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Wei Zhu

Publications and source records attributed to Wei Zhu.

13 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2023

Kmt-2022-Blg-0440lb: A New q < 10 −4 Microlensing Planet With the Central-Resonant Caustic Degeneracy Broken

We present the observations and analysis of a high-magnification microlensing planetary event, KMT-2022-BLG-0440, for which the weak and short-lived planetary signal was covered by both the KMTNet survey and follow-up observations. The binary-lens models with a central caustic provide the best fits, with a planet/host mass ratio, q = 0.75–1.00 ×10 −4 at 1 σ. The binary-lens models with a resonant caustic and a brown-dwarf mass ratio are both excluded by ∆χ 2 > 70. The binary-source model can fit the anomaly well but is rejected by the ‘colour argument’ on the second source. From Bayesian analyses, it is estimated that the host star is likely a K or M dwarf located in the Galactic disc, the planet probably has a Neptune-mass, and the projected planet-host separation is 1.9 +0.6 −0.7 or 4.6 +1.4 −1.7 au, subject to the close/wide de generac y. This is the third q < 10 −4 planet from a high-magnification planetary signal ( A ≳ 65). Together with another such planet, KMT-2021-BLG-0171Lb, the ongoing follow-up program for the KMTNet high-magnification events has demonstrated its ability to detect high-magnification planetary signals for q < 10 −4 planets, which are challenging for the current microlensing surveys.

planets and satellites: detection↗
NASA NTRS2022

MOA-2020-BLG-135Lb: A New Neptune-class Planet for the Extended MOA-II Exoplanet Microlens Statistical Analysis

We report the light-curve analysis for the event MOA-2020-BLG-135, which leads to the discovery of a new Neptune-class planet, MOA-2020-BLG-135Lb. With a derived mass ratio of q=1.52 +0.39 -0.31 x10 -4 and separation s ≈ 1, the planet lies exactly at the break and likely peak of the exoplanet mass-ratio function derived by the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) Collaboration. We estimate the properties of the lens system based on a Galactic model and considering two different Bayesian priors: one assuming that all stars have an equal planet-hosting probability and the other that planets are more likely to orbit more-massive stars. With a uniform host mass prior, we predict that the lens system is likely to be a planet of mass m planet = 11.3 +19.2 -6.9 M ⨁ and a host star of mass M host =0.23 +0.39 -0.14 M ⨀ , located at a distance 𝐃 𝐋 =7.9 +1.0 -1.0 kpc. With a prior that holds that planet occurrence scales in proportion to the host-star mass, the estimated lens system properties are m planet =25 +22 -15 M ⨁ , M M host =0.53 +0.42 -0,32 M ⨀ , and D L =8.3 +0.9 -1.0 .This planet qualifies for inclusion in the extended MOA-II exoplanet microlens sample.

Gravitational microlensing↗
NASA NTRS2022

KMT-2021-BLG-0171Lb and KMT-2021-BLG-1689Lb: Two Microlensing Planets in the KMTNet High-Cadence Fields With Followup Observations

Follow-up observations of high-magnification gravitational microlensing events can fully exploit their intrinsic sensitivity to detect extrasolar planets, especially those with small mass ratios. To make followup observations more uniform and efficient, we develop a system, HighMagFinder, to automatically alert possible ongoing high-magnification events based on the real-time data from the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet). We started a new phase of follow-up observations with the help of HighMagFinder in 2021. Here we report the discovery of two planets in high-magnification microlensing events, KMT- 2021-BLG-0171 and KMT-2021-BLG-1689, which were identified by the HighMagFinder. We find that both events suffer the ‘central-resonant’ caustic degeneracy. The planet-host mass-ratio is q ∼4.7 × 10 −5 or q ∼2.2 × 10 −5 for KMT-2021-BLG-0171, and q ∼2.5 × 10 −4 or q ∼1.8 × 10 −4 for KMT-2021-BLG-1689. Together with two other events, four cases that suffer such degeneracy have been discovered in the 2021 season alone, indicating that the de generate solutions may have been missed in some previous studies. We also propose a quantitative factor to weight the probability of each solution from the phase space. The resonant interpretations for the two events are disfavoured under this consideration. This factor can be included in future statistical studies to weight degenerate solutions.

Micro gravitational lensing↗
NASA NTRS2022

Ogle-2018-BLG-0799lb: A Q ∼ 2.7 × 10(−3) Planet With Spitzer Parallax

We report the discovery and analysis of a planet in the microlensing event OGLE-2018-BLG-0799. The planetary signal was observed by several ground-based telescopes, and the planet-host mass ratio is q = (2.65 ± 0.16) × 10(−3). The ground-based observations yield a constraint on the angular Einstein radius θE, and the microlensing parallax vector πE, is strongly constrained by the Spitzer data. However, the 2019 Spitzer baseline data reveal systematics in the Spitzer photometry, so there is ambiguity in the magnitude of the parallax. In our preferred interpretation, a full Bayesian analysis using a Galactic model indicates that the planetary system is composed of an Mplanet = 0.26+0.22 −0.11M(J) planet orbiting an Mhost = 0.093+0.082 −0.038 Mʘ , at a distance of DL = 3.71+3.24 −1.70 kpc. An alternate interpretation of the data shifts the localization of the minima along the arc-shaped microlens parallax constraints. This, in turn, yields a more massive host with median mass of 0.13 Mʘ at a distance of 6.3 kpc. This analysis demonstrates the robustness of the osculating circles formalism, but shows that further investigation is needed to assess how systematics affect the specific localization of the microlens parallax vector and, consequently, the inferred physical parameters.

