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This work aims to develop a computationally inexpensive approach, based on machine learning techniques, to accurately predict thousands of stellar rotation periods. The innovation in our approach is the use of the XGBoost algorithm to predict the rotation periods of Kepler targets by means of regression analysis. Therefore, we focused on building a robust supervised machine learning model to predict surface stellar rotation periods from structured data sets built from the Kepler catalogue of K and M stars. We analysed the set of independent variables extracted from Kepler light curves and investigated the relationships between them and the ground truth. Using the extreme gradient boosting method, we obtained a minimal set of variables that can be used to build machine learning models for predicting stellar rotation periods. Our models are validated by predicting the rotation periods of about 2900 stars. The results are compatible with those obtained by classical techniques and comparable to those obtained by other recent machine learning approaches, with the advantage of using much fewer predictors. Restricting the analysis to stars with rotation periods of less than 45 days, our models are on average 95 to 98 % correct. We have developed an innovative approach, based on a machine learning method, to accurately fit the rotation periods of stars. Based on the results of this study, we conclude that the best models generated by the proposed methodology are competitive with the state-of-the-art approaches, with the advantage of being computationally cheaper, easy to train, and relying on small sets of predictors., Comment: Paper submitted to A&A. Comments are welcome!

This work concentrates on the effect of an irrotational forcing on a magnetized flow in the presence of rotation, baroclinicity, shear, or a combination of them. By including magnetic field in the model we can evaluate the occurrence of dynamo on both small and large scales. We aim at finding what are the minimum ingredients needed to trigger a dynamo instability and what is the relation between dynamo and the growth of vorticity. We use the Pencil code to run resistive MHD direct numerical simulations. We report no dynamo in all cases where only rotation is included, regardless on the equation of state. Conversely, the inclusion of a background sinusoidal shearing profile leads to an hydrodynamic instability that produces an exponential growth of the vorticity at all scales, starting from small ones. This is know as vorticity dynamo. The onset of this instability occurs after a rather long temporal evolution of several thousand turbulent turnover times. The vorticity dynamo in turn drives an exponential growth of the magnetic field, first at small scales, then also at large one. The instability then saturates and the magnetic field approximately reaches equipartition with the turbulent kinetic energy. During the saturation phase we can observe a winding of the magnetic field in the direction of the shearing flow. By varying the intensity of the shear we see that the growth rates of this instability change. The inclusion of the baroclinic term delays the onset of the vorticity dynamo but leads to a more rapid growth. We demonstrate how in the presence of shear, even a purely irrotational forcing amplifies the field to equipartition. At the same time, we confirm how this forcing alone does not lead to vorticity nor magnetic field growth, and this picture does not change in the presence of rotation or baroclinicity up to $256^3$ meshpoints., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, submitted for publication, comments welcome

Explaining the currently observed magnetic fields in galaxies requires relatively strong seeding in the early Universe. One theory proposes that magnetic fields of the order of $\mu$G were expelled by supernova (SN) explosions after primordial, nG or weaker fields were amplified in stellar interiors. In this work, we calculate the maximum magnetic energy that can be injected in the interstellar medium by a stellar cluster of mass $M_{cl}$ based on what is currently known about stellar magnetism. We consider early-type stars and adopt either a Salpeter or a top-heavy IMF. For their magnetic fields, we adopt either a Gaussian or a bimodal distribution. The Gaussian model assumes that all massive stars are magnetized with $10^3 < \langle B_* \rangle < 10^4$ G, while the bimodal, consistent with observations of Milky Way stars, assumes only 5-10 per cent of OB stars have $10^3 < \langle B_* \rangle < 10^4$ G, while the rest have $10 < \langle B_* \rangle < 10^2$ G. We find that the maximum magnetic energy that can be injected by a stellar population is between $10^{-10}-10^{-7}$ times the total SN energy. The highest end of these estimates is about five orders of magnitude lower than what is usually employed in cosmological simulations, where about $10^{-2}$ of the SN energy is injected as magnetic. Pure advection of the stellar magnetic field by SN explosions is a good candidate for seeding a dynamo, but not enough to magnetize galaxies. Assuming SNe as main mechanism for galactic magnetization, the magnetic field cannot exceed an intensity of $10^{-7}$ G in the best-case scenario for a population of $10^{5}$ solar masses in a superbubble of 300 pc radius, while more typical values are between $10^{-10}-10^{-9}$~G. Therefore, other scenarios for galactic magnetization at high redshift need to be explored., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A letters

