is essentially a white noise with no systematic instrumental signature and no significant deviation from a Gaussian distribution. Some evidence of a good astrometric quality of the VLT for frames separated by two years has also been found. Our data show that the VLT with FORS1/2 cameras can be effectively used for astrometric observations of planetary microlensing events and other applications where a high accuracy is required, that is expected to reach 30-40 microarcsec for a series of 50 frames (one hours with R filter).
