arXiv subjects

Nicholas T. Marston

Publications and source records attributed to Nicholas T. Marston.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Kepler Image-Subtracted Light Curves and Variable Star Catalog of NGC 6819

Variable stars in open clusters are valuable probes of stellar evolution. They provide precise measurements of stellar properties, constrain cluster ages and distances, and trace the angular momentum evolution of stellar populations. To advance these studies, we applied image subtraction and systematic reduction techniques to the NGC 6819 Kepler superstamp time-series data (Quarters 1-16), using the Gaia DR3 catalog to identify the positions of individual sources. We produce 81,498 high-precision light curves for 11,055 sources in the crowded field harboring the 2.5 Gyr open cluster NGC 6819. Our detrended light curves achieve a best root-mean-square precision of 33 ppm (6.5-hour bins) for stars with Kepler magnitudes 12 - 12.5 mag, falling to 79 ppm at 14 - 14.5 mag. Using Gaia DR3 proper motions, and parallaxes, we distinguished likely cluster members from field stars. We identified and classified 87 periodic variables that are potential members of NGC 6819, including 26 newly-discovered variables. We make our light curves and variable classifications publicly available to enable further studies of stellar variability and angular momentum evolution in this intermediate-aged open cluster.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Do Super-Puffs Defy Core Accretion? Population-Wide Interior Structure Constraints

Sub-Saturn mass planets with extremely low bulk densities $(ρ\lesssim0.3)\mathrm{g/cm^3}$, or ``super-puffs'', are one of the most interesting and least understood populations of exoplanets. While many short-period super-puffs can be attributed to the effects of high irradiation and star-planet interactions, cold super-puffs appear to challenge the expectations of core accretion theory. We constrain the possible properties of 34 cold super-puffs by computing hydrostatic interior structures using PlanetSolver. We find that 28 planets in our sample can be reproduced by models consistent with core accretion based on their observed masses and radii and adjusting for planet age. We identify HIP 41378 f, Kepler-30 d, Kepler-51 d, Kepler-177 c, TOI-1420 b, and WASP-107 b as planets inconsistent with core accretion theory which necessitate a non-standard explanation (e.g. exo-rings). With the exception of TOI-1420 b, core accretion-compatible solutions are possible for these planets if an additional heat source is present. We modify planetary evolution models to determine whether enhanced radiogenic heating or late impacts with sub-planetary mass objects can plausibly inflate sub-Neptunes enough to achieve super-puff densities. We find that the effects of radiogenic heating are insufficient to produce super-puff densities, but that impacts can in many cases produce the necessary inflation for upwards of 1Gyr. We also compile and present here an index of all currently known super-puffs.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

The TEMPO Survey II: Science Cases Leveraged from a Proposed 30-Day Time Domain Survey of the Orion Nebula with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

The TEMPO (Transiting Exosatellites, Moons, and Planets in Orion) Survey is a proposed 30-day observational campaign using the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. By providing deep, high-resolution, short-cadence infrared photometry of a dynamic star-forming region, TEMPO will investigate the demographics of exosatellites orbiting free-floating planets and brown dwarfs -- a largely unexplored discovery space. Here, we present the simulated detection yields of three populations: extrasolar moon analogs orbiting free-floating planets, exosatellites orbiting brown dwarfs, and exoplanets orbiting young stars. Additionally, we outline a comprehensive range of anticipated scientific outcomes accompanying such a survey. These science drivers include: obtaining observational constraints to test prevailing theories of moon, planet, and star formation; directly detecting widely separated exoplanets orbiting young stars; investigating the variability of young stars and brown dwarfs; constraining the low-mass end of the stellar initial mass function; constructing the distribution of dust in the Orion Nebula and mapping evolution in the near-infrared extinction law; mapping emission features that trace the shocked gas in the region; constructing a dynamical map of Orion members using proper motions; and searching for extragalactic sources and transients via deep extragalactic observations reaching a limiting magnitude of $m_{AB}=29.7$\,mag (F146 filter).

astro-ph.EP↗