We analyze MOA-2010-BLG-311, a high magnification (A max > 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.
Titolo: | MOA-2010-BLG-311: A Planetary Candidate below the Threshold of Reliable Detection | |
Autori: | ||
Data di pubblicazione: | 2013 | |
Rivista: | ||
Abstract: | We analyze MOA-2010-BLG-311, a high magnification (A max > 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. | |
Handle: | http://hdl.handle.net/11386/3984252 | |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1.2 Articolo su rivista con ISSN |