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arXiv · 1210.6041

MOA-2010-BLG-311: A planetary candidate below the threshold of reliable detection

J. C. Yee·L. -W. Hung·I. A. Bond·W. Allen·L. A. G. Monard·M. D. Albrow·P. Fouque·M. Dominik·Y. Tsapras·A. Udalski·A. Gould·R. Zellem·M. Bos·G. W. Christie·D. L. DePoy·Subo Dong·J. Drummond·B. S. Gaudi·E. Gorbikov·C. Han·S. Kaspi·N. Klein·C. -U. Lee·D. Maoz·J. McCormick·D. Moorhouse·T. Natusch·M. Nola·B. -G. Park·R. W. Pogge·D. Polishook·A. Shporer·Y. Shvartzvald·J. Skowron·G. Thornley·F. Abe·D. P. Bennett·C. S. Botzler·P. Chote·M. Freeman·A. Fukui·K. Furusawa·P. Harris·Y. Itow·C. H. Ling·K. Masuda·Y. Matsubara·N. Miyake·K. Ohnishi·N. J. Rattenbury·To. Saito·D. J. Sullivan·T. Sumi·D. Suzuki·W. L. Sweatman·P. J. Tristram·K. Wada·P. C. M. Yock·M. K. Szymanski·I. Soszynski·M. Kubiak·R. Poleski·K. Ulaczyk·G. Pietrzynski·L. Wyrzykowski·E. Bachelet·V. Batista·T. G. Beatty·J. -P. Beaulieu·C. S. Bennett·R. Bowens-Rubin·S. Brillant·J. A. R. Caldwell·A. Cassan·A. A. Cole·E. Corrales·C. Coutures·S. Dieters·D. Dominis Prester·J. Donatowicz·J. Greenhill·C. B. Henderson·D. Kubas·J. -B. Marquette·R. Martin·J. W. Menzies·B. Shappee·A. Williams·D. Wouters·J. van Saders·M. Zub·R. A. Street·K. Horne·D. M. Bramich·I. A. Steele·K. A. Alsubai·V. Bozza·P. Browne·M. J. Burgdorf·S. Calchi Novati
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Abstract

We analyze MOA-2010-BLG-311, a high magnification (A_max>600) microlensing event with complete data coverage over the peak, making it very sensitive to planetary signals. We fit this event with both a point lens and a 2-body lens model and find that the 2-body lens model is a better fit but with only Delta chi^2~80. The preferred mass ratio between the lens star and its companion is $q=10^(-3.7+/-0.1), placing the candidate companion in the planetary regime. Despite the formal significance of the planet, we show that because of systematics in the data the evidence for a planetary companion to the lens is too tenuous to claim a secure detection. When combined with analyses of other high-magnification events, this event helps empirically define the threshold for reliable planet detection in high-magnification events, which remains an open question.

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J. C. Yee, L. -W. Hung, I. A. Bond, W. Allen, L. A. G. Monard, M. D. Albrow, P. Fouque, M. Dominik, Y. Tsapras, A. Udalski, A. Gould, R. Zellem, M. Bos, G. W. Christie, D. L. DePoy, Subo Dong, J. Drummond, B. S. Gaudi, E. Gorbikov, C. Han, S. Kaspi, N. Klein, C. -U. Lee, D. Maoz, J. McCormick, D. Moorhouse, T. Natusch, M. Nola, B. -G. Park, R. W. Pogge, D. Polishook, A. Shporer, Y. Shvartzvald, J. Skowron, G. Thornley, F. Abe, D. P. Bennett, C. S. Botzler, P. Chote, M. Freeman, A. Fukui, K. Furusawa, P. Harris, Y. Itow, C. H. Ling, K. Masuda, Y. Matsubara, N. Miyake, K. Ohnishi, N. J. Rattenbury, To. Saito, D. J. Sullivan, T. Sumi, D. Suzuki, W. L. Sweatman, P. J. Tristram, K. Wada, P. C. M. Yock, M. K. Szymanski, I. Soszynski, M. Kubiak, R. Poleski, K. Ulaczyk, G. Pietrzynski, L. Wyrzykowski, E. Bachelet, V. Batista, T. G. Beatty, J. -P. Beaulieu, C. S. Bennett, R. Bowens-Rubin, S. Brillant, J. A. R. Caldwell, A. Cassan, A. A. Cole, E. Corrales, C. Coutures, S. Dieters, D. Dominis Prester, J. Donatowicz, J. Greenhill, C. B. Henderson, D. Kubas, J. -B. Marquette, R. Martin, J. W. Menzies, B. Shappee, A. Williams, D. Wouters, J. van Saders, M. Zub, R. A. Street, K. Horne, D. M. Bramich, I. A. Steele, K. A. Alsubai, V. Bozza, P. Browne, M. J. Burgdorf, S. Calchi Novati. 2012-10-22. MOA-2010-BLG-311: A planetary candidate below the threshold of reliable detection. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/769/1/77

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