arXiv subjects

John Asher Johnson

Publications and source records attributed to John Asher Johnson.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

The Dynamics of the Multi-planet System Orbiting Kepler-56

Kepler-56 is a multi-planet system containing two coplanar inner planets that are in orbits misaligned with respect to the spin axis of the host star, and an outer planet. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the broad distribution of spin-orbit angles among exoplanets, and these theories fall under two broad categories. The first is based on dynamical interactions in a multi-body system, while the other assumes that disk migration is the driving mechanism in planetary configuration and that the star (or disk) is titled with respect to the planetary plane. Here we show that the large observed obliquity of Kepler-56 system is consistent with a dynamical origin. In addition, we use observations by Huber et al. (2013) to derive the obliquity's probability distribution function, thus improving the constrained lower limit. The outer planet may be the cause of the inner planets' large obliquities, and we give the probability distribution function of its inclination, which depends on the initial orbital configuration of the planetary system. We show that even in the presence of precise measurement of the true obliquity, one cannot distinguish the initial configurations. Finally we consider the fate of the system as the star continues to evolve beyond the main sequence, and we find that the obliquity of the system will not undergo major variations as the star climbs the red giant branch. We follow the evolution of the system and find that the innermost planet will be engulfed in ~129 Myr. Furthermore we put an upper limit of ~155 Myr for the engulfment of the second planet. This corresponds to ~ 3% of the current age of the star.

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arXiv2014

A Technique for Extracting Highly Precise Photometry for the Two-Wheeled Kepler Mission

The original Kepler mission achieved high photometric precision thanks to ultra-stable pointing enabled by use of four reaction wheels. The loss of two of these reaction wheels reduced the telescope's ability to point precisely for extended periods of time, and as a result, the photometric precision has suffered. We present a technique for generating photometric light curves from pixel-level data obtained with the two-wheeled extended Kepler mission, K2. Our photometric technique accounts for the non-uniform pixel response function of the Kepler detectors by correlating flux measurements with the spacecraft's pointing and removing the dependence. When we apply our technique to the ensemble of stars observed during the Kepler Two-Wheel Concept Engineering Test, we find improvements over raw K2 photometry by factors of 2-5, with noise properties qualitatively similar to Kepler targets at the same magnitudes. We find evidence that the improvement in photometric precision depends on each target's position in the Kepler field of view, with worst precision near the edges of the field. Overall, this technique restores the median attainable photometric precision to within a factor of two of the original Kepler photometric precision for targets ranging from 10$^{th}$ to 15$^{th}$ magnitude in the Kepler bandpass, peaking with a median precision within 35% that of Kepler for stars between 12$^{th}$ and 13$^{th}$ magnitude in the Kepler bandpass.

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arXiv2014

On the Spectroscopic Properties of the Retired A Star HD 185351

Doppler-based planet surveys have shown that, besides metallicity, the planet occurrence is also correlated with stellar mass, increasing from M to F-A spectral types. However, it has recently been argued that the subgiants (which represent A stars after they evolve off the main sequence) may not be as massive as suggested initially, which would significantly change the correlation found. To start investigating this claim, we have studied the subgiant star HD 185351, which has precisely measured physical properties based on asteroseismology and interferometry. An independent spectroscopic differential analysis based on excitation and ionization balance of iron lines yielded the atmospheric parameters $T_{\rm eff}$ = 5035 $\pm$ 29 K, $\log$ g = 3.30 $\pm$ 0.08 and [Fe/H] = 0.10 $\pm$ 0.04. These were used in conjunction with the PARSEC stellar evolutionary tracks to infer a mass M = 1.77 $\pm$ 0.04 M$_{\odot}$, which agrees well with the previous estimates. Lithium abundance was also estimated from spectral synthesis (A(Li) = 0.77 $\pm$ 0.07) and, together with $T_{\rm eff}$ and [Fe/H], allowed to determine a mass M = 1.64 $\pm$ 0.06 M$_{\odot}$, which is independent of the star's parallax and surface gravity. Our new measurements of the stellar mass support the notion that HD185351 is a Retired A Star with a mass in excess of 1.6 M$_{\odot}$.

