Related papers: Using Transiting Planets to Model Starspot Evoluti…
Starspots are thought to be regions of locally strong magnetic fields, similar to sunspots, and they can generate photometric brightness modulations. To deduce stellar and spot properties, such as spot emergence and decay rates, we…
The detection of oscillations with a mixed character in subgiants and red giants allows us to probe the physical conditions in their cores. With these mixed modes, we aim at determining seismic markers of stellar evolution. Kepler…
How do the characteristics of starspots influence the triggering of stellar flares? Here we investigate the activity of two K-type stars, similar in every way from mass to rotation periods and planetary systems. Both stars exhibit about a…
Detailed atmospheric characterization of exoplanets by transmission spectroscopy requires careful consideration of stellar surface inhomogeneities induced by starspots. This effect is particularly problematic for planetary systems around…
The search for extrasolar planets is strongly motivated by the goal of characterizing how frequent habitable worlds and life may be within the Galaxy. Whilst much effort has been spent on searching for Earth-like planets, large moons may…
The stellar obliquity of a transiting planetary system can be constrained by combining measurements of the star's rotation period, radius, and projected rotational velocity. Here we present a hierarchical Bayesian technique for recovering…
We describe EPIC 205718330 and EPIC 235240266, two systems identified in the K2 data whose light curves contain episodic drops in brightness with shapes and durations similar to those of the young "dipper" stars, yet shallower by ~1-2…
For a solar-like star, the surface rotation evolves with time, allowing in principle to estimate the age of a star from its surface rotation period. Here we are interested in measuring surface rotation periods of solar-like stars observed…
During the solar magnetic activity cycle the emergence latitudes of sunspots change, leading to the well-known butterfly diagram. This phenomenon is poorly understood for other stars as starspot latitudes are generally unknown. The related…
Photometry of stars from the K2 extension of NASA's Kepler mission is afflicted by systematic effects caused by small (few-pixel) drifts in the telescope pointing and other spacecraft issues. We present a method for searching K2 light…
Context. By now more than 300 planets transiting their host star have been found, and much effort is being put into measuring the properties of each system. Light curves of planetary transits often contain deviations from a simple transit…
Some transiting planets discovered by the Kepler mission display transit timing variations (TTVs) induced by stellar spots that rotate on the visible hemisphere of their parent stars. An induced TTV can be observed when a planet crosses a…
We report the discovery of a new relationship between a simple morphological characteristic of light curves produced by starspots and stellar rotation periods. The characteristic we examine is whether the light curve exhibits one dip or two…
Transiting planet systems offer an unique opportunity to observationally constrain proposed models of the interiors (radius, composition) and atmospheres (chemistry, dynamics) of extrasolar planets. The spectacular successes of ground-based…
We present an improved version of SOAP (Boisse et al. 2012) named "SOAP-T", which can generate the radial velocity variations and light-curves for systems consisting of a rotating spotted star with a transiting planet. This tool can be used…
Knowledge of an exoplanet's oblateness and obliquity would give clues about its formation and internal structure. In principle, a light curve of a transiting planet bears information about the planet's shape, but previous work has shown…
Transiting planets manifest themselves by a periodic dimming of their host star by a fixed amount. On the other hand, light curves of transiting circumbinary (CB) planets are expected to be neither periodic nor to have a single depth while…
Refraction deflects photons that pass through atmospheres, which affects transit light curves. Refraction thus provides an avenue to probe physical properties of exoplanet atmospheres and to constrain the presence of clouds and hazes. In…
There is a unique solution of the planet and star parameters from a planet transit light curve with two or more transits if the planet has a circular orbit and the light curve is observed in a band pass where limb darkening is negligible.…
Since 2008 we have run an observational program to accurately measure the characteristics of known exoplanet systems hosting close-in transiting giant planets, i.e. hot Jupiters. Our study is based on high-quality photometric follow-up…