Search for: All records

The gravitational microlensing technique is most sensitive to planets in a Jupiter-like orbit and has detected more than 200 planets. However, only a few wide-orbit (s> 2) microlensing planets have been discovered, wheresis the planet-to-host separation normalized to the angular Einstein ring radius,θ_E. Here, we present the discovery and analysis of a strong candidate wide-orbit microlensing planet in the event OGLE-2017-BLG-0448. The whole light curve exhibits long-term residuals to the static binary-lens single-source model, so we investigate the residuals by adding the microlensing parallax, microlensing xallarap, an additional lens, or an additional source. For the first time, we observe a complex degeneracy between all four effects. The wide-orbit models withs∼ 2.5 and a planet-to-host mass ratio ofq∼ 10⁻⁴are significantly preferred, but we cannot rule out the close models withs∼ 0.35 andq∼ 10⁻³. A Bayesian analysis based on a Galactic model indicates that, despite the complicated degeneracy, the surviving wide-orbit models all contain a super-Earth-mass to Neptune-mass planet at a projected planet-host separation of ∼6 au and the surviving close-orbit models all consist of a Jovian-mass planet at ∼1 au. The host star is probably an M or K dwarf. We discuss the implications of this dimension-degeneracy disaster on microlensing light-curve analysis and its potential impact on statistical studies.

 

Abstract Magnetic cataclysmic variables (CVs) are luminous Galactic X-ray sources, which have been difficult to find in purely optical surveys due to their lack of outburst behavior. The eROSITA telescope on board the Spektr-RG mission is conducting an all-sky X-ray survey and recently released the public eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS) catalog. We crossmatched the eFEDS catalog with photometry from the Zwicky Transient Facility and discovered two new magnetic CVs. We obtained high-cadence optical photometry and phase-resolved spectroscopy for each magnetic CV candidate and found them both to be polars. Among the newly discovered magnetic CVs is eFEDS J085037.2+044359/ZTFJ0850+0443, an eclipsing polar with orbital period P orb = 1.72 hr and WD mass M WD = 0.81 ± 0.08 M ⊙ . We suggest that eFEDS J085037.2+044359/ZTFJ0850+0443 is a low magnetic field strength polar, with B WD ≲ 10 MG. We also discovered a non-eclipsing polar, eFEDS J092614.1+010558/ZTFJ0926+0105, with orbital period P orb = 1.47 hr and magnetic field strength B WD = 36–42 MG. 

We report on the discovery and analysis of the planetary microlensing event OGLE-2019-BLG-1180 with a planet-to-star mass ratioq∼ 0.003. The event OGLE-2019-BLG-1180 has unambiguous cusp-passing and caustic-crossing anomalies, which were caused by a wide planetary caustic withs≃ 2, wheresis the star–planet separation in units of the angular Einstein radiusθ_E. Thanks to well-covered anomalies by the Korea Micorolensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), we measure both the angular Einstein radius and the microlens parallax in spite of a relatively short event timescale oft_E= 28 days. However, because of a weak constraint on the parallax, we conduct a Bayesian analysis to estimate the physical lens parameters. We find that the lens system is a super-Jupiter-mass planet of$M_{\mathrm{p}}={1.75}_{-0.51}^{+0.53}{M}_{\mathrm{J}}$orbiting a late-type star of$M_{\mathrm{h}}={0.55}_{-0.26}^{+0.27}{M}_{\odot }$at a distance$D_{\mathrm{L}}={6.1}_{-1.3}^{+0.9}\mathrm{kpc}$. The projected star–planet separation is$a_{\perp }={5.19}_{-1.23}^{+0.90}\mathrm{au}$, which means that the planet orbits at about four times the snow line of the host star. Considering the relative lens–source proper motion ofμ_rel= 6 mas yr⁻¹, the lens will be separated from the source by 60 mas in 2029. At that time one can measure the lens flux from adaptive optics imaging of Keck or a next-generation 30 m class telescope. OGLE-2019-BLG-1180Lb represents a growing population of wide-orbit planets detected by KMTNet, so we also present a general investigation into prospects for further expanding the sample of such planets.

