Re: Kepler Results

exoplanet · by exoplanet on Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:28 am

And more interesting too Wink

Lazarus · by Lazarus on Fri Sep 04, 2009 5:29 pm

The background eclipsing binary scenario would imply a very weird system, given the apparent simple period ratio between the shallow transit and the main eclipsing binary.

What would produce such a system? Would perhaps imply that the two are bound, i.e. a hierarchical quadruple system (star+star)+(star+planet), somehow the inner periods ended up "resonant"...

exoplanet · by exoplanet on Tue Sep 08, 2009 6:00 pm

2009 September 4. Mission Manager Update

http://kepler.nasa.gov/about/manager.html

Note the following:

"Engineers have continued to make progress in determining the
root cause of the two safing events that Kepler experienced on June 15
and July 2. Radiation testing confirmed the susceptibility of a
circuit, in the spacecraft's RAD750 processor, to single-event-upsets,
as a credible root cause. The single-event-upset of the circuit would
cause the RAD750 to execute a power-on reset, causing the spacecraft to
enter a Safe mode. Mitigation actions are being considered for
implementation to minimize the impact of any future safing events."

TheoA · by TheoA on Wed Sep 23, 2009 1:34 pm

Mission Managers Update September 22 2009

http://kepler.nasa.gov/about/manager.html

93 Gigabits of data downloaded!

Along with Quarterly roll the process took 41 hours.
The telescope is inoperative during this period.
Answers some previous questions.

Apparently some of the data may now be available to the public!!!

I thought there was a 1 year embargo on this stuff.

Can anyone get this info? I get a login box when I try the retrieval form.

TheoA · by TheoA on Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:57 pm

Mission Managers Update October 14 2009

http://kepler.nasa.gov/about/manager.html

Very little new information.

The Safing event is not related to the RAD750 processor but
rather due to some low voltage power system. This means it can be
isolated and should not cause further problems.

Next data download October 17-18.

Borislav · by Borislav on Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:35 am

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0910/20titanium/index.html#

Western Titanium and four executives were indicted last December under eight counts of fraud involving aircraft or space vehicle parts and conspiracy to commit fraud, according to the local U.S. attorney's office.
The indictment alleges the company and its managers issued false certifications claiming the titanium met stringent requirements specified by the government and contractors.
The suspect titanium was traced to Air Force F-15 and F-22 fighter jets and the C-17 cargo plane, in addition to NASA's Kepler telescope launched in March.
NASA officials found the titanium on Kepler met performance specifications and allowed the mission to launch as scheduled.

Sirius_Alpha · by Sirius_Alpha on Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:21 am

Well, since we now know that some planets will be announced early next year, anyone want to guess how many?

Borislav · by Borislav on Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:52 am

Sirius_Alpha wrote:Well, since we now know that some planets will be announced early next year, anyone want to guess how many?

http://nexsci.caltech.edu/missions/KeckSolicitation/proposal-current.shtml

2009B W. Borucki NASA Ames Key Follow-up Observations of Kepler Targets x HIRESr

http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/observing/schedule/index.php
Borucki users HIRES 29-31.07.2009, 01-09.09.2009, 3-5.10.2009, 28-29.10.2009 or approximately 17 observant nights (170 hours HIRES)

This will be a hot jupiters, neptunes in periods before one month.

1 RV-measurement HIRES for star V=12 mag 600 seconds to exposures or 10 minut.
Discovery hot jupiter users about 10 RV-measurements or 100 minut time Keck-HIRES.

My forecast - present more 50 new hot transit gas giants planets.

Sirius_Alpha · by Sirius_Alpha on Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:20 am

Interesting, does that calculation assume that every observed star hosts a transiting giant planet?

Personally, I expect just two or three, maybe five at the most.

Borislav · by Borislav on Sun Nov 01, 2009 11:48 am

Sirius_Alpha wrote:Interesting, does that calculation assume that every observed star hosts a transiting giant planet?

Yes. False candidates must exclude on small telescope.

For instance

http://linmax.sao.arizona.edu/html/sched/2009c.60.html
2009.09
TRES: Latham (Kepler follow-up) 15 nights
2009.10
TRES: Latham (Kepler follow-up) 15 nights
2009.11
TRES: Latham (Kepler follow-up) 15 nights

http://linmax.sao.arizona.edu/html/sched/2009b.48.html
http://linmax.sao.arizona.edu/html/sched/2009c.48.html
all days in name Latham Transits

Sirius_Alpha · by Sirius_Alpha on Sun Nov 01, 2009 7:37 pm

"TRES" is mentioned several times in those links. Is it the same TrES that we're all familiar with?

Borislav · by Borislav on Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:40 am

Sirius_Alpha wrote:"TRES" is mentioned several times in those links. Is it the same TrES that we're all familiar with?

Not. TRES this is spectrograf - Tillinghast Reflection Echelle Spectrograph (TRES).

Sirius_Alpha · by Sirius_Alpha on Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:27 pm

Several posts pretaining to a problem with the Kepler spacecraft and its effects on the mission have been split into a new discussion here.

Borislav · by Borislav on Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:49 am

http://archive.stsci.edu/mast_news.php?out=html&desc=t&id=342

Kepler Dropped Targets now Public
11/04/09

Roughly 7,500 Kepler Light curve files are now available to the public for download. To see the available files, go to the Kepler Data Search form , enter " < 2010" in the box labelled "Release Date", and click the "Search" button.
Please note the Data Use Policy comments regarding the use and interpretation of the current Kepler data.

Borislav · by Borislav on Fri Nov 06, 2009 3:15 am

Unfortunately, public data (calibrating photometry for 10 days May 2009) there is no known transiting planets, or short period known variables.

Found only long period variable - U Lyr (Mira type)
http://simbad4.cfa.harvard.edu:8080/simbad/sim-id?Ident=%402925299&Name=V*%20U%20Lyr&submit=submit