[FPSPACE] Detecting binary exoplanets down to the size of Luna

[LARRY KLAES]

Astrophysics, abstract
astro-ph/0703609

From: Juan Cabrera [view email]

Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:26:55 GMT   (171kb)

Detecting companions to extrasolar planets using mutual events

Authors: J. Cabrera, J. Schneider

Comments: 6 pages, 7 figures

Journal-ref: A&A 464, 1133-1138 (2007)

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20066111

We investigate a new approach to the detection of companions to extrasolar 
planets beyond the transit method. We discuss the possibility of the 
existence of binary planets.

We develop a method based on the imaging of a planet-companion as an 
unresolved system (but resolved from its parent star). It makes use of 
planet-companion mutual phenomena, namely mutual transits and mutual 
shadows.

We show that companions can be detected and their radius measured down to 
lunar sizes.

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0703609