gravitational lensing↗
NASA NTRS2021

Systematic KMTNet Planetary Anomaly Search. I. OGLE-2019-BLG-1053Lb, a BuriedTerrestrial Planet

In order to exhume the buried signatures of “missing planetary caustics” in Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) data, we conducted a systematic anomaly search of the residuals from point-source point-lens fits, based on a modified version of the KMTNet Event Finder algorithm. This search revealed the lowest-mass-ratio planetary caustic to date in the microlensing event OGLE-2019-BLG-1053, for which the planetary signal had not been noticed before. The planetary system has a planet–host mass ratio ofq= (1.25±0.13) × 10−5. A Bayesian analysis yielded estimates of the mass of the host star, Mhost =-0.61+0.29 -0.24 Mo, the mass of its planet, Mplanet =-2.48 +1.19 -0.98 Mo, the projected planet – host separation, a^= 3.4 +0.5/-0.5 au, and the lens distance, DL =-6.8 +0.6 -0.90kpc.The discovery of this very-low-mass-ratio planet illustrates the utility of our method and opens a new window for a large and homogeneous sample to study the microlensing planet–host mass ratio function down to q∼ 10−5.

Exoplanet detection methods↗
NASA NTRS2020

OGLE-2017-BLG-0406: Spitzer Microlens Parallax Reveals Saturn-mass Planet Orbiting M-dwarf Host in the Inner Galactic Disk

We report the discovery and analysis of the planetary microlensing event OGLE-2017-BLG-0406, which was observed both from the ground and by the Spitzer satellite in a solar orbit. At high magnification, the anomaly in the light curve was densely observed by ground-based-survey and follow-up groups, and it was found to be explained by a planetary lens with a planet/host mass ratio of q = 7.0 x 10^-4 from the light-curve modeling. The ground-only and Spitzer-"only" data each provide very strong one-dimensional (1D) constraints on the 2D microlens parallax vector π(E). When combined, these yield a precise measurement of π(E) and of the masses of the host M(host) = 0.56 ± 0.07 Mꙩ and planet M(planet) = 0.41 ± 0.05 M(Jup). The system lies at a distance D(L) = 5.2 ± 0.5 kpc from the Sun toward the Galactic bulge, and the host is more likely to be a disk population star according to the kinematics of the lens. The projected separation of the planet from the host is a(┴) = 3.5 ± 0.3 au (i.e., just over twice the snow line). The Galactic-disk kinematics are established in part from a precise measurement of the source proper motion based on OGLE-IV data. By contrast, the Gaia proper-motion measurement of the source suffers from a catastrophic 10σ error.

Yuki Hirao↗
NASA NTRS2020

Spitzer Microlensing Parallax Reveals Two Isolated Stars in the Galactic Bulge

We report the mass and distance measurements of two single-lens events from the 2017 Spitzer microlensing campaign. The ground-based observations yield the detection of finite-source effects, and the microlens parallaxes are derived from the joint analysis of ground-based observations and Spitzer observations. We find that the lens of OGLE-2017-BLG-1254 is a 0.60 ± 0.03 M⊙ star with D(LS) = 0.53 ± 0.11 kpc, where D(LS) is the distance between the lens and the source. The second event, OGLE-2017-BLG-1161, is subject to the known satellite parallax degeneracy, and thus is either a 0.51(sup +0.12, sub 3-0.10)M⊙ star with D(LS) = 0.40 ± 0.12 kpc or a 0.38(sup +0.13, sub -0.12) M⊙ star with D(LS) = 0.53 ± 0.19 kpc. Both of the lenses are therefore isolated stars in the Galactic bulge. By comparing the mass and distance distributions of the eight published Spitzer finite-source events with the expectations from a Galactic model, we find that the Spitzer sample is in agreement with the probability of finite-source effects occurring in single-lens events.

Weicheng Zang↗
NASA NTRS2019

OGLE-2018-BLG-1011Lb,c: Microlensing Planetary System with Two Giant Planets Orbiting a Low-mass Star

