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At least 127 records · Page 7
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NASA NTRS2002

Planetary System Physics

Contents include a summary of publications followed by their abstracts titeled: 1. On microlensing rates and optical depth toward the Galactic center. 2. Newly discovered brown dwarfs not seen in microlensing timescale frequency distribution? 3. Origin and evolution of the natural satellites. 4. Probing the structure of the galaxy with microlensing. 5. Tides, Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 6. The Puzzle of the Titan-Hyperion 4:3 Orbital Resonance. 7. On the Validity of the Coagulation Equation and the Nature of Runaway Growth. 8. Making Hyperion. 9. The MESSENGER mission to Mercury: Scientific objectives and implementation. 10. A Survey of Numerical Solutions to the Coagulation. 11. Probability of detecting a planetary companion during a microlensing event. 12. Dynamics and origin of the 2:l orbital resonances of the GJ876 planets. 13. Planetary Interior Structure Revealed by Spin Dynamics. 14. A primordial origin of the Laplace relation among the Galilean Satellites. 15. A procedure for determining the nature of Mercury's core. 16. Secular evolution of hierarchical planetary systems. 17. Tidally induced volcanism. 18. Extrasolar planets and mean motion resonances. 19. Comparison of a ground-based microlensing search for planets with a search from space.

Peale, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Discovery and Mass Measurements of a Cold, Sub-Neptune Mass Planet and Its Host Star

The gravitational microlensing exoplanet detection method is uniquely sensitive to cold, low-mass planets which orbit beyond the snow-line, where the most massive planets are thought to form. The early statistical results from microlensing indicate that Neptune-Saturn mass planets located beyond the snow-line are substantially more common than their counterparts in closer orbits that have found by the Doppler radial velocity method. We present the discovery of the planet MOA-2009-BLG-266Lb, which demonstrates that the gravitational microlensing method also has the capability to measure the masses of cold, low-mass planets. The mass measurements of the host star and the planet are made possible by the detection of the microlensing parallax signal due to the orbital motion or the Earth as well as observations from the EPOXI spacecraft in a Heliocentric orbit. The microlensing light curve indicates a planetary host star mass of M(sun) = 0.54 + / - 0.05M(sun) located at a distance of DL= 2.94 _ 0.21 kpc, orbited by a planet of mass mp= 9.8 +/-1.1M(Earth) with a semi-major axis of a = 3.1(+1.9-0.4)MAU.

Barry, Richard K., Jr.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Compressive Sensing Application for Transient Photometric Measurements

Compressive Sensing (CS) is a mathematical theory for simultaneous data acquisition and compression. Natural phenomena may be sparse in some physical or temporal domain. If we exploit this sparsity by applying the technique of CS to obtain information, how do our measurements change as a function of domain and measurement systematics? What are the specific implications for the science and for the sensing infrastructure? In this talk, we will discuss the generalized systematic effects consequent to the application of CS to time-series photometric measurements. We assess implications for observability, sparsification, and information loss in the detection, retrieval and reconstruction process. To study time-series photometry, we explore the field of gravitational microlensing. A source star, typically in the galactic bulge, gets microlensed when there is a precise alignment of a lensing star and its planetary system, with the source star. The microlensed source star changes in flux magnification as the lensing system crosses the precise path of alignment, resulting in a microlensing curve in time domain. A high-cadence, high-resolution system, which uses low power and bandwidth is essential to obtain valuable science measurements. Hence, we discuss application of CS to gravitational microlensing data sets, which in turn can be generalized to any time-ordered photometric measurements.

Asmita Abhay Korde↗
NASA NTRS2017

An Isolated Microlens Observed from K2, Spitzer, and Earth

We present the result of microlensing event MOA-2016-BLG-290, which received observations from the two-wheel Kepler (K2), Spitzer, as well as ground-based observatories. A joint analysis of data from K2 and the ground leads to two degenerate solutions of the lens mass and distance. This degeneracy is effectively broken once the (partial) Spitzer light curve is included. Altogether, the lens is found to be an extremely low-mass star or brown dwarf (77(sup +34)(sub -23) M(sub J)) located in the Galactic bulge (6.8 ± 0.4 kpc). MOA-2016-BLG-290 is the first microlensing event for which we have signals from three well-separated (~1 au) locations. It demonstrates the power of two-satellite microlensing experiment in reducing the ambiguity of lens properties, as pointed out independently by S. Refsdal and A. Gould several decades ago.

microlensing event MOA-2016-BLG-290↗
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↗
DOE OSTI2025