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arXiv2014

The TRENDS High-Contrast Imaging Survey. V. Discovery of an Old and Cold Benchmark T-dwarf Orbiting the Nearby G-star HD 19467

The nearby Sun-like star HD 19467 shows a subtle radial velocity (RV) acceleration of -1.37+/-0.09 m/s/yr over an 16.9 year time baseline (an RV trend), hinting at the existence of a distant orbiting companion. We have obtained high-contrast adaptive optics images of the star using NIRC2 at Keck Observatory and report the direct detection of the body that causes the acceleration. The companion, HD 19467 B, is dK=12.57+/-0.09 mag fainter than its parent star (contrast ratio of 9.4e-6), has blue colors J-K_s=-0.36+/-0.14 (J-H=-0.29+/-0.15), and is separated by 1.653+/-0.004" (51.1+/-1.0 AU). Follow-up astrometric measurements obtained over an 1.1 year time baseline demonstrate physical association through common parallactic and proper motion. We calculate a firm lower-limit of m>51.9^{+3.6}_{-4.3}Mjup for the companion mass from orbital dynamics using a combination of Doppler observations and imaging. We estimate a model-dependent mass of m=56.7^{+4.6}_{-7.2}Mjup from a gyrochronological age of 4.3^{+1.0}_{-1.2} Gyr. Isochronal analysis suggests a much older age of $9\pm1$ Gyr, which corresponds to a mass of m=67.4^{+0.9}_{-1.5}Mjup. HD 19467 B's measured colors and absolute magnitude are consistent with a late T-dwarf [~T5-T7]. We may infer a low metallicity of [Fe/H]=-0.15+/-0.04 for the companion from its G3V parent star. HD 19467 B is the first directly imaged benchmark T-dwarf found orbiting a Sun-like star with a measured RV acceleration.

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arXiv2014

Large eccentricity, low mutual inclination: the three-dimensional architecture of a hierarchical system of giant planets

We establish the three-dimensional architecture of the Kepler-419 (previously KOI-1474) system to be eccentric yet with a low mutual inclination. Kepler-419b is a warm Jupiter at semi-major axis a = 0.370 +0.007/-0.006 AU with a large eccentricity e=0.85 +0.08/-0.07 measured via the "photoeccentric effect." It exhibits transit timing variations induced by the non-transiting Kepler-419c, which we uniquely constrain to be a moderately eccentric (e=0.184 +/- 0.002), hierarchically-separated (a=1.68 +/- 0.03 AU) giant planet (7.3 +/- 0.4 MJup). We combine sixteen quarters of Kepler photometry, radial-velocity (RV) measurements from the HIgh Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) on Keck, and improved stellar parameters that we derive from spectroscopy and asteroseismology. From the RVs, we measure the mass of inner planet to be 2.5+/-0.3MJup and confirm its photometrically-measured eccentricity, refining the value to e=0.83+/-0.01. The RV acceleration is consistent with the properties of the outer planet derived from TTVs. We find that, despite their sizable eccentricities, the planets are coplanar to within 9 +8/-6 degrees, and therefore the inner planet's large eccentricity and close-in orbit are unlikely to be the result of Kozai migration. Moreover, even over many secular cycles, the inner planet's periapse is most likely never small enough for tidal circularization. Finally, we present and measure a transit time and impact parameter from four simultaneous ground-based light curves from 1m-class telescopes, demonstrating the feasibility of ground-based follow-up of Kepler giant planets exhibiting large TTVs.

