There are now several large photometric surveys scanning millions of stellar light-curves for signs of planetary transits. All produce large candidate lists with a high false alarm rate, so that further observations are required to confirm new detections. One such survey, SuperWASP, produced ~150 candidates during the 2007–2008 season. Here we describe our campaign to follow-up 86 of these candidates using the robotic facilities of Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network and the Tenagra-II robotic telescope in Arizona. The aim of these observations was to eliminate false positives as far as possible ahead of spectroscopic follow-up and to provide additional photometry to help characterise the surviving targets.

We present results from an attempt to detect radio emission from the interaction between a transiting extra-solar planet and its host star. We determine a new upper limit of 47 mJy on the radio flux density from HD 189733b, in the frequency range 327–347 MHz.

We present an algorithm for the removal of trends in time series data. The trends could be caused by various systematic and random noise sources such as cloud passages, change of airmass or CCD noise. In order to determine the trends, we select template stars based on a hierarchical clustering algorithm. The hierarchy tree is constructed using the similarity matrix of light curves of stars whose elements are the Pearson correlation values. A new bottom-up merging algorithm is developed to extract clusters of template stars that are highly correlated among themselves, and may thus be used to identify the trends. We then use the multiple linear regression method to de-trend all individual light curves based on these determined trends. Experimental results with simulated light curves which contain artificial trends and events are presented. We also applied our algorithm to TAOS (Taiwan-American Occultation Survey) wide field data observed with a 0.5m f/1.9 telescope equipped with 2k by 2k CCD. With our approach, we successfully removed trends and increased signal to noise in TAOS light curves.

We present Spitzer 8 μm transit observations of the extrasolar planet system HD 149026b. At this wavelength, transit light curves are weakly affected by stellar limb-darkening, allowing for a simpler and more accurate determination of planetary parameters. We measure a planet-star radius ratio of Rp/R∗=0.05158±0.00077, and in combination with ground-based data and independent constraints on the stellar mass and radius, we derive an orbital inclination of i = 85°.4+0°.9−0°.8 and a planet radius of 0.755 ± 0.040 RJ. These measurements further support models in which the planet is greatly enriched in heavy elements.

Strong tidal interaction with the central star can circularize the orbits of close-in planets. With the standard tidal quality factor Q of our solar system, estimated circularization timescales for close-in extrasolar planets are typically shorter than the age of the host stars. While most extrasolar planets with orbital radii a ≲ 0.1 AU indeed have circular orbits, some close-in planets with substantial orbital eccentricities have recently been discovered. This new class of eccentric close-in planets implies that either their tidal Q factor is considerably higher, or circularization is prevented by an external perturbation. Here we constrain the tidal Q factor for transiting extrasolar planets by comparing their circularization times with accurately determined stellar ages. Using estimated secular perturbation timescales, we also provide constraints on the properties of hypothetical second planets exterior to the known eccentric close-in planets.

We have started high precision photometric monitoring observations at the AIU Jena observatory in Großschwabhausen near Jena in fall 2006. We used a 25.4cm Cassegrain telescope equipped with a CCD-camera mounted piggyback on a 90cm telescope. To test the attainable photometric precision, we observed stars with known transiting planets. We could recover all planetary transits observed by us.

We observed the parent star of the transiting planet TrES-2 over a longer period in Großschwabhausen. Between March and November 2007 seven different transits and almost a complete orbital period were analyzed. Overall, in 31 nights of observation 3423 exposures (in total 57.05h of observation) of the TrES-2 parent star were taken. Here, we present our methods and the resulting light curves. Using our observations we could improve the orbital parameters of the system.

Oscillations occur in stars of most masses and essentially all stages of evolution. Asteroseismology is the study of the frequencies and other properties of stellar oscillations, from which we can extract fundamental parameters such as density, mass, radius, age and rotation period. We present an overview of asteroseismic analysis methods, focusing on how this technique may be used as a tool to measure stellar properties relevant to planet transit studies. We also discuss details of the Kepler Asteroseismic Investigation – the use of asteroseismology on the Kepler mission in order to measure basic stellar parameters. We estimate that applying asteroseismology to stars observed by Kepler will allow the determination of stellar mean densities to an accuracy of 1%, radii to 2–3%, masses to 5%, and ages to 5–10% of the main-sequence lifetime. For rotating stars, the angle of inclination can also be determined.

