Validation of the exoplanet Kepler-21b using PAVO/CHARA long-baseline interferometry
Date
2012
Authors
Huber, D
Ireland, Michael
Bedding, Timothy Russell
Howell, Steve B
Maestro, V
Merand, A
Tuthill, Peter G
White, T. R
Farrington, C
Goldfinger, P. J
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing
Abstract
We present long-baseline interferometry of the Kepler exoplanet host star HD179070 (Kepler-21) using the Precision Astronomical Visible Observations (PAVO) beam combiner at the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array. The visibility data are consistent with a single star and exclude stellar companions at separations ~1-1000 mas (~0.1-113 au) and contrasts <3.5 mag. This result supports the validation of the 1.6R⊕ exoplanet Kepler-21b by Howell et al. and complements the constraints set by adaptive optics imaging, speckle interferometry and radial-velocity observations to rule out false positives due to stellar companions. We conclude that long-baseline interferometry has strong potential to validate transiting extrasolar planets, particularly for future projects aimed at brighter stars and for host stars where radial-velocity follow-up is not available.
Description
Keywords
Keywords: Planets and satellites: individual: Kepler-2lb; Stars: individual: HD 179070; Techniques: interferometric
Citation
Collections
Source
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Open Access
License Rights
Restricted until
Downloads
File
Description