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arXiv2014

The Physical Parameters of the Retired A Star HD185351

We report here an analysis of the physical stellar parameters of the giant star HD185351 using Kepler short-cadence photometry, optical and near infrared interferometry from CHARA, and high-resolution spectroscopy. Asteroseismic oscillations detected in the Kepler short-cadence photometry combined with an effective temperature calculated from the interferometric angular diameter and bolometric flux yield a mean density, rho_star = 0.0130 +- 0.0003 rho_sun and surface gravity, logg = 3.280 +- 0.011. Combining the gravity and density we find Rstar = 5.35 +- 0.20 Rsun and Mstar = 1.99 +- 0.23 Msun. The trigonometric parallax and CHARA angular diameter give a radius Rstar = 4.97 +- 0.07 Rsun. This smaller radius,when combined with the mean stellar density, corresponds to a stellar mass Mstar = 1.60 +- 0.08 Msun, which is smaller than the asteroseismic mass by 1.6-sigma. We find that a larger mass is supported by the observation of mixed modes in our high-precision photometry, the spacing of which is consistent only for Mstar =~ 1.8 Msun. Our various and independent mass measurements can be compared to the mass measured from interpolating the spectroscopic parameters onto stellar evolution models, which yields a model-based mass M_star = 1.87 +- 0.07 Msun. This mass agrees well with the asteroseismic value,but is 2.6-sigma higher than the mass from the combination of asteroseismology and interferometry. The discrepancy motivates future studies with a larger sample of giant stars. However, all of our mass measurements are consistent with HD185351 having a mass in excess of 1.5 Msun.

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arXiv2014

Characterizing the Cool KOIs. VI. H- and K-band Spectra of Kepler M Dwarf Planet-Candidate Hosts

We present H- and K-band spectra for late-type Kepler Objects of Interest (the "Cool KOIs"): low-mass stars with transiting-planet candidates discovered by NASA's Kepler Mission that are listed on the NASA Exoplanet Archive. We acquired spectra of 103 Cool KOIs and used the indices and calibrations of Rojas-Ayala et al. to determine their spectral types, stellar effective temperatures and metallicities, significantly augmenting previously published values. We interpolate our measured effective temperatures and metallicities onto evolutionary isochrones to determine stellar masses, radii, luminosities and distances, assuming the stars have settled onto the main-sequence. As a choice of isochrones, we use a new suite of Dartmouth predictions that reliably include mid-to-late M dwarf stars. We identify five M4V stars: KOI-961 (confirmed as Kepler 42), KOI-2704, KOI-2842, KOI-4290, and the secondary component to visual binary KOI-1725, which we call KOI-1725 B. We also identify a peculiar star, KOI-3497, which has a Na and Ca lines consistent with a dwarf star but CO lines consistent with a giant. Visible-wavelength adaptive optics imaging reveals two objects within a 1 arc second diameter; however, the objects' colors are peculiar. The spectra and properties presented in this paper serve as a resource for prioritizing follow-up observations and planet validation efforts for the Cool KOIs, and are all available for download online using the "data behind the figure" feature.

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arXiv2014

Robotic Laser-Adaptive-Optics Imaging of 715 Kepler Exoplanet Candidates using Robo-AO

The Robo-AO Kepler Planetary Candidate Survey is designed to observe every Kepler planet candidate host star with laser adaptive optics imaging to search for blended nearby stars, which may be physically associated companions and/or responsible for transit false positives. In this paper we present the results from the 2012 observing season, searching for stars close to 715 representative Kepler planet candidate hosts. We find 53 companions, 44 of which are new discoveries. We detail the Robo-AO survey data reduction methods including a method of using the large ensemble of target observations as mutual point-spread-function references, along with a new automated companion-detection algorithm designed for large adaptive optics surveys. Our survey is sensitive to objects from 0.15" to 2.5" separation, with contrast ratios up to delta-m~6. We measure an overall nearby-star-probability for Kepler planet candidates of 7.4% +/- 1.0%, and calculate the effects of each detected nearby star on the Kepler-measured planetary radius. We discuss several KOIs of particular interest, including KOI-191 and KOI-1151, which are both multi-planet systems with detected stellar companions whose unusual planetary system architecture might be best explained if they are "coincident multiple" systems, with several transiting planets shared between the two stars. Finally, we detect 2.6-sigma evidence for <15d-period giant planets being 2-3 times more likely be found in wide stellar binaries than smaller close-in planets and all sizes of further-out planets.