The increasing number of transiting planets raises the possibility of finding changes in their transit time, duration and depth that could be indicative of further planets in the system. Experience from eclipsing binaries indeed shows that such changes may be expected. A first obvious candidate to look for a perturbing planet is GJ 436, which hosts a hot transiting Neptune-mass planet in an eccentric orbit. Ribas et al. (2008) suggested that such eccentricity and a possible change in the orbital inclination might be due to a perturbing small planet in a close-in orbit. A radial velocity signal of a 5 M⊕ planet close to the 2:1 mean-motion resonance seemed to provide the perfect candidate. Recent new radial velocities have deemed such signal spurious. Here we put all the available information in context and we evaluate the possibility of a small perturber to GJ 436 b to explain its eccentricity and possible inclination change. In particular, we discuss the constraints provided by the transit time variation data. We conclude that, given the current data, the close-in perturber scenario still offers a plausible explanation to the observed orbital and physical properties of GJ 436 b.

The SOPHIE Consortium started a large program of exoplanets search and characterization in the Northern hemisphere with the new spectrograph SOPHIE at the 1.93-m telescope of Haute-Provence Observatory, France. The objectives of this program are to characterize the zoo of exoplanets and to bring strong constraints on their processes of formation and evolution using the radial velocity technique. We present here new SOPHIE measurements of the transiting planet host star XO-3. This allowed us to observe the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect and to refine the parameters of the planet. The unusual shape of the radial velocity anomaly during the transit provides a hint for a nearly transverse Rossiter-McLaughlin effect. The sky-projected angle between the planetary orbital axis and the stellar rotation axis should be λ = 70° ± 15° to be compatible with our observations. This suggests that some close-in planets might result from gravitational interaction between planets and/or stars rather than migration. This result requires confirmation by additional observations.

HAT-South is a network of six identical, fully automated wide field telescopes, to be located at three sites (Chile: Las Campanas, Australia: Siding Springs, and Namibia: HESS site) in the Southern hemisphere. The primary purpose of the network is to detect and characterize a large number of extra-solar planets transiting nearby bright stars, and to explore their diversity. Operation of HAT-South is a collaboration among the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) and the Australian National University (ANU). The network is expected to be ready for initial science operations in 2009. The three sites will permit near round-the-clock monitoring of selected fields, and the continuous data-stream will greatly enhance recovery of transits. HAT-South will be sensitive to planetary transits down to R≈14 across a 128 square-degrees combined field of view, thereby targeting a large number of dwarfs with feasible confirmation-mode follow-up. We anticipate a yearly detection rate of approximately 25 planets transiting bright stars.

Observations using the Spitzer Space Telescope provided the first detections of photons from extrasolar planets. Spitzer observations are allowing us to infer the temperature structure, composition, and dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres. The Spitzer studies extend from many hot Jupiters to the hot Neptune orbiting GJ436. Here I review the current status of Spitzer secondary eclipse observations, and summarize the results from the viewpoint of what is robust, what needs more work, and what the observations are telling us about the physical nature of exoplanet atmospheres.

Here we describe the observations and the resulting constraints on the upper atmosphere (thermosphere and exosphere) of hot Jupiters. In particular, observations and theoretical modeling of hot-Jupiter evaporation are described. The observations allowed the discovery that the planet orbiting HD209458 has an extended atmosphere of escaping hydrogen and showed the presence of oxygen and carbon at very high altitude. These observations give unique constraints on the escape rate and mechanism in the atmosphere of these planets. The most recent Lyman-alpha HST observations of HD189733b allow for the first time to compare the evaporation from two different planets in different environments. We present models to quantify the escape rate from the measured occultation depths, and an energy diagram to describe the evaporation state of hot Jupiters. Using this diagram, it is shown that few already known planets could be remnants of former giant planets.

We have measured transit times for HD 189733 passing in front of its bright (V = 7.67) chromospherically active and spotted parent star. Nearly continuous broadband photometry of this system was obtained with the MOST (Microvariability & Oscillations of STars) space telesope during 21 days in August 2006, monitoring 10 consecutive transits. We have used these data to search for deviations from a constant orbital period which can indicate the presence of additional planets in the system that are as yet undetected by Doppler searches. We find no variations above the level of ±45 s, ruling out planets in the Earth-to-Neptune mass range in a number of resonant orbits. We find that a number of complications can arise in measuring transit times for a planet transiting an active star with large star spots. However, such transiting systems are also useful in that they can help to constrain and test spot models. This has implications for the large number of transiting systems expected to be discovered by the CoRoT and Kepler missions.

