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May 3 (4:00PM) in the 2nd Floor Conference Room in Dearborn Speaker: Jason Steffen (Fermilab) “Detecting Terrestrial Planets in Transiting Planetary Systems” I present a planet detection technique that is capable of probing for planets with masses less than the Earth using modest, ground-based telescopes. In a multiple planet system where one planet transits the host star, dynamical interactions among the various bodies cause the time interval between transits to vary. These variations are often quite large, particularly for systems in mean-motion resonance, and can be used to infer the orbital elements of the perturbing body. I discuss the essential aspects of this planet detection technique, its anticipated impact on planet formation and evolution theories, and the results of its application to two planetary systems. These results are the first to probe for planets with masses less than the Earth in orbit about Sun-like stars. |