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DOE OSTI2014

Near 3:2 and 2:1 mean motion resonance formation in the systems observed by Kepler

The Kepler mission has released ∼4229 transiting planet candidates. There are approximately 222 candidate systems with three planets. Among them, the period ratios of planet pairs near 1.5 and 2.0 reveal that two peaks exist for which the proportions of the candidate systems are ∼7.0% and 18.0%, respectively. In this work, we study the formation of mean motion resonance (MMR) systems, particularly for the planetary configurations near 3:2 and 2:1 MMRs, and we concentrate on the interplay between the resonant configuration and the combination of stellar accretion rate, stellar magnetic field, speed of migration, and additional planets. We perform more than 1000 runs by assuming a system with a solar-like star and three surrounding planets. From the statistical results, we find that under the formation scenario, the proportions near 1.5 and 2.0 can reach 14.5% and 26.0%, respectively. In addition, M-dot =0.1×10{sup −8} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} is propitious toward the formation of 3:2 resonance, whereas M-dot =2×10{sup −8} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} contributes to the formation of 2:1 resonance. The speed-reduction factor of type I migration f {sub 1} ≥ 0.3 facilitates 3:2 MMRs, whereas f {sub 1} ≥ 0.1 facilitates 2:1 MMRs. If additional planets are present in orbits within the innermost or beyond the outermost planet in a three-planet system, 3:2:1 MMRs can be formed, but the original systems trapped in 4:2:1 MMRs are not affected by the supposed planets. In summary, we conclude that this formation scenario will provide a likely explanation for Kepler candidates involved in 2:1 and 3:2 MMRs.

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DOE OSTI2014

Obliquities of Kepler stars: comparison of single- and multiple-transit systems

The stellar obliquity of a transiting planetary system can be constrained by combining measurements of the star's rotation period, radius, and projected rotational velocity. Here, we present a hierarchical Bayesian technique for recovering the obliquity distribution of a population of transiting planetary systems and apply it to a sample of 70 Kepler objects of interest. With ≈95% confidence, we find that the obliquities of stars with only a single detected transiting planet are systematically larger than those with multiple detected transiting planets. This suggests that a substantial fraction of Kepler's single-transiting systems represent dynamically hotter, less orderly systems than the 'pancake-flat' multiple-transiting systems.

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DOE OSTI2014

KEPLER FLARES. II. THE TEMPORAL MORPHOLOGY OF WHITE-LIGHT FLARES ON GJ 1243

We present the largest sample of flares ever compiled for a single M dwarf, the active M4 star GJ 1243. Over 6100 individual flare events, with energies ranging from 10{sup 29} to 10{sup 33} erg, are found in 11 months of 1 minute cadence data from Kepler. This sample is unique for its completeness and dynamic range. We have developed automated tools for finding flares in short-cadence Kepler light curves, and performed extensive validation and classification of the sample by eye. From this pristine sample of flares we generate a median flare template. This template shows that two exponential cooling phases are present during the white-light flare decay, providing fundamental constraints for models of flare physics. The template is also used as a basis function to decompose complex multi-peaked flares, allowing us to study the energy distribution of these events. Only a small number of flare events are not well fit by our template. We find that complex, multi-peaked flares occur in over 80% of flares with a duration of 50 minutes or greater. The underlying distribution of flare durations for events 10 minutes and longer appears to follow a broken power law. Our results support the idea that sympathetic flaring may be responsible for some complex flare events.

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DOE OSTI2015

PLANET HUNTERS. VIII. CHARACTERIZATION OF 41 LONG-PERIOD EXOPLANET CANDIDATES FROM KEPLER ARCHIVAL DATA

The census of exoplanets is incomplete for orbital distances larger than 1 AU. Here, we present 41 long-period planet candidates in 38 systems identified by Planet Hunters based on Kepler archival data (Q0–Q17). Among them, 17 exhibit only one transit, 14 have two visible transits, and 10 have more than three visible transits. For planet candidates with only one visible transit, we estimate their orbital periods based on transit duration and host star properties. The majority of the planet candidates in this work (75%) have orbital periods that correspond to distances of 1–3 AU from their host stars. We conduct follow-up imaging and spectroscopic observations to validate and characterize planet host stars. In total, we obtain adaptive optics images for 33 stars to search for possible blending sources. Six stars have stellar companions within 4″. We obtain high-resolution spectra for 6 stars to determine their physical properties. Stellar properties for other stars are obtained from the NASA Exoplanet Archive and the Kepler Stellar Catalog by Huber et al. We validate 7 planet candidates that have planet confidence over 0.997 (3σ level). These validated planets include 3 single-transit planets (KIC-3558849b, KIC-5951458b, and KIC-8540376c), 3 planets with double transits (KIC-8540376b, KIC-9663113b, and KIC-10525077b), and 1 planet with four transits (KIC-5437945b). This work provides assessment regarding the existence of planets at wide separations and the associated false positive rate for transiting observation (17%–33%). More than half of the long-period planets with at least three transits in this paper exhibit transit timing variations up to 41 hr, which suggest additional components that dynamically interact with the transiting planet candidates. The nature of these components can be determined by follow-up radial velocity and transit observations.

