Posts Tagged ‘exomoons’
In Search of Exoplanet Moons (Exomoons)
In a paper to be published as part of a symposium proceedings, available online now here, astronomers discuss the possibilities of discovering moons of exoplanets (called exomoons) with current and future technologies. The authors discuss how “Extrasolar moons, or exomoons, may be detected through transit timing effects induced onto the host planet as a result of mutual gravitational interaction.” The authors estimate the possibility of discovering more exomoons with the help of NASA future James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Using Kepler to Detect Exomoons
In a paper submitted to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Academy of Sciences, available online now here, astronomers use simulated data, expected from the Kepler mission photometer, to demonstrate how the Kepler-class photometry data can be used to detect moons around large exoplanets (exomoons). They conclude that “that habitable-zone exomoons down to 0.2″ solar masses, “may be detected and ~25, 000 stars could be surveyed for habitable-zone exomoons within Kepler ’s field-of view.”
In Search of Exomoons
In a paper to be published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Academy of Sciences, available online now here, Dr. David Kipping of University College London, ponders the feasibility of detecting moons orbiting exoplanets. Kipping points out that variations in the transit method used to detect extrasolar planets (exoplanets) can be used to determine if there are moons orbiting the exoplanet being studied. He refers to these techniques as transit time variation (TTV) and transit duration variation (TDV). While the details are of course mathematical, his appendices which review the mathematical details are written well enough for anyone with a grasp of algebra to comprehend. Remember, the recently launched Kepler mission will be utilizing the transit method to discover exoplanets, and with Dr. Kipping’s technique, perhaps even exomoons.