Related papers: WFIRST Ultra-Precise Astrometry I: Kuiper Belt Obj…

We numerically integrated the orbits of 1458 particles in the region of the classical Kuiper Belt (41 AU < a < 47 AU) to explore the role of dynamical instabilities in sculpting the inclination distribution of the classical Kuiper Belt…

The recent discovery of gravitational waves (GWs) from stellar-mass binary black holes (BBHs) provided direct evidence of the existence of these systems. BBH lenses would have gravitational microlensing signatures that are distinct from…

We present preliminary results of a radial-velocity search for companions to a volume limited sample of M dwarfs. Typical accuracy range between 10m/s for the brighter stars and 70m/s at our limiting magnitude. We complement the radial…

We characterize the sensitivity of a double point-spread function (PSF) fitting algorithm -- employing empirical, position-dependent PSF models -- for detecting companions using the infrared channel of the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3/IR) on…

Using the New Horizons LORRI camera, we searched for satellites near five Kuiper belt objects (KBOs): four cold classicals (CCs: 2011 JY31, 2014 OS393, 2014 PN70, 2011 HZ102) and one scattered disk object (SD: 2011 HK103). These objects…

We present our search program for substellar companions using high-precision relative astronomy. Due to its orbital motion around the star, an unseen substellar companion would produce a periodic "wobble" of the host star, which is the…

We present results from high-resolution, optical to near-IR imaging of host stars of Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs), identified in the original Kepler field. Part of the data were obtained under the Kepler imaging follow-up observation…

The microlensing effect has developed into a powerful technique for a diverse range of applications including exoplanet discoveries, structure of the Milky Way, constraints on MAssive Compact Halo Objects, and measurements of the size and…

Planets orbiting binary systems are relatively unexplored compared to those around single stars. Detections of circumbinary planets and planetary systems offer a first detailed view into our understanding of circumbinary planet formation…

Recent observations of gravitational waves motivate investigations for the existence of Primordial Black Holes (PBHs). We propose the observation of gravitational microlensing of distant quasars for the range of infrared to the…

The dynamically cold component of the Kuiper Belt is host to a population of very widely separated, near-equal mass binary systems. Such binaries, representing the tail of the separation distribution of the more common, more tightly-bound…

Given the large orbital separation and high satellite-to-primary mass ratio of all known Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) binaries, it is important to reassess their stability as bound pairs with respect to several disruptive mechanisms. Besides…

The gravitational microlensing technique allows the discovery of exoplanets around stars distributed in the disk of the galaxy towards the bulge. However, the alignment of two stars that led to the discovery is unique over the timescale of…

In the era of synoptic surveys, the number of known gravitationally lensed quasars is set to increase by over an order of magnitude. These new discoveries will enable a move from single-quasar studies to investigations of statistical…

This chapter reviews accretion models for Kuiper belt objects (KBOs), discussing in particular the compatibility of the observed properties of the KBO population with the streaming instability paradigm. Then it discusses how the dynamical…

Binary stars constitute a large percentage of the stellar population, yet relatively little is known about the planetary systems orbiting them. Most constraints on circumbinary planets (CBPs) so far come from transit observations with the…

We analyze five years of PLANET photometry of microlensing events toward the Galactic bulge to search for the short-duration deviations from single lens light curves that are indicative of the presence of planetary companions to the primary…

We have used the VLA FIRST survey and the APM catalog of the POSS-I plates as the basis for constructing a new radio-selected sample of optically bright quasars. This is the first radio-selected sample that is competitive in size with…

We consider the application of interferometry to measuring the sizes and shapes of small bodies in the solar system that cannot be spatially resolved by today's single-dish telescopes. Assuming ellipsoidal shapes, our results indicate that…

The radial velocity method is amongst the most robust and most established means of detecting exoplanets. Yet, it has so far failed to detect circumbinary planets despite their relatively high occurrence rates. Here, we report velocimetric…