Richard P. Olenick

Professor of Physics

University of Dallas

Using Small Telescopes for Extrasolar Transit Searches: Methods, Candidates and Incidental Discoveries

Abstract: The Small Telescope Extrasolar Transit Search (STExTS) project is a small aperture, wide-angle search for planetary transits and variable stars involving undergraduates in research. Observational campaigns have been conducted in the summers of 2011 through 2015 with a f/1.5 152 mm astrograph with a 20 field of view and a f/1.25 152 mm astrograph with a 0.80 fov. Target regions have included the open cluster Dolidze-Dzimseleshvili 9 and regions in Hercules and Cygnus. Observations each summer of the target area were made for approximately 35 nights and lightcurves were obtained for approximately 3000-4000 stars for each target area that were extracted and catalogued from the images. A software processing pipeline and SQL database were created for the searches. Candidates and other discoveries were found using Peranso and modeled with vartools and PHOEBE. We report on the transit candidates, new binaries, and new variable stars found in these searches. We will also describe the evolution of the program to the use of remote, robotic observatories including UNT's Monroe Observatory by undergraduates.

Host: Ron DiIulio, Chris Littler

Tuesday, November 17, 2015 3:30 P.M. Room 104, Physics Building

Refreshments at 3:15 P.M.