 

Abstract We present the analysis of seven microlensing planetary events with planet/host mass ratios q < 10 −4 : KMT-2017-BLG-1194, KMT-2017-BLG-0428, KMT-2019-BLG-1806, KMT-2017-BLG-1003, KMT-2019-BLG-1367, OGLE-2017-BLG-1806, and KMT-2016-BLG-1105. They were identified by applying the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) AnomalyFinder algorithm to 2016–2019 KMTNet events. A Bayesian analysis indicates that all the lens systems consist of a cold super-Earth orbiting an M or K dwarf. Together with 17 previously published and three that will be published elsewhere, AnomalyFinder has found a total of 27 planets that have solutions with q < 10 −4 from 2016–2019 KMTNet events, which lays the foundation for the first statistical analysis of the planetary mass-ratio function based on KMTNet data. By reviewing the 27 planets, we find that the missing planetary caustics problem in the KMTNet planetary sample has been solved by AnomalyFinder. We also find a desert of high-magnification planetary signals ( A ≳ 65), and a follow-up project for KMTNet high-magnification events could detect at least two more q < 10 −4 planets per year and form an independent statistical sample. 

Aims. We conducted a systematic investigation of the microlensing data collected during the previous observation seasons for the purpose of re-analyzing anomalous lensing events with no suggested plausible models. Methods. We found that two anomalous lensing events, OGLE-2018-BLG-0584 and KMT-2018-BLG-2119, cannot be explained with the usual models based on either a binary-lens single-source (2L1S) or a single-lens binary-source (1L2S) interpretation. We tested the feasibility of explaining the light curves of the events with more sophisticated models by adding either an extra lens (3L1S model) or a source (2L2S model) component to the 2L1S lens system configuration. Results. We find that a 2L2S interpretation explains the light curves of both events well and that for each event there are a pair of solutions resulting from the close and wide degeneracy. For the event OGLE-2018-BLG-0584, the source is a binary composed of two K-type stars and the lens is a binary composed of two M dwarfs. For KMT-2018-BLG-2119, the source is a binary composed of two dwarfs of G and K spectral types and the lens is a binary composed of a low-mass M dwarf and a brown dwarf. 

Abstract We complete the analysis of all 2018 sub-prime-field microlensing planets identified by the KMTNet AnomalyFinder. Among the 9 previously unpublished events with clear planetary solutions, 6 are clearly planetary (OGLE-2018-BLG-0298, KMT-2018-BLG-0087, KMT-2018-BLG-0247, KMT-2018-BLG-0030, OGLE-2018-BLG-1119, and KMT-2018-BLG-2602), while the remaining 3 are ambiguous in nature. The above ordering of these events is made to facilitate grouping of their Bayesian estimates: the first two are lower-mass gas giants while the last four are Jovian-class planets; the first three most likely lie in the bulge, the last in the disk, and the remaining two are equally likely to be in either population. More specifically, these six planets have host masses M host = ( 0.69 − 0.30 + 0.34 , 0.10 − 0.05 + 0.14 , 0.29 − 0.14 + 0.28 , 0.51 − 0.31 + 0.43 , 0.48 − 0.28 + 0.35 , 0.66 − 0.36 + 0.42 ) M ⊙ , planet masses M planet = ( 0.14 − 0.06 + 0.07 , 0.23 − 0.12 + 0.32 , 2.11 − 1.04 + 2.09 , 1.45 − 0.88 + 1.23 , 0.91 − 0.52 + 0.66 , 1.15 − 0.63 + 0.73 ) M Jup , and distances D L = ( 6.54 − 1.23 + 0.95 , 7.02 − 1.15 + 1.03 , 6.76 − 1.24 + 0.99 , 6.48 − 1.96 + 1.28 , 5.76 − 2.48 + 1.43 , 4.31 − 1.84 + 1.97 ) kpc . In addition, there are 8 previously published sub-prime-field planets that were selected by the AnomalyFinder algorithm. Together with a companion paper on 2018 prime-field planets, this work lays the basis for comprehensive statistical studies. We carry out two such studies, one on caustic topologies and the other on the role of Gaia data. From the first, as expected, half (17/33) of the 2018 planets likely to enter the mass-ratio analysis have non-caustic-crossing anomalies. However, only 1 of the 5 noncaustic anomalies with planet-host mass ratio q < 10 −3 was discovered by eye (compared to 7 of the 12 with q > 10 −3 ), showing the importance of the semiautomated AnomalyFinder search. From the second, we find that Gaia has played a major role in the interpretation of 16% of the sample and a supplementary role in 6%. 

