David R. Ciardi
A5076152149- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
- Astro and Planetary Science
- Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
- Astronomical Observations and Instrumentation
- Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
- Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
- Space Exploration and Technology
- Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing
- History and Developments in Astronomy
- Calibration and Measurement Techniques
- High-pressure geophysics and materials
- Spectroscopy and Laser Applications
- Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
- Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Astronomical and nuclear sciences
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research
- Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
- Scientific Research and Discoveries
- Molecular Spectroscopy and Structure
- Spacecraft Design and Technology
- Inertial Sensor and Navigation
- Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
NASA Exoplanet Science Institute
2016-2025
California Institute of Technology
2016-2025
Ames Research Center
2014-2024
Goddard Space Flight Center
2024
Infrared Processing and Analysis Center
2009-2023
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
2002-2023
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
2018
Michigan United
2018
University of Southern Queensland
2018
Australian National University
2018
The Kepler mission was designed to determine the frequency of Earth-sized planets in and near habitable zone Sun-like stars. is region where planetary temperatures are suitable for water exist on a planet's surface. During first 6 weeks observations, monitored 156,000 stars, five new exoplanets with sizes between 0.37 1.6 Jupiter radii orbital periods from 3.2 4.9 days were discovered. density Neptune-sized Kepler-4b similar that Neptune GJ 436b, even though irradiation level 800,000 times...
(Abridged) We describe here the most ambitious survey currently planned in optical, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). A vast array of science will be enabled by a single wide-deep-fast sky survey, and LSST have unique capability faint time domain. The design is driven four main themes: probing dark energy matter, taking an inventory Solar System, exploring transient optical sky, mapping Milky Way. wide-field ground-based system sited at Cerro Pach\'{o}n northern Chile. telescope 8.4 m...
The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is a fully-automated, wide-field survey aimed at systematic exploration of the optical transient sky. performed using new 8.1 square degree camera installed on 48-inch Samuel Oschin telescope Observatory; colors and light curves for detected transients are obtained with automated 60-inch telescope. PTF uses eighty percent 1.2-m fifty 1.5-m time. With an exposure 60-s reaches depth approximately 21.3 in g' 20.6 R (5 sigma, median seeing). Four major...
On 2011 February 1 the Kepler mission released data for 156,453 stars observed from beginning of science observations on 2009 May 2 through September 16. There are 1235 planetary candidates with transit-like signatures detected in this period. These associated 997 host stars. Distributions characteristics separated into five class sizes: 68 approximately Earth-size (Rp < 1.25 R⊕), 288 super-Earth-size (1.25 R⊕ ⩽ Rp 662 Neptune-size (2 6 165 Jupiter-size (6 15 and 19 up to twice size Jupiter...
New transiting planet candidates are identified in 16 months (2009 May-2010 September) of data from the Kepler spacecraft.Nearly 5000 periodic transit-like signals vetted against astrophysical and instrumental false positives yielding 1108 viable new candidates, bringing total count up to over 2300.Improved vetting metrics employed, contributing higher catalog reliability.Most notable is noise-weighted robust averaging multiquarter photo-center offsets derived difference image analysis that...
We report the distribution of planets as a function planet radius (R_p), orbital period (P), and stellar effective temperature (Teff) for P < 50 day orbits around GK stars. These results are based on 1,235 (formally "planet candidates") from Kepler mission that include nearly complete set detected small 2 Earth radii (Re). For each 156,000 target stars we assess detectability R_p P. also correct geometric probability transit, R*/a. consider first within "solar subset" having Teff = 4100-6100...
We describe the contents and functionality of NASA Exoplanet Archive, a database toolset funded by to support astronomers in exoplanet community. The current content includes interactive tables containing properties all published exoplanets, Kepler planet candidates, threshold-crossing events, data validation reports target stellar parameters, light curves from CoRoT missions several ground-based surveys, spectra radial velocity measurements literature. Tools provided work with these include...
About one-third of the ∼1200 transiting planet candidates detected in first four months Kepler data are members multiple candidate systems. There 115 target stars with two planets, 45 three, 8 four, and 1 each five six. We characterize dynamical properties these multi-planet The distribution observed period ratios shows that vast majority pairs neither nor near low-order mean-motion resonances. Nonetheless, there small but statistically significant excesses both resonance spaced slightly too...
The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is a wide-field experiment designed to investigate the optical transient and variable sky on time scales from minutes years. PTF uses CFH12k mosaic camera, with field of view 7.9 deg2 plate scale 1'' pixel-1, mounted Observatory 48 inch Samuel Oschin Telescope. operation strategy devised probe existing gaps in phase space search for theoretically predicted, but not yet detected, phenomena, such as fallback supernovae, macronovae,. Ia orphan afterglows...
We present interferometric diameter measurements of 21 K- and M- dwarfs made with the CHARA Array. This sample is enhanced by literature radii to form a data set 33 K-M diameters measured better than 5%. For all stars, we compute absolute luminosities, linear radii, effective temperatures (Teff). develop empirical relations for \simK0 M4 main- sequence stars between stellar Teff, radius, luminosity broad-band color indices metallicity. These are valid metallicities [Fe/H] = -0.5 +0.1 dex,...
