Spectrashift Exoplanet Transit Search Project: 40,000 Light Curves and Counting (Abstract)

Volume 37 number 2 (2009)

Thomas G. Kaye

David Healy

Abstract

(Abstract only) Spectrashift has recently branched out from its radial velocity work detecting exoplanets, and has now fully implemented an exoplanet transit search program. Junk Bond Observatory’s 0.8-meter fully automated RC telescope has been engaged in this effort full-time since October of 2008. To date the search has examined more than 40,000 light curves. The Spectrashift strategy is to look at fewer but fainter stars, putting this search into the magnitude range the majority of professional searches cannot penetrate. Custom software was developed for the reduction pipeline to handle the volume of data. The software implements artificial intelligence algorithms to sort out the most likely candidates for human inspection at the end of the pipeline. To date the project has come up with several “triple hits” where a transit-like event has happened on three occasions. The Spectrashift team’s ultimate goal is to include a network of non-professional telescopes around the world for 24-hour coverage of star fields. It is believed this is the first serious non-professional transit search effort.