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DOE OSTI2011

MEASUREMENT OF THE SPIN-ORBIT MISALIGNMENT OF KOI-13.01 FROM ITS GRAVITY-DARKENED KEPLER TRANSIT LIGHT CURVE

We model the asymmetry of the KOI-13.01 transit lightcurve assuming a gravity-darkened rapidly rotating host star in order to constrain the system's spin-orbit alignment and transit parameters. We find that our model can reproduce the Kepler lightcurve for KOI-13.01 with a sky-projected alignment of {lambda} = 23 Degree-Sign {+-} 4 Degree-Sign and with the star's north pole tilted away from the observer by 48 Degree-Sign {+-} 4 Degree-Sign (assuming M{sub *} = 2.05 M{sub Sun }). With both these determinations, we calculate that the net misalignment between this planet's orbit normal and its star's rotational pole is 56 Degree-Sign {+-} 4 Degree-Sign . Degeneracies in our geometric interpretation also allow a retrograde spin-orbit angle of 124 Degree-Sign {+-} 4 Degree-Sign . This is the first spin-orbit measurement to come from gravity darkening and is one of only a few measurements of the full (not just the sky-projected) spin-orbit misalignment of an extrasolar planet. We also measure accurate transit parameters incorporating stellar oblateness and gravity darkening: R{sub *} 1.756 {+-} 0.014 R{sub Sun }, R{sub p} = 1.445 {+-} 0.016 R{sub Jup}, and i = 85.{sup 0}9 {+-} 0.{sup 0}4. The new lower planetary radius falls within the planetary mass regime for plausible interior models for the transiting body. A simple initial calculation shows that KOI-13.01's circular orbit is apparently inconsistent with the Kozai mechanism having driven its spin-orbit misalignment; planet-planet scattering and stellar spin migration remain viable mechanisms. Future Kepler data will improve the precision of the KOI-13.01 transit lightcurve, allowing more precise determination of transit parameters and the opportunity to use the Photometric Rossiter-McLaughlin effect to resolve the prograde/retrograde orbit determination degeneracy.

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DOE OSTI2011

LACK OF INFLATED RADII FOR KEPLER GIANT PLANET CANDIDATES RECEIVING MODEST STELLAR IRRADIATION

The most irradiated transiting hot Jupiters are characterized by anomalously inflated radii, sometimes exceeding Jupiter's size by more than 60%. While different theoretical explanations have been applied, none of them provide a universal resolution to this observation, despite significant progress in the past years. We refine the photometric transit light curve analysis of 115 Kepler giant planet candidates based on public Q0-Q2 photometry. We find that 14% of them are likely false positives, based on their secondary eclipse depth. We report on planet radii versus stellar flux. We find an increase in planet radii with increased stellar irradiation for the Kepler giant planet candidates, in good agreement with existing hot Jupiter systems. We find that in the case of modest irradiation received from the stellar host, giant planets do not have inflated radii, and appear to have radii independent of the host star incident flux. This finding suggests that the physical mechanisms inflating hot Jupiters become ineffective below a given orbit-averaged stellar irradiation level of {approx}2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 8} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2}.

