Detection of small-size planetary candidates with CoRoT data

A S Bonomo,P.-Y Chabaud,M Deleuil,C Moutou,P Bordé

doi:10.1051/epjconf/20101101005

Abstract

With the discovery of CoRoT-7b, the ﬁrst transiting super-Earth, the CoRoT space mission has shown the capability to detect short-period rocky planets around solar-like stars. By performing a blind test with real CoRoT light curves, we want to establish the detection threshold of small-size planets in CoRoT data. We investigate the main obstacles to the detection of transiting super-Earths in CoRoT data, notably the presence of short-time scale variability and hot pixels.

Highlights

The CoRoT space mission searches for planetary transits by monitoring the optical flux of thousands of stars in several fields of view
It has recently led to the discovery of CoRoT-7b, the first transiting super-Earth (Leger et al 2009)
By simulating transits of super-Earths and Neptunes in real CoRoT light curves and searching for them blindly, we want to investigate the capability of CoRoT to detect small-size planets, superEarths and Neptunes, in short-period orbits

Summary

Introduction

The CoRoT space mission searches for planetary transits by monitoring the optical flux of thousands of stars in several fields of view. It has recently led to the discovery of CoRoT-7b, the first transiting super-Earth (Leger et al 2009). By simulating transits of super-Earths and Neptunes in real CoRoT light curves and searching for them blindly, we want to investigate the capability of CoRoT to detect small-size planets, superEarths and Neptunes, in short-period orbits

Simulations

Data analysis

Results and discussion