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arXiv2014

WASP-12b and HAT-P-8b are Members of Triple Star Systems

We present high spatial resolution images that demonstrate the hot Jupiters WASP-12b and HAT-P-8b orbit the primary star of hierarchical triple star systems. In each case, two distant companions with colors and brightness consistent with M dwarfs co-orbit the planet host as well as one another. Our adaptive optics images spatially resolve the secondary around WASP-12, previously identified by Bergfors et al. 2011 and Crossfield et al. 2012, into two distinct sources separated by 84.3+/-0.6 mas (21 +/- 3 AU). We find that the secondary to HAT-P-8, also identified by Bergfors et al. 2011, is in fact composed of two stars separated by 65.3+/-0.5 mas (15+/-1 AU). Our follow-up observations demonstrate physical association through common proper-motion. HAT-P-8 C has a particularly low mass, which we estimate to be 0.18+/-0.02Msun using photometry. Due to their hierarchy, WASP-12 BC and HAT-P-8 BC will enable the first dynamical mass determination for hot Jupiter stellar companions. These previously well-studied planet hosts now represent higher-order multi-star systems with potentially complex dynamics, underscoring the importance of diffraction-limited imaging and providing additional context for understanding the migrant population of transiting hot Jupiters.

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arXiv2014

Friends of Hot Jupiters I: A Radial Velocity Search for Massive, Long-Period Companions to Close-In Gas Giant Planets

In this paper we search for distant massive companions to known transiting gas giant planets that may have influenced the dynamical evolution of these systems. We present new radial velocity observations for a sample of 51 planets obtained using the Keck HIRES instrument, and find statistically significant accelerations in fifteen systems. Six of these systems have no previously reported accelerations in the published literature: HAT-P-10, HAT-P-22, HAT-P-29, HAT-P-32, WASP-10, and XO-2. We combine our radial velocity fits with Keck NIRC2 adaptive optics (AO) imaging data to place constraints on the allowed masses and orbital periods of the companions responsible for the detected accelerations. The estimated masses of the companions range between 1-500 M_Jup, with orbital semi-major axes typically between 1-75 AU. A significant majority of the companions detected by our survey are constrained to have minimum masses comparable to or larger than those of the transiting planets in these systems, making them candidates for influencing the orbital evolution of the inner gas giant. We estimate a total occurrence rate of 51 +/- 10% for companions with masses between 1-13 M_Jup and orbital semi-major axes between 1-20 AU in our sample. We find no statistically significant difference between the frequency of companions to transiting planets with misaligned or eccentric orbits and those with well-aligned, circular orbits. We combine our expanded sample of radial velocity measurements with constraints from transit and secondary eclipse observations to provide improved measurements of the physical and orbital characteristics of all of the planets included in our survey.

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arXiv2014

The TRENDS High-Contrast Imaging Survey. IV. The Occurrence Rate of Giant Planets around M-Dwarfs

Doppler-based planet surveys have discovered numerous giant planets but are incomplete beyond several AU. At larger star-planet separations, direct planet detection through high-contrast imaging has proven successful, but this technique is sensitive only to young planets and characterization relies upon theoretical evolution models. Here we demonstrate that radial velocity measurements and high-contrast imaging can be combined to overcome these issues. The presence of widely separated companions can be deduced by identifying an acceleration (long-term trend) in the radial velocity of a star. By obtaining high spatial resolution follow-up imaging observations, we rule out scenarios in which such accelerations are caused by stellar binary companions with high statistical confidence. We report results from an analysis of Doppler measurements of a sample of 111 M-dwarf stars with a median of 29 radial velocity observations over a median time baseline of 11.8 yr. By targeting stars that exhibit a radial velocity acceleration ("trend") with adaptive optics imaging, we determine that 6.5% +/- 3.0% of M-dwarf stars host one or more massive companions with 1 < m/M_Jupiter < 13 and 0 < a < 20 AU. These results are lower than analyses of the planet occurrence rate around higher-mass stars. We find the giant planet occurrence rate is described by a double power law in stellar mass M and metallicity F = [Fe/H] such that f(M,F) = 0.039(+0.056,-0.028) M^(0.8(+1.1,-0.9)) 10^((3.8 +/- 1.2)F). Our results are consistent with gravitational microlensing measurements of the planet occurrence rate; this study represents the first model-independent comparison with microlensing observations.