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DOE OSTI2011

KOI-54: THE KEPLER DISCOVERY OF TIDALLY EXCITED PULSATIONS AND BRIGHTENINGS IN A HIGHLY ECCENTRIC BINARY

Kepler observations of the star HD 187091 (KIC 8112039, hereafter KOI-54) revealed a remarkable light curve exhibiting sharp periodic brightening events every 41.8 days with a superimposed set of oscillations forming a beating pattern in phase with the brightenings. Spectroscopic observations revealed that this is a binary star with a highly eccentric orbit, e = 0.83. We are able to match the Kepler light curve and radial velocities with a nearly face-on (i = 5.{sup 0}5) binary star model in which the brightening events are caused by tidal distortion and irradiation of nearly identical A stars during their close periastron passage. The two dominant oscillations in the light curve, responsible for the beating pattern, have frequencies that are the 91st and 90th harmonic of the orbital frequency. The power spectrum of the light curve, after removing the binary star brightening component, reveals a large number of pulsations, 30 of which have a signal-to-noise ratio {approx}>7. Nearly all of these pulsations have frequencies that are either integer multiples of the orbital frequency or are tidally split multiples of the orbital frequency. This pattern of frequencies unambiguously establishes the pulsations as resonances between the dynamic tides at periastron and the free oscillation modes of one or both of the stars. KOI-54 is only the fourth star to show such a phenomenon and is by far the richest in terms of excited modes.

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DOE OSTI2012

A REVISED EFFECTIVE TEMPERATURE SCALE FOR THE KEPLER INPUT CATALOG

We present a catalog of revised effective temperatures for stars observed in long-cadence mode in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC). We use Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) griz filters tied to the fundamental temperature scale. Polynomials for griz color-temperature relations are presented, along with correction terms for surface gravity effects, metallicity, and statistical corrections for binary companions or blending. We compare our temperature scale to the published infrared flux method (IRFM) scale for V{sub T}JK{sub s} in both open clusters and the Kepler fields. We find good agreement overall, with some deviations between (J - K{sub s} )-based temperatures from the IRFM and both SDSS filter and other diagnostic IRFM color-temperature relationships above 6000 K. For field dwarfs, we find a mean shift toward hotter temperatures relative to the KIC, of order 215 K, in the regime where the IRFM scale is well defined (4000 K to 6500 K). This change is of comparable magnitude in both color systems and in spectroscopy for stars with T{sub eff} below 6000 K. Systematic differences between temperature estimators appear for hotter stars, and we define corrections to put the SDSS temperatures on the IRFM scale for them. When the theoretical dependence on gravity is accounted for, we find a similar temperature scale offset between the fundamental and KIC scales for giants. We demonstrate that statistical corrections to color-based temperatures from binaries are significant. Typical errors, mostly from uncertainties in extinction, are of order 100 K. Implications for other applications of the KIC are discussed.

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DOE OSTI2013

TRANSIT TIMING OBSERVATIONS FROM KEPLER. VIII. CATALOG OF TRANSIT TIMING MEASUREMENTS OF THE FIRST TWELVE QUARTERS

Following the works of Ford et al. and Steffen et al. we derived the transit timing of 1960 Kepler objects of interest (KOIs) using the pre-search data conditioning light curves of the first twelve quarters of the Kepler data. For 721 KOIs with large enough signal-to-noise ratios, we obtained also the duration and depth of each transit. The results are presented as a catalog for the community to use. We derived a few statistics of our results that could be used to indicate significant variations. Including systems found by previous works, we have found 130 KOIs that showed highly significant times of transit variations (TTVs) and 13 that had short-period TTV modulations with small amplitudes. We consider two effects that could cause apparent periodic TTV—the finite sampling of the observations and the interference with the stellar activity, stellar spots in particular. We briefly discuss some statistical aspects of our detected TTVs. We show that the TTV period is correlated with the orbital period of the planet and with the TTV amplitude.

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DOE OSTI2014

DETECTION OF POTENTIAL TRANSIT SIGNALS IN 16 QUARTERS OF KEPLER MISSION DATA

We present the results of a search for potential transit signals in 4 yr of photometry data acquired by the Kepler mission. The targets of the search include 111,800 stars which were observed for the entire interval and 85,522 stars which were observed for a subset of the interval. We found that 9743 targets contained at least one signal consistent with the signature of a transiting or eclipsing object where the criteria for detection are periodicity of the detected transits, adequate signal-to-noise ratio, and acceptance by a number of tests which reject false positive detections. When targets that had produced a signal were searched repeatedly, an additional 6542 signals were detected on 3223 target stars, for a total of 16,285 potential detections. Comparison of the set of detected signals with a set of known and vetted transit events in the Kepler field of view shows that the recovery rate for these signals is 96.9%. The ensemble properties of the detected signals are reviewed.