There is a growing concern about an impact of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations on ground-based astronomical observations, in particular, on wide-field surveys in the optical and infrared. The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), thanks to the large field of view of its camera, provides an ideal setup to study the effects of LEO megaconstellations—such as SpaceX’s Starlink—on astronomical surveys. Here, we analyze the archival ZTF observations collected between 2019 November and 2021 September and find 5301 satellite streaks that can be attributed to Starlink satellites. We find that the number of affected images is increasing with time as SpaceX deploys more satellites. Twilight observations are particularly affected—a fraction of streaked images taken during twilight has increased from less than 0.5% in late 2019 to 18% in 2021 August. We estimate that once the size of the Starlink constellation reaches 10,000, essentially all ZTF images taken during twilight may be affected. However, despite the increase in satellite streaks observed during the analyzed period, the current science operations of ZTF are not yet strongly affected. We also find that redesigning Starlink satellites (by installing visors intended to block sunlight from reaching the satellite antennas to prevent reflection) reduces their brightness by a factor of 4.6 ± 0.1 with respect to the original design ing,r, andibands.

 

We present the analysis of a planetary microlensing event OGLE-2019-BLG-0362 with a short-duration anomaly (~0.4 days) near the peak of the light curve, which is caused by the resonant caustic. The event has a severe degeneracy with Δχ^{2} = 0.9 between the close and the wide binary lens models both with planet-host mass ratio q ≃ 0.007. We measure the angular Einstein radius but not the microlens parallax, and thus we perform a Bayesian analysis to estimate the physical parameters of the lens. We find that the OGLE-2019-BLG-0362L system is a super-Jovian-mass planet M_{p}=3.26^{+0.83}_{-0.58} M_{J} orbiting an M dwarf M_{h} = 0.42^{+0.34}_{-0.23} M_{⊙} at a distance D_{L} = 5.83^{+1.04}_{-1.55} kpc. The projected star-planet separation is a_{⊥} = 2.18^{+0.58}_{-0.72} AU, which indicates that the planet lies beyond the snow line of the host star. 

Abstract We report the analysis of microlensing event OGLE-2017-BLG-1038, observed by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment, Korean Microlensing Telescope Network, and Spitzer telescopes. The event is caused by a giant source star in the Galactic Bulge passing over a large resonant binary-lens caustic. The availability of space-based data allows the full set of physical parameters to be calculated. However, there exists an eightfold degeneracy in the parallax measurement. The four best solutions correspond to very-low-mass binaries near ( M 1 = 170 − 50 + 40 M J and M 2 = 110 − 30 + 20 M J ), or well below ( M 1 = 22.5 − 0.4 + 0.7 M J and M 2 = 13.3 − 0.3 + 0.4 M J ) the boundary between stars and brown dwarfs. A conventional analysis, with scaled uncertainties for Spitzer data, implies a very-low-mass brown-dwarf binary lens at a distance of 2 kpc. Compensating for systematic Spitzer errors using a Gaussian process model suggests that a higher mass M-dwarf binary at 6 kpc is equally likely. A Bayesian comparison based on a galactic model favors the larger-mass solutions. We demonstrate how this degeneracy can be resolved within the next 10 years through infrared adaptive-optics imaging with a 40 m class telescope.