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| Paper: |
Detecting Extrasolar Planets in Reflected Light Using COROT and Kepler |
| Volume: |
294, Scientific Frontiers in Research on Extrasolar Planets |
| Page: |
523 |
| Authors: |
Hatzes, A. P. |
| Abstract: |
The space missions COROT and Kepler will search for extrasolar planets via photometric transit events. Because of their high photometric precision and continuous observations over a long time span, both should also be able to detect a large number of non-transiting Jupiters via the reflected light of the planet. Simple Monte Carlo simulations were performed using an input sinusoidal signal with noise and sampling consistent with data that will be taken by the COROT and Kepler missions. These simulations show that for a V = 11 star COROT should be able to detect giant planets in reflected light having a semi-major axis a = 0.035 and an albedo as low as 0.1. A planet with a Jupiter-like albedo can be detected out to semi-major axes of about 0.10. Kepler would have a similar performance for a star as faint as V = 13 and also will be able to detect secondary eclipses of giant close-in planets. These simulations demonstrate that these space missions can be used to test predictions of the albedo of planetary atmospheres for close-in giant planets. |
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