The Kepler mission has discovered more than 2500 exoplanet candidates in the first two years of spacecraft data, with approximately 40% those candidate multi-planet systems. high rate multiplicity combined low identified false positives indicates that multiplanet systems contain very few positive signals due to other not gravitationally bound target star. False are and removed, leaving behind a residual population transiting expected have less 1%. We present sample 340 planetary 851 planets...
We report on the masses, sizes, and orbits of planets orbiting 22 Kepler stars. There are 49 planet candidates around these stars, including 42 detected through transits 7 revealed by precise Doppler measurements host Based an analysis brightness measurements, along with high-resolution imaging spectroscopy, (for 11 stars) asteroseismology, we establish low false-positive probabilities (FPPs) for all transiting (41 have FPP under 1%), constrain their sizes masses. Most smaller than three...
We report on the orbital architectures of Kepler systems having multiple-planet candidates identified in analysis data from first six quarters and reported by Batalha et al. (2013). These show 899 transiting planet 365 provide a powerful means to study statistical properties planetary systems. Using generic mass–radius relationship, we find that only two pairs planets these candidate (out 761 total) appear be Hill-unstable orbits, indicating ∼96% are correctly interpreted as true little...
NASA's Kepler Mission uses transit photometry to determine the frequency of earth-size planets in or near habitable zone Sun-like stars. The mission reached a milestone toward meeting that goal: discovery its first rocky planet, Kepler-10b. Two distinct sets events were detected: 1) 152 +/- 4 ppm dimming lasting 1.811 0.024 hours with ephemeris T[BJD]=2454964.57375+N*0.837495 days and 2) 376 9 6.86 0.07 T[BJD]=2454971.6761+N*45.29485 days. Statistical tests on photometric pixel flux time...
The Kepler spacecraft is monitoring more than 150,000 stars for evidence of planets transiting those stars. We report the detection two Saturn-size that transit same Sun-like star, based on 7 months observations. Their 19.2- and 38.9-day periods are presently increasing decreasing at respective average rates 4 39 minutes per orbit; in addition, times inner body display an alternating variation smaller amplitude. These signatures characteristic gravitational interaction near a 2:1 orbital...
In the spring of 2009, Kepler Mission commenced high-precision photometry on nearly 156,000 stars to determine frequency and characteristics small exoplanets, conduct a guest observer program, obtain asteroseismic data wide variety stars. On 15 June 2010 released from first quarter observations. At time this publication, 706 set have exoplanet candidates with sizes as that Earth larger than Jupiter. Here we give identity 306 planetary candidates. Data for remaining 400 will be in February...
We present the first results from a speckle imaging survey of stars classified as candidate exoplanet host discovered by Kepler mission. use to search for faint companions or closely aligned background that could contribute flux light curves their brighter neighbors. Background are expected significantly pool false positive transiting exoplanets mission, especially in case neighbors eclipsing binary stars. Here, we describe our follow-up observing program, camera used, data reduction, and...
Abstract The determination of exoplanet properties and occurrence rates using Kepler data critically depends on our knowledge the fundamental (such as temperature, radius, mass) observed stars. We present revised stellar for 197,096 targets between Quarters 1–17 (Q1-17), which were used final transiting planet search run by Mission (Data Release 25, DR25). Similar to Q1–16 catalog Huber et al., classifications are based conditioning published atmospheric parameters a grid Dartmouth...
This article summarizes a workshop held on March, 2014, the potential of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to revolutionize our knowledge physical properties exoplanets through transit observations. JWST's unique combination high sensitivity and broad wavelength coverage will enable accurate measurement transits with signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). Most importantly, JWST spectroscopy investigate planetary atmospheres determine atomic molecular compositions, probe vertical horizontal structure,...
We present 2,241 exoplanet candidates identified with data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) during its two-year prime mission. list these in TESS Objects of Interest (TOI) Catalog, which includes both new planet found by and previously-known planets recovered observations. describe process used to identify TOIs investigate characteristics candidates, discuss some notable discoveries. The TOI Catalog an unprecedented number small around nearby bright stars, are...
The quest for Earth-like planets represents a major focus of current exoplanet research. While that are Earth-sized and smaller have been detected, these reside in orbits too close to their host star allow liquid water on surface. We present the detection Kepler-186f, 1.11+\-0.14 Earth radius planet is outermost five - all roughly transit 0.47+\-0.05 Rsun star. intensity spectrum star's radiation places Kepler-186f stellar habitable zone, implying if has an atmosphere H2O at its surface,...
We present a study on the effect of undetected stellar companions derived planetary radii for Kepler Objects Interest (KOIs). The current production KOI list assumes that each is single star. Not accounting multiplicity statistically biases planets toward smaller radii. bias depends properties companion stars and whether orbit primary or stars. Defining radius correction factor, XR, we find if KOIs are assumed to be single, then, average, may underestimated by factor . If typical radial...