We report a multiplanetary system found from the analysis of microlensing event OGLE-2018-BLG-1011, for which the light curve exhibits a double-bump anomaly around the peak. We find that the anomaly cannot be fully explained by the binary-lens or binary-source interpretations and its description requires the introduction of an additional lens component. The 3L1S (three lens components and a single source) modeling yields three sets of solutions, in which one set of solutions indicates that the lens is a planetary system in a binary, while the other two sets imply that the lens is a multiplanetary system. By investigating the fits of the individual models to the detailed light curve structure, we find that the multiple-planet solution with planet-to-host mass ratios ∼9.5 X 10(exp −3) and ∼15 X 10(eap −3) are favored over the other solutions. From the Bayesian analysis, we find that the lens is composed of two planets with masses 1.8 (sup +3.4, sub -1.1) M(J) and 2.8 (sup +5.8, sub -1.7) M(J) around a host with a mass 0.18 (sup +0.33,sub - 0.10) M(ʘ) and located at a distance 7.1(sup +1.1, sub -1.5) kpc. The estimated distance indicates that the lens is the farthest system among the known multiplanetary systems. The projected planet–host separations are a(⊥,2) = 1.8 (sup +2.1, sub -1.5)au (0.8 (sup +0.9,sub -0.6 au) and a(⊥,3) = 0.8 (sup +0.9, sub -0.6)au , where the values of a(⊥,2) inside and outside the parenthesis are the separations corresponding to the two degenerate solutions, indicating that both planets are located beyond the snow line of the host, as with the other four multiplanetary systems previously found by microlensing.

Cheongho Han↗
NASA NTRS2019

Spitzer Parallax of OGLE-2018-BLG-0596: A Low-mass-ratio Planet around an M Dwarf

We report the discovery of a Spitzer microlensing planet OGLE-2018-BLG-0596Lb, with preferred planet-host mass ratio q ~ 2 × 10(exp −4). The planetary signal, which is characterized by a short (~1 day) "bump" on the rising side of the lensing light curve, was densely covered by ground-based surveys. We find that the signal can be explained by a bright source that fully envelops the planetary caustic, i.e., a "Hollywood" geometry. Combined with the source proper motion measured from Gaia, the Spitzer satellite parallax measurement makes it possible to precisely constrain the lens physical parameters. The preferred solution, in which the planet perturbs the minor image due to lensing by the host, yields a Uranus-mass planet with a mass of M(p) = 13.9 ± 1.6 M(⊕) orbiting a mid M-dwarf with a mass of M(h) = 0.23 ± 0.03 M(⊙). There is also a second possible solution that is substantially disfavored but cannot be ruled out, for which the planet perturbs the major image. The latter solution yields M(p) = 1.2 ± 0.2 M(⊕) and M(h) = 0.15 ± 0.02 M(⊙). By combining the microlensing and Gaia data together with a Galactic model, we find in either case that the lens lies on the near side of the Galactic bulge at a distance D(L) ~ 6 ± 1 kpc. Future adaptive optics observations may decisively resolve the major image/minor image degeneracy.

Youn Kil Jung↗
NASA NTRS2019

OGLE-2015-BLG-1670Lb: A Cold Neptune beyond the Snow Line in the Provisional WFIRST Microlensing Survey Field

We present the analysis of the microlensing event OGLE-2015-BLG-1670, detected in a high-extinction field very close to the Galactic plane. Due to the dust extinction along the line of sight, this event was too faint to be detected before it reached the peak of magnification. The microlensing light-curve models indicate a high-magnification event with a maximum of A(max)≳ 200, very sensitive to planetary deviations. An anomaly in the light curve has been densely observed by the microlensing surveys MOA, KMTNet, and OGLE. From the light-curve modeling, we find a planetary anomaly characterized by a planet-to-host mass ratio, q=(1.00 (sup+0.18, sub -0.16) x 10(exp -4), at the peak recently identified in the mass-ratio function of microlensing planets. Thus, this event is interesting to include in future statistical studies about planet demography. We have explored the possible degeneracies and find two competing planetary models resulting from the s ↔ 1/s degeneracy. However, because the projected separation is very close to s = 1, the physical implications for the planet for the two solutions are quite similar, except for the value of s. By combining the light-curve parameters with a Galactic model, we have estimated the planet mass M(2)=17.9(sup +9.6,sub-8.8)M(ꚛ) and the lens distance D(L) = 6.7(sup +1.0, sub -1.3) kpc, corresponding to a Neptune-mass planet close to the Galactic bulge. Such events with a low absolute latitude (|b| ≈1ᵒ.1) are subject to both high extinction and more uncertain source distances, two factors that may affect the mass measurements in the provisional Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope fields. More events are needed to investigate the potential trade-off between the higher lensing rate and the difficulty in measuring masses in these low-latitude fields.

Clément Ranc↗
NASA NTRS2019

Spitzer Microlensing of MOA-2016-BLG-231L: A Counter-rotating Brown Dwarf Binary in the Galactic Disk

We analyze the binary microlensing event MOA-2016-BLG-231, which was observed from the ground and from Spitzer. The lens is composed of very-low-mass brown dwarfs (BDs) with M(1)= 21(+12, -5) M(J) and M(2)=9(+5. -2) M(J), and it is located in the Galactic disk D(L)=2.85(+0.88, -0.50) kpc. This is the fifth binary brown dwarf discovered by microlensing, and the BD binary is moving counter to the orbital motion of disk stars. Constraints on the lens physical properties come from late-time, non-caustic-crossing features of the Spitzer light curve. Thus, MOA-2016-BLG-231 shows how Spitzer plays a crucial role in resolving the nature of BDs in binary BD events with short timescales (≲10 days).

Sun-Ju Chung↗