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arXiv2014

KELT-6b: A P~7.9 d Hot Saturn Transiting a Metal-Poor Star with a Long-Period Companion

We report the discovery of KELT-6b, a mildly-inflated Saturn-mass planet transiting a metal-poor host. The initial transit signal was identified in KELT-North survey data, and the planetary nature of the occulter was established using a combination of follow-up photometry, high-resolution imaging, high-resolution spectroscopy, and precise radial velocity measurements. The fiducial model from a global analysis including constraints from isochrones indicates that the V=10.38 host star (BD+31 2447) is a mildly evolved, late-F star with T_eff=6102 \pm 43 K, log(g_*)=4.07_{-0.07}^{+0.04} and [Fe/H]=-0.28 \pm 0.04, with an inferred mass M_*=1.09 \pm 0.04 M_sun and radius R_star=1.58_{-0.09}^{+0.16} R_sun. The planetary companion has mass M_P=0.43 \pm 0.05 M_J, radius R_P=1.19_{-0.08}^{+0.13} R_J, surface gravity log(g_P)=2.86_{-0.08}^{+0.06}, and density rho_P=0.31_{-0.08}^{+0.07} g~cm^{-3}. The planet is on an orbit with semimajor axis a=0.079 \pm 0.001 AU and eccentricity e=0.22_{-0.10}^{+0.12}, which is roughly consistent with circular, and has ephemeris of T_c(BJD_TDB)=2456347.79679 \pm 0.00036 and P=7.845631 \pm 0.000046 d. Equally plausible fits that employ empirical constraints on the host star parameters rather than isochrones yield a larger planet mass and radius by ~4-7%. KELT-6b has surface gravity and incident flux similar to HD209458b, but orbits a host that is more metal poor than HD209458 by ~0.3 dex. Thus, the KELT-6 system offers an opportunity to perform a comparative measurement of two similar planets in similar environments around stars of very different metallicities. The precise radial velocity data also reveal an acceleration indicative of a longer-period third body in the system, although the companion is not detected in Keck adaptive optics images.

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arXiv2014

Masses, Radii, and Orbits of Small Kepler Planets: The Transition from Gaseous to Rocky Planets

We report on the masses, sizes, and orbits of the planets orbiting 22 Kepler stars. There are 49 planet candidates around these stars, including 42 detected through transits and 7 revealed by precise Doppler measurements of the host stars. Based on an analysis of the Kepler brightness measurements, along with high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, Doppler spectroscopy, and (for 11 stars) asteroseismology, we establish low false-positive probabilities for all of the transiting planets (41 of 42 have a false-positive probability under 1%), and we constrain their sizes and masses. Most of the transiting planets are smaller than 3X the size of Earth. For 16 planets, the Doppler signal was securely detected, providing a direct measurement of the planet's mass. For the other 26 planets we provide either marginal mass measurements or upper limits to their masses and densities; in many cases we can rule out a rocky composition. We identify 6 planets with densities above 5 g/cc, suggesting a mostly rocky interior for them. Indeed, the only planets that are compatible with a purely rocky composition are smaller than ~2 R_earth. Larger planets evidently contain a larger fraction of low-density material (H, He, and H2O).

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arXiv2013

A Rocky Composition for an Earth-sized Exoplanet

Planets with sizes between that of Earth (with radius R$_\oplus$) and Neptune (about 4 R$_\oplus$) are now known to be common around Sun-like stars. Most such planets have been discovered through the transit technique, by which the planet's size can be determined from the fraction of starlight blocked by the planet as it passes in front of its star. Measuring the planet's mass-and hence its density, which is a clue to its composition-is more difficult. Planets of size 2-4 R$_\oplus$ have proven to have a wide range of densities, implying a diversity of compositions, but these measurements did not extend down to planets as small as Earth. Here we report Doppler spectroscopic measurements of the mass of the Earth-sized planet Kepler-78b, which orbits its host star every 8.5 hours. Given a radius of 1.20 $\pm$ 0.09 R$_\oplus$ and mass of 1.69 $\pm$ 0.41 M$_\oplus$, the planet's mean density of 5.3 $\pm$ 1.8 g cm$^{-3}$ is similar to the Earth's, suggesting a composition of rock and iron.

