Collaborative Research: Masses and architectures of (potentially habitable) exoplanet systems

合作研究：（可能适合居住的）系外行星系统的质量和结构

• 批准号: 1615315
• 负责人: Eric Agol
• 金额: $ 34.75万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-01 至 2020-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1615315&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Masses; architectures; potentially

Systems of many planets around other stars where the planets pass, or transit, across their stars can become probes of the masses and sizes of these planets. Transits that show changes in the timing of their passages, or transit timing variations (TTVs), provide information about both planetary masses and planetary radii. The investigators will study the masses and radii and how they are related for these multiple-planet transiting systems for ~100 low-mass exoplanets, found by the Kepler Space Telescope, with added measurements from other ground-based and space-based telescopes. The results of the modeling and observations could be used to place limits on planet formation and evolution, and plan for future spacecraft studies of zones where we expect to find planets that could have life. The computer programs developed as part of this work will be available to other scientists. This research serves the national interest by advancing our abilities to find planets around other stars that could have life. Both principal investigators are involved with education and outreach programs, emphasizing the Pre-Major in Astronomy Program (Pre-MAP) at University of Washington, and inner-city high school students from South Chicago participating in research through the Space Explorers program.Transit timing variations (TTVs) are sensitive to both planetary masses and planetary radii. This study will probe the mass-radius relation for multi-planet transiting systems for a large sample of ~100 low-mass exoplanets, found by the spaceborne telescope Kepler, and supplemented by ground-based measurements, Kepler's K2 mission, and Spitzer Space Telescope. The investigators will apply the technique of TTVs to existing, future, and simulated datasets using new codes they have developed for transit, TTV, and composition modeling. The goals are to continue development of transit timing analysis and planetary composition analysis tools; to extend the monitoring of Kepler planets beyond the Kepler dataset; to carry out mass measurements of multi-planet systems, and to constrain the orbital parameters and the presence of additional planets using transit timing analysis; to constrain the planets' bulk densities and interior compositions, to carry out dynamical analyses of these planetary systems, and to carry out statistical analyses of the properties of these systems; and, to simulate future James Webb Space Telescope observations of potentially rocky exoplanets in or near the habitable zone in order to probe the mass-radius relation for these low-mass, low-insolation planets. The resulting data could be used to place constraints upon planet formation and evolution, and plan for future spacecraft studies of habitable-zone planets. The analysis codes developed under this proposal will be freely available to the scientific community. Both principal investigators are involved with education and outreach programs, emphasizing the Pre-Major in Astronomy Program (Pre-MAP) at University of Washington, and inner-city high school students from South Chicago participating in research through the Space Explorers program.

其他星星周围的许多行星的系统通过行星通过或过境的恒星可以成为这些行星的质量和大小的探针。 显示其段落时间或过境时机变化（TTV）的变化的过渡提供了有关行星质量和行星半径的信息。研究人员将研究质量和半径，以及它们与Kepler Space望远镜发现的〜100个低质量系外行星的这些多样式传输系统的相关性，并从其他基于地面和空间的望远镜中进行了添加的测量。建模和观察结果的结果可用于对行星形成和进化的限制，并计划未来对区域的航天器研究，我们期望找到可以拥有生命的行星。作为这项工作的一部分开发的计算机程序将向其他科学家使用。这项研究通过促进我们在其他可能拥有生命的恒星周围寻找行星的能力来促进国家利益。两位主要研究人员都参与了教育和外展计划，强调华盛顿大学的天文学前计划（前MAP），以及来自南芝加哥的城市内部高中生通过太空探险家计划参与研究。传输时间定时变化（TTV）对行星群体和星球群体都敏感。这项研究将探究大量〜100个低质量系外行星的多样式转运系统的质量 - 拉迪乌斯关系，该样本由Spaceborne望远镜开普勒（Spaceborne Telescope Kepler）发现，并补充了基于地面的测量值，Kepler的K2 Mission和Spitzer空间望远镜。研究人员将使用他们为运输，TTV和组成建模开发的新代码应用TTV的技术对现有，未来和模拟数据集。目标是继续开发过境时机分析和行星组成分析工具；将开普勒行星的监视扩展到开普勒数据集之外；对多行星系统进行质量测量，并使用过境时序分析来限制轨道参数和其他行星的存在；为了限制行星的大量密度和内部组成，对这些行星系统进行动态分析，并对这些系统的性质进行统计分析；并且，为了模拟未来的詹姆斯·韦伯（James Webb）空间望远镜的观测，以探测这些低质量，低启动行星的质量 - 拉迪乌斯（Mass-Radius）关系。所得数据可用于对行星形成和进化的约束，并计划对可居住区行星的未来航天器进行研究。根据该提案制定的分析代码将为科学界免费获得。两位主要研究人员都参与了教育和外展计划，强调华盛顿大学的天文学前计划（前MAP），以及来自南芝加哥的市中心学生通过太空探险家计划参加研究。