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DOE OSTI2014

LONG-TIMESCALE BEHAVIOR OF THE BLAZHKO EFFECT FROM RECTIFIED KEPLER DATA

In order to benefit from the four year unprecedented precision of the Kepler data, we extracted light curves from the pixel photometric data of the Kepler space telescope for 15 Blazhko RR Lyrae stars. To collect all the flux from a given target as accurately as possible, we defined tailor-made apertures for each star and quarter. In some cases, the aperture finding process yielded sub-optimal results, because some flux have been lost even if the aperture contains all available pixels around the star. This fact stresses the importance of those methods that rely on the whole light curve instead of focusing on the extrema (O – C diagrams and other amplitude independent methods). We carried out detailed Fourier analysis of the light curves and the amplitude independent O – C diagram. We found 12 (80%) multiperiodically modulated stars in our sample. This ratio is much higher than previously found. Resonant coupling between radial modes, a recent theory for explaining the Blazhko effect, allows single, multiperiodic, or even chaotic modulations. Among the stars with two modulations, we found three stars (V355 Lyr, V366 Lyr, and V450 Lyr) where one of the periods dominates in amplitude modulation, but the other period has a larger frequency modulation amplitude. The ratio between the primary and secondary modulation periods is almost always very close to the ratios of small integer numbers. It may indicate the effect of undiscovered resonances. Furthermore, we detected the excitation of the second radial overtone mode f {sub 2} for three stars where this feature was formerly unknown. Our data set comprises the longest continuous, most precise observations of Blazhko RR Lyrae stars ever published. These data are made publicly available and will be unrivaled for years to come.

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DOE OSTI2014

PROPERTIES OF 42 SOLAR-TYPE KEPLER TARGETS FROM THE ASTEROSEISMIC MODELING PORTAL

Recently the number of main-sequence and subgiant stars exhibiting solar-like oscillations that are resolved into individual mode frequencies has increased dramatically. While only a few such data sets were available for detailed modeling just a decade ago, the Kepler mission has produced suitable observations for hundreds of new targets. This rapid expansion in observational capacity has been accompanied by a shift in analysis and modeling strategies to yield uniform sets of derived stellar properties more quickly and easily. We use previously published asteroseismic and spectroscopic data sets to provide a uniform analysis of 42 solar-type Kepler targets from the Asteroseismic Modeling Portal. We find that fitting the individual frequencies typically doubles the precision of the asteroseismic radius, mass, and age compared to grid-based modeling of the global oscillation properties, and improves the precision of the radius and mass by about a factor of three over empirical scaling relations. We demonstrate the utility of the derived properties with several applications.

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DOE OSTI2015

Gravity-mode period spacings as a seismic diagnostic for a sample oF γ DORADUS stars from Kepler space photometry and high-resolution ground-based spectroscopy

Gamma Doradus stars (hereafter γ Dor stars) are gravity-mode pulsators of spectral type A or F. Such modes probe the deep stellar interior, offering a detailed fingerprint of their structure. Four-year high-precision space-based Kepler photometry of γ Dor stars has become available, allowing us to study these stars with unprecedented detail. We selected, analyzed, and characterized a sample of 67 γ Dor stars for which we have Kepler observations available. For all the targets in the sample we assembled high-resolution spectroscopy to confirm their F-type nature. We found fourteen binaries, among which are four single-lined binaries, five double-lined binaries, two triple systems, and three binaries with no detected radial velocity variations. We estimated the orbital parameters whenever possible. For the single stars and the single-lined binaries, fundamental parameter values were determined from spectroscopy. We searched for period spacing patterns in the photometric data and identified this diagnostic for 50 of the stars in the sample, 46 of which are single stars or single-lined binaries. We found a strong correlation between the spectroscopic vsini and the period spacing values, confirming the influence of rotation on γ Dor-type pulsations as predicted by theory. We also found relations between the dominant g-mode frequency, the longest pulsation period detected in series of prograde modes, vsini, and log T{sub eff}.

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DOE OSTI2011

EXPLORING THE HABITABLE ZONE FOR KEPLER PLANETARY CANDIDATES

This Letter outlines a simple approach to evaluate habitability of terrestrial planets by assuming different types of planetary atmospheres and using corresponding model calculations. Our approach can be applied for current and future candidates provided by the Kepler mission and other searches. The resulting uncertainties and changes in the number of planetary candidates in the HZ for the Kepler 2011 February data release are discussed. To first order, the HZ depends on the effective stellar flux distribution in wavelength and time, the planet albedo, and greenhouse gas effects. We provide a simple set of parameters which can be used for evaluating future planet candidates from transit searches.

