Preliminary Analysis of MOST Observations of the Trapezium (Abstract)

Volume 40 number 1 (2012)

Matthew R. Templeton

AAVSO Headquarters, 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138; matthewt@aavso.org

Joyce Ann Guzik

Los Alamos National Laboratory, XTD-2 MS T086, Los Alamos, NM 87545; joy@lanl.gov

Arne A. Henden

AAVSO Headquarters, 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138; arne@aavso.org

William Herbst

Wesleyan University, Department of Astronomy, Middletown, CT 06459; wherbst@wesleyan.edu

Abstract

(Abstract only) We present our first assessment of light curves of the Trapezium stars obtained by the MOST satellite in early 2011. The data sets consist of four stars of the q1 Ori system (A, B, C, and D), along with 34 GSC stars in the field nominally used for guiding. The photometry of the brightest stars is sufficient to detect variability at a level well below one mmag, while photometry of the fainter guide stars has not yet been assessed. An early look at the data indicates intrinsic signals are clearly present; non-trivial systematics also related to the spacecraft and sampling are also present, and we discuss potential means for dealing with these issues. We will also discuss our plans for analyzing the data and deriving physical information on these stars.