Transit Light Curves for Exomoons: Analytical Formalism

Abstract

The photometric transit method has been the most effective method to detect and characterize exoplanets as several ground based as well as space based survey missions have discovered thousands of exoplanets using this method. With the advent of the upcoming next generation large telescopes, the detection of exomoons in a few of these exoplanetary systems is very plausible. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analytical formalism in order to model the transit light curves for such moon-hosting exoplanets. In order to achieve analytical formalism, we have considered circular orbit of the exomoon around the host planet, which is indeed the case for tidally locked moons. The formalism uses the radius and orbital properties of both the host planet and its moon as model parameters. The coalignment or noncoalignment of the orbits of the planet and the moon are parameterized using two angular parameters and thus can be used to model all the possible orbital alignments for a star–planet–moon system. This formalism also provides unique and direct solutions to every possible star–planet–moon three circular body alignment. Using the formula derived, a few representative light curves are also presented.