Issue |
A&A
Volume 635, March 2020
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | A6 | |
Number of page(s) | 17 | |
Section | Numerical methods and codes | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201936326 | |
Published online | 28 February 2020 |
MCMCI: A code to fully characterise an exoplanetary system⋆
1
Space Sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR) Institute, Université de Liège, 19C Allée du 6 Août, 4000 Liège, Belgium
e-mail: a.bonfanti@uliege.be
2
Astrobiology Research Unit, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 Août 19, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Received:
16
July
2019
Accepted:
29
December
2019
Context. Useful information can be retrieved by analysing the transit light curve of a planet-hosting star or induced radial velocity oscillations. However, inferring the physical parameters of the planet, such as mass, size, and semi-major axis, requires preliminary knowledge of some parameters of the host star, especially its mass or radius, which are generally inferred through theoretical evolutionary models.
Aims. We seek to present and test a whole algorithm devoted to the complete characterisation of an exoplanetary system thanks to the global analysis of photometric or radial velocity time series combined with observational stellar parameters derived either from spectroscopy or photometry.
Methods. We developed an integrated tool called MCMCI. This tool combines the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach of analysing photometric or radial velocity time series with a proper interpolation within stellar evolutionary isochrones and tracks, known as isochrone placement, to be performed at each chain step, to retrieve stellar theoretical parameters such as age, mass, and radius.
Results. We tested the MCMCI on the HD 219134 multi-planetary system hosting two transiting rocky super Earths and on WASP-4, which hosts a bloated hot Jupiter. Even considering different input approaches, a final convergence was reached within the code, we found good agreement with the results already stated in the literature and we obtained more precise output parameters, especially concerning planetary masses.
Conclusions. The MCMCI tool offers the opportunity to perform an integrated analysis of an exoplanetary system without splitting it into the preliminary stellar characterisation through theoretical models. Rather this approach favours a close interaction between light curve analysis and isochrones, so that the parameters recovered at each step of the MCMC enter as inputs for purposes of isochrone placement.
Key words: planets and satellites: fundamental parameters / stars: fundamental parameters
Data and code are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/635/A6
© ESO 2020
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.