High-Magnification Microlensing: Theory and Planet Detection

该项目的重点是从引力微透镜事件中探测系外行星。为此，将开展一系列活动，作为古尔德博士先前工作的延伸，并支持正在进行的对新系外行星的搜索。古尔德领导着微透镜跟踪网络(Micro-Fun)，这是一个由业余和专业天文学家合作的组织，在高倍微透镜事件中搜索行星。微趣公司已经探测到了7颗微透镜行星中的5颗，包括一颗冰冷的海王星和第一颗木星-土星类比系统，这两颗行星都是从参数空间探测到的，其他行星搜索方法无法访问到这两颗行星。古尔德博士将继续这项工作，既组织观测，又领导对带有行星特征的相当复杂的光曲线的解释。由于调查的改进以及在这里开展的工作，破案率预计将从目前每年2000人的水平上升。因为微透镜探测的是其他方法没有覆盖的参数空间区域，所以可以期待新的惊喜。作为该项目的一部分，将开发一条用于高倍率活动的半自动管道。这将在一定程度上允许合作将资源集中在高倍率事件上。这也将加快从光曲线数据中提取行星参数的速度。古尔德博士还将开始仔细分析选择效应，以便开始从微透镜探测得出行星频率的统计结论。其他项目包括搜索所有可公开获得的短时间尺度事件的数据，否则可能会错过这些数据，以及对高倍率事件的视差效应进行新的调查。最后，PI将继续在放大事件中寻找凸起矮星的机会谱学目标。这里的项目将导致对研究生的培训，该研究生将成为该计划的组成部分。此外，在古尔德博士的指导下，微透镜已经成为业余爱好者对天文学做出重大贡献的少数几个领域之一。古尔德博士将致力于通过业余爱好者继续参与微透镜研究，提高公众对微透镜和系外行星的科学认识。

This project is focused on the detection of exoplanets from gravitational microlensing events. Towards this end, a series of activities will be undertaken as extensions to Dr. Gould's previous work and in support of ongoing searches for new exoplanets.Dr. Gould leads the Microlensing Follow Up Network (micro-FUN), a collaboration of amateur and professional astronomers that searches for planets in high-magnification microlensing events. Micro-FUN has detected 5 of the 7 microlens planets, including a 'cold Neptune' and the first Jupiter-Saturn analog system, both from parameter space that is not accessible to other planet-search methods. Dr. Gould will continue this work, both organizing observations and leading the interpretation of the rather complex light curves that bear planetary signatures. The detection rate is expected to increase from the current level of 2 per year because of improved surveys as well as work carried out here. Because microlensing is probing regions of parameter space not covered by other methods, new surprises can be expected. As part of this project, a semi-automated pipeline for high magnification events will be developed. This will in part allow the collaboration to concentrate resources on high magnification events. It will speed up the extraction of planetary parameters from the light curve data as well. Dr. Gould will also begin a careful analysis of selection effects required to begin to draw statistical conclusions on planet frequencies from microlensing detections. Additional projects include searches of all publicly available data for short-timescale events that otherwise might be missed and a new investigation of parallax effects on high magnification events. Finally, the PI will continue to seek target of opportunity spectroscopy of bulge dwarfs during magnification events.The projects here will lead to the training of a graduate student who will be an integral part of the program. Also, under Dr. Gould's guidance, microlensing has become one of a handful of areas in which amateurs are making a major contribution to astronomy. Dr. Gould will focus substantial effort on raising the public's scientific awareness of microlensing and exoplanets through the continued participation of amateurs in microlensing studies.