Identification of more than 40 gravitationally magnified stars in a galaxy at redshift 0.725

Strong gravitational magnification enables the detection of faint background sources and allows researchers to resolve their internal structures and even identify individual stars in distant galaxies. Highly magnified individual stars are useful in various applications, including studies of stellar populations in distant galaxies and constraining dark matter structures in the lensing plane. However, these applications have been hampered by the small number of individual stars observed, as typically one or a few stars are identified from each distant galaxy. Here, we report the discovery of more than 40 microlensed stars in a single galaxy behind Abell 370 at redshift of 0.725 (dubbed ‘the Dragon arc’) when the Universe was half of its current age, using James Webb Space Telescope observations with the time-domain technique. These events were found near the expected lensing critical curves, suggesting that these are magnified stars that appear as transients from intracluster stellar microlenses. Through multi-wavelength photometry, we constrained their stellar types and found that many of them are consistent with red giants or supergiants magnified by factors of hundreds. Furthermore, this finding reveals a high occurrence of microlensing events in the Dragon arc and demonstrates that time-domain observations by the James Webb Space Telescope could lead to the possibility of conducting statistical studies of high-redshift stars.

Early universe↗
DOE OSTI2025

Phenomenology of bubble size distributions in a first-order phase transition

In a cosmological first-order phase transition (FOPT), the true and false vacuum bubble radius distributions are not expected to be monochromatic, as is usually assumed. Consequently, Fermi balls (FBs) and primordial black holes (PBHs) produced in a dark FOPT will have extended mass distributions. We show how gravitational wave (GW), microlensing and Hawking evaporation signals for extended bubble radius/mass distributions deviate from the case of monochromatic distributions. The peak of the GW spectrum is shifted to lower frequencies, and the spectrum is broadened at frequencies below the peak frequency. Thus, the radius distribution of true vacuum bubbles introduces another uncertainty in the evaluation of the GW spectrum from a FOPT. The extragalactic gamma-ray signal at AMEGO-X/e-ASTROGAM from PBH evaporation may evince a break in the power-law spectrum between 5 MeV and 10 MeV for an extended PBH mass distribution. Optical microlensing surveys may observe PBH mass distributions with average masses below 10 -10 M ⊙ , which is not possible for monochromatic mass distributions. This expands the FOPT parameter space that can be explored with microlensing.

Marfatia, Danny [Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolul↗
NASA NTRS1993

The velocity dispersion of the caustic network due to random motion of individual stars in the lensing galaxy

We present a method of computing the velocity distribution of the caustic network due to the random motion of stars in the lensing galaxy. This method is illustrated on the example of the two-point mass lens and then applied to a large sample of stars. We conclude that the proper motion of the stars increases significantly the frequency of the high magnification events in comparison with a static lens configuration with constant stream or constant bulk velocity. The stream velocity is the velocity of the star field relative to the global bulk velocity of the galaxy. We show that the global bulk and the stream velocity of the star field have to be considered separately for any microlensing situation. The higher the surface mass density of the stars in the lensing galaxy, the higher the influence of proper motion of stars on the statistics of high magnification events. The influence of a Gaussian velocity distribution of the stars in the lensing galaxy compared with a constant stream velocity of the stars increases the number of high magnification events by a factor 1.30 +/- 0.06 for a normalized surface density of the stars cr = 0.1 and by a factor 1.7 +/- 0.1 for sigma = 0.5. This means that for some microlensing situations the proper motion of the stars in a lensing galaxy has to be considered for exact microlensing predictions.

Kundik, Tomislav↗
NASA NTRS2011

Discovery and Mass Measurements of a Cold, 10-Earth Mass Planet and Its Host Star

We present the discovery and mass measurement of the cold, low-mass planet MOA-2009-BLG-266Lb, made with the gravitational microlensing method. This planet has a mass of mp = 10.4 +/- M(Earth) and orbits a star of Mstar = 0.56 +/- 0.09 M(Sun) at a semi-major axis of a = 3.2 + 1.9/-0.5 AU, and an orbital period of 7.6 +7.7/-1.5 yrs. The planet and host star mass measurements are due to the measurement of the microlensing parallax effect. This measurement was primarily due to the orbital motion of the Earth, but the analysis also demonstrates the capability measure micro lensing parallax with the Deep Impact (or EPOXI) spacecraft in a Heliocentric orbit. The planet mass and orbital distance are similar to predictions for the critical core mass needed to accrete a substantial gaseous envelope, and thus may indicate that this planet is a failed gas giant. This and future microlensing detections will test planet formation theory predictions regarding the prevalence and masses of such planets

Barry, Richard K.↗
NASA NTRS2020

A Wide-orbit Exoplanet OGLE-2012-BLG-0838Lb

We present the discovery of a planet on a very wide orbit in the microlensing event OGLE-2012-BLG-0838. The signal of the planet is well separated from the main peak of the event and the planet–star projected separation is found to be twice the Einstein ring radius, which corresponds to a projected separation of ≈4au. Similar planets around low-mass stars are very hard to find using any technique other than microlensing. We discuss microlensing model fitting in detail and discuss the prospects for measuring the mass and distance of the lens system directly.