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arXiv2013

Stellar Spin-Orbit Misalignment in a Multiplanet System

Stars hosting hot Jupiters are often observed to have high obliquities, whereas stars with multiple co-planar planets have been seen to have low obliquities. This has been interpreted as evidence that hot-Jupiter formation is linked to dynamical disruption, as opposed to planet migration through a protoplanetary disk. We used asteroseismology to measure a large obliquity for Kepler-56, a red giant star hosting two transiting co-planar planets. These observations show that spin-orbit misalignments are not confined to hot-Jupiter systems. Misalignments in a broader class of systems had been predicted as a consequence of torques from wide-orbiting companions, and indeed radial-velocity measurements revealed a third companion in a wide orbit in the Kepler-56 system.

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arXiv2013

Precision near-infrared radial velocity instrumentation I: Absorption Gas Cells

We have built and commissioned gas absorption cells for precision spectroscopic radial velocity measurements in the near-infrared in the H and K bands. We describe the construction and installation of three such cells filled with 13CH4, 12CH3D, and 14NH3 for the CSHELL spectrograph at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We have obtained their high-resolution laboratory Fourier Transform spectra, which can have other practical uses. We summarize the practical details involved in the construction of the three cells, and the thermal and mechanical control. In all cases, the construction of the cells is very affordable. We are carrying out a pilot survey with the 13CH4 methane gas cell on the CSHELL spectrograph at the IRTF to detect exoplanets around low mass and young stars. We discuss the current status of our survey, with the aim of photon-noise limited radial velocity precision. For adequately bright targets, we are able to probe a noise floor of 7 m/s with the gas cell with CSHELL at cassegrain focus. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using a gas cell on the next generation of near-infrared spectrographs such as iSHELL on IRTF, iGRINS, and an upgraded NIRSPEC at Keck.

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arXiv2013

Precision near-infrared radial velocity instrumentation II: Non-Circular Core Fiber Scrambler

We have built and commissioned a prototype agitated non-circular core fiber scrambler for precision spectroscopic radial velocity measurements in the near-infrared H band. We have collected the first on-sky performance and modal noise tests of these novel fibers in the near-infrared at H and K bands using the CSHELL spectrograph at the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF). We discuss the design behind our novel reverse injection of a red laser for co-alignment of star-light with the fiber tip via a corner cube and visible camera. We summarize the practical details involved in the construction of the fiber scrambler, and the mechanical agitation of the fiber at the telescope. We present radial velocity measurements of a bright standard star taken with and without the fiber scrambler to quantify the relative improvement in the obtainable blaze function stability, the line spread function stability, and the resulting radial velocity precision. We assess the feasibility of applying this illumination stabilization technique to the next generation of near-infrared spectrographs such as iSHELL on IRTF and an upgraded NIRSPEC at Keck. Our results may also be applied in the visible for smaller core diameter fibers where fiber modal noise is a significant factor, such as behind an adaptive optics system or on a small < 1 meter class telescope such as is being pursued by the MINERVA and LCOGT collaborations.

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arXiv2013

Kepler-63b: A Giant Planet in a Polar Orbit around a Young Sun-like Star

We present the discovery and characterization of a giant planet orbiting the young Sun-like star Kepler-63 (KOI-63, $m_{\rm Kp} = 11.6$, $T_{\rm eff} = 5576$ K, $M_\star = 0.98\, M_\odot$). The planet transits every 9.43 days, with apparent depth variations and brightening anomalies caused by large starspots. The planet's radius is $6.1 \pm 0.2 R_{\earth}$, based on the transit light curve and the estimated stellar parameters. The planet's mass could not be measured with the existing radial-velocity data, due to the high level of stellar activity, but if we assume a circular orbit we can place a rough upper bound of $120 M_{\earth}$ (3$σ$). The host star has a high obliquity ($ψ$ = $104^{\circ}$), based on the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect and an analysis of starspot-crossing events. This result is valuable because almost all previous obliquity measurements are for stars with more massive planets and shorter-period orbits. In addition, the polar orbit of the planet combined with an analysis of spot-crossing events reveals a large and persistent polar starspot. Such spots have previously been inferred using Doppler tomography, and predicted in simulations of magnetic activity of young Sun-like stars.

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