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DOE OSTI2011

VERIFICATION OF THE KEPLER INPUT CATALOG FROM ASTEROSEISMOLOGY OF SOLAR-TYPE STARS

We calculate precise stellar radii and surface gravities from the asteroseismic analysis of over 500 solar-type pulsating stars observed by the Kepler space telescope. These physical stellar properties are compared with those given in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC), determined from ground-based multi-color photometry. For the stars in our sample, we find general agreement but we detect an average overestimation bias of 0.23 dex in the KIC determination of log (g) for stars with log (g){sub KIC} > 4.0 dex, and a resultant underestimation bias of up to 50% in the KIC radii estimates for stars with R{sub KIC} < 2 R{sub sun}. Part of the difference may arise from selection bias in the asteroseismic sample; nevertheless, this result implies there may be fewer stars characterized in the KIC with R {approx} 1 R{sub sun} than is suggested by the physical properties in the KIC. Furthermore, if the radius estimates are taken from the KIC for these affected stars and then used to calculate the size of transiting planets, a similar underestimation bias may be applied to the planetary radii.

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DOE OSTI2011

SPIN-ORBIT ALIGNMENT FOR THE CIRCUMBINARY PLANET HOST KEPLER-16 A

Kepler-16 is an eccentric low-mass eclipsing binary with a circumbinary transiting planet. Here, we investigate the angular momentum of the primary star, based on Kepler photometry and Keck spectroscopy. The primary star's rotation period is 35.1 {+-} 1.0 days, and its projected obliquity with respect to the stellar binary orbit is 1.{sup 0}6 {+-} 2.{sup 0}4. Therefore, the three largest sources of angular momentum-the stellar orbit, the planetary orbit, and the primary's rotation-are all closely aligned. This finding supports a formation scenario involving accretion from a single disk. Alternatively, tides may have realigned the stars despite their relatively wide separation (0.2 AU), a hypothesis that is supported by the agreement between the measured rotation period and the 'pseudosynchronous' period of tidal evolution theory. The rotation period, chromospheric activity level, and fractional light variations suggest a main-sequence age of 2-4 Gyr. Evolutionary models of low-mass stars can match the observed masses and radii of the primary and secondary stars to within about 3%.

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DOE OSTI2011

COMPOSITIONS OF HOT SUPER-EARTH ATMOSPHERES: EXPLORING KEPLER CANDIDATES

This paper outlines a simple approach to evaluate the atmospheric composition of hot rocky planets by assuming different types of planetary composition and using corresponding model calculations. To explore hot atmospheres above 1000 K, we model the vaporization of silicate magma and estimate the range of atmospheric compositions according to the planet's radius and semi-major axis for the Kepler 2011 February data release. Our results show five atmospheric types for hot, rocky super-Earth atmospheres, strongly dependent on the initial composition and the planet's distance to the star. We provide a simple set of parameters that can be used to evaluate atmospheric compositions for current and future candidates provided by the Kepler mission and other searches.

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DOE OSTI2012

ASTEROSEISMOLOGY OF THE SOLAR ANALOGS 16 Cyg A AND B FROM KEPLER OBSERVATIONS

The evolved solar-type stars 16 Cyg A and B have long been studied as solar analogs, yielding a glimpse into the future of our own Sun. The orbital period of the binary system is too long to provide meaningful dynamical constraints on the stellar properties, but asteroseismology can help because the stars are among the brightest in the Kepler field. We present an analysis of three months of nearly uninterrupted photometry of 16 Cyg A and B from the Kepler space telescope. We extract a total of 46 and 41 oscillation frequencies for the two components, respectively, including a clear detection of octupole (l = 3) modes in both stars. We derive the properties of each star independently using the Asteroseismic Modeling Portal, fitting the individual oscillation frequencies and other observational constraints simultaneously. We evaluate the systematic uncertainties from an ensemble of results generated by a variety of stellar evolution codes and fitting methods. The optimal models derived by fitting each component individually yield a common age (t = 6.8 {+-} 0.4 Gyr) and initial composition (Z{sub i} = 0.024 {+-} 0.002, Y{sub i} = 0.25 {+-} 0.01) within the uncertainties, as expected for the components of a binary system, bolstering our confidence in the reliability of asteroseismic techniques. The longer data sets that will ultimately become available will allow future studies of differential rotation, convection zone depths, and long-term changes due to stellar activity cycles.

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