R. Poleski↗
NASA NTRS2020

Keck Observations Confirm a Super-Jupiter Planet Orbiting M Dwarf OGLE-2005 BLG-071L

We present adaptive optics imaging from the NIRC2 instrument on the Keck II telescope that resolves the exoplanet host (and lens) star as it separates from the brighter source star. These observations yield the K-band brightness of the lens and planetary host star, as well as the lens-source relative proper motion, μ(rel,H), in the heliocentric reference frame. The μ(rel,H) measurement allows for the determination of the microlensing parallax vector, π(E), which had only a single component determined by the microlensing light curve. The combined measurements of μ(rel,H) and K(L) provide the masses of the host star, M(host) = 0.426 ± 0.037M(ʘ), and planet, m(p)=3.27±0.32M(Jupiter) with a projected separation of 3.4±0.5 au. This confirms the tentative conclusion of a previous paper that this super-Jupiter mass planet, OGLE-2005-BLG-071Lb, orbits an M dwarf. Such planets are predicted to be rare by the core accretion theory and have been difficult to find with other methods, but there are two such planets with firm mass measurements from microlensing, and an additional 11 planetary microlens events with host mass estimates <0.5M(ʘ) and planet mass estimates >2 Jupiter masses that could be confirmed by high angular follow-up observations. We also point out that OGLE-2005-BLG-071L has separated far enough from its host star that it should be possible to measure the host-star metallicity with spectra from a high angular resolution telescope such as Keck, the Very Large Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, or the James Webb Space Telescope.

David P Bennett↗
NASA NTRS2021

New giant planet beyond the snow line for an extended MOA exoplanet microlens sample

Characterizing a planet detected by microlensing is hard if the planetary signal is weak or the lens-source relative trajectory is far from caustics. However, statistical analyses of planet demography must include those planets to accurately determine occurrence rates. As part of a systematic modelling effort in the context of a >10-yr retrospective analysis of MOA’s survey observations to build an extended MOA statistical sample, we analyse the light curve of the planetary microlensing event MOA-2014-BLG-472. This event provides weak constraints on the physical parameters of the lens, as a result of a planetary anomaly occurring at low magnification in the light curve. We use a Bayesian analysis to estimate the properties of the planet, based on a refined Galactic model and the assumption that all Milky Way’s stars have an equal planet-hosting probability. We find that a lens consisting of a 1.9(+2.2,−1.2)M(J) giant planet orbiting a 0.31(+0.36,−0.19)Mꙩ host at a projected separation of 0.75±0.24au is consistent with the observations and is most likely, based on the Galactic priors. The lens most probably lies in the Galactic bulge, at 7.2(+0.6,−1.7)kpc from Earth. The accurate measurement of the measured planet-to-host star mass ratio will be included in the next statistical analysis of cold planet demography detected by microlensing.

Clément Ranc↗
NASA NTRS2016

Ogle-2012-blg-0724lb: A Saturn Mass Planet Around an M-dwarf

We report the discovery of a planet by the microlensing method, OGLE-2012-BLG-0724Lb. Although the duration of the planetary signal for this event was one of the shortest seen for a planetary event, the anomaly was well covered thanks to high-cadence observations taken by the survey groups OGLE and MOA. By analyzing the light curve, this planetary system is found to have a mass ratio q = (1.58 +/- 0.15) x 10(exp -3). By conducting a Bayesian analysis, we estimate that the host star is an M dwarf with a mass of M(sub L) = 0.29(+0.33/-0.16) solar mass located at D(sub L) = 6.7(+1.1/-1.2) kpc away from the Earth and the companion's mass is m(sub P) = 0.47(+0.54/-0.26) M(Jup). The projected planet- host separation is a falsum = 1.6(+0.4/-0.3) AU. Because the lens-source relative proper motion is relatively high, future highresolution images would detect the lens host star and determine the lens properties uniquely. This system is likely a Saturn-mass exoplanet around an M dwarf, and such systems are commonly detected by gravitational microlensing. This adds another example of a possible pileup of sub-Jupiters (0.2 less than m(sub P)/M(sub Jup) less than 1) in contrast to a lack of Jupiters (approximately 1-2 M(sub Jup)) around M dwarfs, supporting the prediction by core accretion models that Jupiter-mass or more massive planets are unlikely to form around M dwarfs.

