A Fast Approximate Approach to Microlensing Survey Analysis

Microlensing can be used to discover exoplanets of a wide range of masses with orbits beyond ∼1 au, and even free-floating planets. The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission will use microlensing to discover approximately 1600 planets by monitoring ∼100 million stars to find ∼50,000...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astronomical journal 2019-07, Vol.158 (1), p.9
Main Authors: Khakpash, Somayeh, Penny, Matthew, Pepper, Joshua
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Astronomy
Computer simulation
Extrasolar planets
gravitational lensing: micro
Infrared telescopes
Light curve
Mass ratios
Microlenses
Parameter estimation
Physical properties
Planet detection
planetary systems
Polls & surveys
Rogue planets
surveys
Topology
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Summary:Microlensing can be used to discover exoplanets of a wide range of masses with orbits beyond ∼1 au, and even free-floating planets. The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission will use microlensing to discover approximately 1600 planets by monitoring ∼100 million stars to find ∼50,000 microlensing events. Modeling each microlensing event, especially the ones involving two or more lenses, is typically complicated and time consuming, and analyzing thousands of WFIRST microlensing events is possibly infeasible using current methods. Here, we present an algorithm that is able to rapidly evaluate thousands of simulated WFIRST binary-lens microlensing light curves, returning an estimate for the physical parameters of the lens systems. We find that this algorithm can recover projected separations between the planet and the star very well for low-mass-ratio events, and can also estimate mass ratios within an order of magnitude for events with wide and close caustic topologies.
ISSN:0004-6256
1538-3881
DOI:10.3847/1538-3881/ab1fe3