Exploring Uncharted Realms: Discovering Exoplanets via Transit Analysis with TESS
Board Location: #73
Discipline: Physics
Session: 1
Jasmine Freeman - Valdosta State University
Co-Author(s): Douglas Caldwell, SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center
In the realm of exoplanetary research, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has become a trailblazing space-based observatory. In this investigation, we concentrate on TESS’s studies of Sectors 56, 57, 58, and 59, which have enhanced our knowledge of the exoplanet population and the larger cosmos. We examine the light curves collected from these sectors using TESS’s high-precision photometry to recognize and describe exoplanetary systems. TESS uses the transit technique, which allows for the identification of exoplanets as they pass in front of their host stars and temporarily dim those stars’ brightness. We can deduce the existence of exoplanets and determine crucial factors like size, orbital period, and distance from the host star by examining the frequency and characteristics of these transits. Sectors 56, 57, 58, and 59 have a wide variety of exoplanetary systems, according to our findings. These findings range from hot Jupiters to super-Earths and even Earth-sized planets that are located in the habitable zone of their host star. Additionally, we discover a number of multi-planet systems, illuminating the intricate dynamics of exoplanetary architectures.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Dr. Douglas Caldwell - mentor, Matthew T. and Donna R. - REU directors, The Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics at Valdosta State University
Faculty Advisor: Douglas Caldwell, dcaldwell@seti.org
Role: • Vetted TCEs using modified TESS-ExoClass, filtering noise and categorizing candidates into tiers • Identified potential planet candidates from TEC’s Tier 1 list through manual review, prioritizing candidates flagged with a zero for new discoveries or confirmations • Wrote scripts to extract and analyze TESS data, focusing on planetary transits in sectors 56-59 • Verified candidate status by cross-referencing with existing catalogs (TOI, SIMBAD, TESS Primary Mission), reviewing DV and TEC reports, and conducting cross-sector comparisons of TCE signals to confirm exoplanetary candidates