For an extrasolar planet on an eccentric orbit, the orbital velocity is constantly changing, even during a planetary transit. This changing orbital velocity will, in general, cause lightcurve assymetry. The asymmetry causes the mid-transit time to be slightly off-centre from the halfway point between transit ingress and egress. For GJ436b, we estimate that the mid-transit time is shifted by 20 seconds. In the case of a system experiencing secular changes, this difference will lead to a long period transit time variation (L-TTV) signal, under the typical definition of the mid-transit time. In this work, we describe the origins of the effect and evaluate it in the case of GJ436b experiencing hypothetical secular changes. We predict L-TTV could be used to map secular changes in such systems.

We present new observations of the emission spectrum of the hot Jupiter TrES-4 designed to test the theory that the presence of temperature inversions in the atmospheres of these planets are correlated with the amount of radiation received by the planet. Our observations reveal that TrES-4 has an emission spectrum similar to that of HD 209458b, which requires the presence of an inversion layer high in the atmosphere and water emission bands in order to explain the observed features, providing additional support for that theory. We also present new observations of the thermal phase curve of HD 189733b at 24 μm, which we combine with our previous observations at 8 μm to examine how circulation in this planet's atmosphere varies as a function of depth. We discuss the relationship between the strength of the day-night circulation on both planets and their other observable properties, in particular their emission spectra.

The Tautenburg Exoplanet Search Telescope (TEST) is a robotic telescope system. The telescope uses a folded Schmidt Camera with a 300mm main mirror. The focal length is 940mm and it gives a 2.2° × 2.2° field of view. Dome, mount, and CCD cameras are controlled by a software bundle made by Software Bisque. The automation of the telescope includes selection of the night observing program from a given framework, taking darks and skyflats, field identification, guiding, data taking, and archiving. For the search for transiting exoplanets and variable stars an automated psf photometry based on IRAF and a lightcurve analysis based on ESO-Midas are conducted. The images and the results are managed using a PostgreSQL database.

The NASA Star and Exoplanet Database (NStED) is a general purpose stellar archive with the aim of providing support for NASA's planet finding and characterization goals, stellar astrophysics, and the planning of NASA and other space missions. There are two principal components of NStED: a database of (currently) 140,000 nearby stars and exoplanet-hosting stars, and an archive dedicated to high precision photometric surveys for transiting exoplanets. We present a summary of the NStED stellar database, functionality, tools, and user interface. NStED currently serves the following kinds of data for 140,000 stars (where available): coordinates, multiplicity, proper motion, parallax, spectral type, multiband photometry, radial velocity, metallicity, chromospheric and coronal activity index, and rotation velocity/period. Furthermore, the following derived quantities are given wherever possible: distance, effective temperature, mass, radius, luminosity, space motions, and physical/angular dimensions of habitable zone. Queries to NStED can be made using constraints on any combination of the above parameters. In addition, NStED provides tools to derive specific inferred quantities for the stars in the database, cross-referenced with available extra-solar planetary data for those host stars. NStED can be accessed at http://nsted.ipac.caltech.edu.

Several approaches have been followed for the analysis of the light curves of transiting extra-solar planets. From simple approximate algorithms and synthetic models to semi-analytical complete solutions. The different alternatives are discussed with their strengths and weaknesses. Analytical expressions can also provide a deeper insight into the main system parameters from the measurement of a few strategic points describing the shape of the light curve.

PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscilliations of stars) is a proposed mission of the European Space Agency's Science programme Cosmic Vision 2015–2025, currently under industrial study, and with a planned launch by the end of 2017. Its task is to better understand the properties of exoplanetary systems. As such it will detect and characterise exoplanets using their transit signature in front of a large sample of bright stars and simultaneously measuring the seismic oscillations of the parent star of these exoplanets. The mission will be orbiting the Sun-Earth L2 point, which provides a stable thermal environment and maximum uninterrupted observing efficiency. The payload consists of a number (> 28) of individual catadioptric telescopes, covering > 550 sq. degrees. Since the goal is to search for terrestrial exoplanets within the habitable zone of their host stars, and carry out asteroseismological observations of the host stars, very high photometric precision, high time resolution, and high duty-cycle visible photometry is required. Ground-based observations are needed to complement the observations made by PLATO to allow for further exoplanetary characterization. This paper consists of a summary of the preliminary results achieved by the ESA internal pre-assessment study.

The WASP consortium operates two wide-field camera arrays in the northern (La Palma) and southern (Sutherland) hemispheres. Each installation comprises a robotic mount bearing 8 cameras, forming a mosaic with a field of view of 30 degrees in declination by 1 hour in right ascension. Here we describe the system performance, observing strategy, candidate selection procedures and follow-up campaigns, and the yield and physical characteristics of the 16 planets discovered in the course of the survey to date.