YETI – search for young transiting planets

Ronny Errmann,Martin Seeliger,Guillermo Torres,Aglae Kellerer,Gracjan Maciejewski,Ralph Neuhäuser,Hiroshi Terada,Roberto Saglia

doi:10.1051/epjconf/20134703004

Abstract

We present our search for young transiting planets at ages of 2 to 20 Myr. Towards this goal, we monitor a number of young open clusters with the YETI network. YETI consists of 0.4-2 m-sized telescopes at different longitudes that observe continuously over timescales much longer than a night. In our first cluster Trumpler 37 we found more than 350 variable stars. Also two transiting candidates were found so far, for which follow-up is partly done. The first candidate turned out to be an eclipsing binary with an M-type companion. We describe the research done on these two transiting candidates.

Highlights

From the light curve of transiting planets it is possible to calculate planetary radius and inclination of the planetary orbit
YETI consists of 0.4-2 m-sized telescopes at different longitudes that observe continuously over timescales much longer than a night
In our first cluster Trumpler 37 we found more than 350 variable stars

Summary

INTRODUCTION

From the light curve of transiting planets it is possible to calculate planetary radius and inclination of the planetary orbit. Out of the nearly 300 transiting planets which are known so far only a few have young ages. The youngest star, which harbor transiting planets, is Corot 2 with age of 30–40 Myr from planetary radius respectively 130–500 Myr from rotation period and activity [1]. We monitor young clusters with ages of 2 to 20 Myr to search transiting planets younger than any known to date. We observe with the YETI network (Young Exoplanet Transit Initiative, see Neuhäuser et al [2]). YETI consists of small sized telescopes with mirror diameters of 0.4 to 2 m, which are located at different longitudes all over the world so that nearly continuous observation are possible. Each cluster will be observed over 3 years, during 3 campaigns each year. Because of its distance and position in the sky, a lot of foreground and background stars contaminate the cluster

DATA REDUCTION AND ANALYSIS

TRANSITING CANDIDATES AND FOLLOW UP

OUTLOOK