microlensing↗
NASA NTRS2021

KMT-2019-BLG-0371 and the Limits of Bayesian Analysis

We show that the perturbation at the peak of the light curve of microlensing event KMT-2019-BLG-0371 is explained by a model with a mass ratio between the host star and planet of q ∼ 0.08. Due to the short event duration (t(sub E) ∼ 6.5 days), the secondary object in this system could potentially be a massive giant planet. A Bayesian analysis shows that the system most likely consists of a host star with a mass M(sub h) = 0.09(+0.14/-0.05) M⨀ and a massive giant planet with a mass = M(sub h) = 7.70(+11.34/-3.90) M(sub Jup). However, the interpretation of the secondary as a planet (i.e., as having M(sub p) < 13M(sub Jup)) rests entirely on the Bayesian analysis. Motivated by this event, we conduct an investigation to determine which constraints meaningfully affect Bayesian analyses for microlensing events. We find that the masses inferred from such a Bayesian analysis are determined almost entirely by the measured value of θ(sub E) and are relatively insensitive to other factors such as the direction of the event (l,b), the lens–source relative proper motion μ(sub rel), or the specific Galactic model prior.

Binary lens microlensing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Review of High-Throughput Surface Treatments for Microlens Arrays

Microlenses are increasingly being integrated into modern manufactured devices. From printed security devices and screens to solar panels and microscopes, these optical materials offer high control over light focusing. Thus, understanding how to treat the surfaces of these fragile, transparent devices on an integrated manufacturing line is essential. Here, in this study, we review the surface treatments for the following application categories: cleaning, increasing surface energy, decreasing surface energy, and tunable surface modifications. This overview describes methods available for the large-scale manufacturing of microlens arrays and the potential impact of those treatments on common optical surfaces. Objectives and qualitative compatibility parameters are compared, and outlooks are provided for further study to aid in streamlining the method selection and process optimization for microlenses and similar optical components.

lens manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2025

Primordial black holes from first-order phase transition in the singlet-extended SM

Supercooled first-order phase transition (FOPT) can lead to the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs). This scenario imposes stringent requirements on the profile of the effective potential. In this work, we use the singlet extended Standard Model (xSM) as a benchmark model to investigate this possibility at the electroweak scale. The PBHs formed during a supercooled FOPT have a narrow mass distribution around the mass of Earth. This distribution is closely tied to the temperature at which the PBHs form, corresponding to the FOPT at the electroweak scale. This scenario can be probed with microlensing experiments, space-based gravitational wave detectors, and collider experiments. Remarkably, the future space-based gravitational wave detector LISA will hold the potential to either confirm this scenario that leads to PBH formation across the observable Universe in the xSM or completely rule it out. Interestingly, our findings suggest that PBHs within the xSM framework may align with observations of the six ultrashort timescale events reported by the OGLE microlensing experiment. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Gonçalves, Dorival (ORCID:0000000342234238)↗
NASA NTRS1987

X-ray-selected AGNs near bright galaxies

Among the numerous low-redshift low-luminosity X-ray sources discovered with the Einstein Observatory, ten AGNs were identified that are projected within three optical diameters of bright (V less than 18) foreground galaxies. These AGNs near galaxies have significantly higher redshifts than the sample as a whole. This discovery is interpreted in terms of gravitational 'microlensing' in which stars in the foreground galaxy have significantly brightened the X-ray emission from these higher redshift AGNs, allowing their detection. It is suggested that microlensing may be responsible for a significant alteration of the inherent QSO luminosity function.

Stocke, John T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Infrared and visible photometry of the gravitational lens systems 2237 + 030

As part of a program of high spatial resolution imaging of gravitationally lensed sources in the visible and IR, images of 2237 + 030 were obtained in the Gunn r and infrared J, H, K, and 3.3 micron filters. The results of the photometry of the four bright quasar components provide evidence of extinction through the lens and a determination of the extinction law in the galaxy is made. The energy distribution shows evidence of a sharp decrease of the spectral index at wavelengths longer than a rest wavelength of 1 micron. Assuming that microlensing amplification in the IR is of similar strength as in the visible, the data constrain the suggested microlensing event of August-September 1988 to a time scale of 100 days.

Nadeau, Daniel↗