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MOA-2010-BLG-311: A planetary candidate below the threshold of reliable detection

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 23:35 authored by Yee, JC, Hung, L-W, Bond, IA, Allen, W, Monard, LAG, Albrow, MD, Fouque, P, Dominik, M, Tsapras, Y, Udalski, A, Gould, A, Zellem, R, Bos, M, Christie, GW, DePoy, DL, Dong, S, Drummond, J, Gaudi, BS, Gorbikov, E, Han, C, Kaspi, S, Klein, N, Lee, C-U, Maoz, D, McCormick, J, Moorhouse, D, Natusch, T, Nola, M, Park, B-G, Pogge, RW, Polishook, D, Shporer, A, Shvartzvald, Y, Skowron, J, Thornley, G, Abe, F, Bennett, DP, Botzler, CS, Chote, P, Freeman, M, Fukui, A, Furusawa, K, Harris, P, Itow, Y, Ling, CH, Masuda, K, Matsubara, Y, Miyake, N, Ohnishi, K, Rattenbury, NJ, Saito, T, Sullivan, DJ, Sumi, T, Suzuki, D, Sweatman, WL, Tristram, PJ, Wada, K, Yock, PCM, Szymanski, MK, Soszynski, I, Kubiak, M, Poleski, R, Ulaczyk, K, Pietrzynski, G, Wyrzykowski, A, Bachelet, E, Batista, V, Beatty, TG, Beaulieu, J-P, Bennett, CS, Bowens-Rubin, R, Brillant, S, Caldwell, JAR, Cassan, A, Andrew ColeAndrew Cole, Corrales, E, Coutures, C, Dieters, S, Dominis Prester, D, Donatowicz, J, Greenhill, J, Henderson, CB, Kubas, D, Marquette, J-B, Martin, R, Menzies, JW, Shappee, B, Williams, A, Wouters, D, van Saders, J, Zub, M, Street, RA, Horne, K, Bramich, DM, Steele, IA, Alsubai, KA, Bozza, V, Browne, P, Burgdorf, MJ, Calchi Novati, S, Dodds, P, Finet, F, Gerner, T, Hardis, S, Harpsoe, K, Hessman, FV, Hinse, TC, Hundertmark, M, Jorgensen, UG, Kains, N, Kerins, E, Liebig, C, Mancini, L, Mathiasen, M, Penny, MT, Proft, S, Rahvar, S, Ricci, D, Sahu, KC, Scarpetta, G, Schafer, S, Schonebeck, F, Snodgrass, C, Southworth, J, Surdej, J, Wambsganss, J
We analyze MOA-2010-BLG-311, a high magnification (Amax > 600) microlensing event with complete data coverage over the peak, making it very sensitive to planetary signals. We fit this event with both a point lens and a two-body lens model and find that the two-body lens model is a better fit but with only Δχ2 ~ 80. The preferred mass ratio between the lens star and its companion is q = 10–3.7 ± 0.1, placing the candidate companion in the planetary regime. Despite the formal significance of the planet, we show that because of systematics in the data the evidence for a planetary companion to the lens is too tenuous to claim a secure detection. When combined with analyses of other high-magnification events, this event helps empirically define the threshold for reliable planet detection in high-magnification events, which remains an open question.

History

Publication title

Astrophysical Journal

Volume

769

Article number

77

Number

77

Pagination

1-13

ISSN

0004-637X

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

Univ Chicago Press

Place of publication

1427 E 60th St, Chicago, USA, Il, 60637-2954

Rights statement

Copyright 2013 The American Astronomical Society

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the physical sciences

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