Magnetic helicity, and more broadly magnetic field line topology, imposes constraints on the plasma dynamics. Helically interlocked magnetic rings are harder to bring into a topologically non-trivial state than two rings that are not linked. This particular restriction has the consequence that helical plasmas exhibit increased stability in laboratory devices, in the Sun and in the intergalactic medium. Here we discuss how a magnetic field is stabilizing the plasma and preventing it from disruption by the presence of magnetic helicity. We present observational results, numerical experiments and analytical results that illustrate how helical magnetic fields strongly contribute to the long-term stability of some plasmas. We discuss several cases, such as that of solar corona, tokamaks, the galactic and extragalactic medium, with a special emphasis on extragalactic bubbles., Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, submitted as chapter of the AGU book "Helicities in Geophysics, Astrophysics and Beyond"

Magnetic helicity, and more broadly magnetic field line topology, imposes constraints on the plasma dynamics. Helically interlocked magnetic rings are harder to bring into a topologically non-trivial state than two rings that are not linked. This particular restriction has the consequence that helical plasmas exhibit increased stability in laboratory devices, in the Sun and in the intergalactic medium. Here we discuss how a magnetic field is stabilizing the plasma and preventing it from disruption by the presence of magnetic helicity. We present observational results, numerical experiments and analytical results that illustrate how helical magnetic fields strongly contribute to the long-term stability of some plasmas. We discuss several cases, such as that of solar corona, tokamaks, the galactic and extragalactic medium, with a special emphasis on extragalactic bubbles., Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, submitted as chapter of the AGU book "Helicities in Geophysics, Astrophysics and Beyond"

The magnetic fields of spiral galaxies are so strong that they cannot be primordial. Their typical values are over one billion times higher than any value predicted for the early Universe. Explaining this immense growth and incorporating it in galaxy evolution theories is one of the long-standing challenges in astrophysics. So far, the most successful theory for the sustained growth of the galactic magnetic field is the alpha-omega dynamo. This theory predicts a characteristic dipolar or quadrupolar morphology for the galactic magnetic field, which has been observed in external galaxies. However, so far, there has been no direct demonstration of a mean-field dynamo operating in direct, multi-physics simulations of spiral galaxies. We do so in this work. We employ numerical models of isolated, star-forming spiral galaxies that include a magnetized gaseous disk, a dark matter halo, stars, and stellar feedback. Naturally, the resulting magnetic field has a complex morphology that includes a strong random component. Using a smoothing of the magnetic field on small scales, we are able to separate the mean from the turbulent component and analyze them individually. We find that a mean-field dynamo naturally occurs as a result of the dynamical evolution of the galaxy and amplifies the magnetic field by an order of magnitude over half a Gyr. Despite the highly dynamical nature of these models, the morphology of the mean component of the field is identical to analytical predictions. This result underlines the importance of the mean-field dynamo in galactic evolution. Moreover, by demonstrating the natural growth of the magnetic field in a complex galactic environment, it brings us a step closer to understanding the cosmic origin of magnetic fields., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Proxima c, a candidate second planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, was detected with the radial velocity method. The announced long orbital period (5.21$^{+0.26}_{-0.22}$ years), and small semi-amplitude of the induced Doppler signal (1.2$\pm$0.4 m/s), make this detection challenging and the target worthy of a follow-up in the next years. We intend to evaluate the impact of future data on the statistical significance of the detection through realistic simulated radial velocities to be added to the published dataset, spanning up to one orbital period of Proxima c in the time range 2019-2023. We find that the detection significance of Proxima c increases depending not only on the amount of data collected, but also on the number of instruments used, and especially on the timespan covered by the observational campaign. However, on average we do not get strong statistical evidence and we predict that, in the best-case scenario, in the next 5 years the detection of Proxima c can become significant at 4$\sigma$ level. If instead Proxima c does not exist, the detected signal may lower its significance down to 2$\sigma$., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 2020

The magnetic fields of spiral galaxies are so strong that they cannot be primordial. Their typical values are over one billion times higher than any value predicted for the early Universe. Explaining this immense growth and incorporating it in galaxy evolution theories is one of the long-standing challenges in astrophysics. So far, the most successful theory for the sustained growth of the galactic magnetic field is the alpha-omega dynamo. This theory predicts a characteristic dipolar or quadrupolar morphology for the galactic magnetic field, which has been observed in external galaxies. However, so far, there has been no direct demonstration of a mean-field dynamo operating in direct, multi-physics simulations of spiral galaxies. We do so in this work. We employ numerical models of isolated, star-forming spiral galaxies that include a magnetized gaseous disk, a dark matter halo, stars, and stellar feedback. Naturally, the resulting magnetic field has a complex morphology that includes a strong random component. Using a smoothing of the magnetic field on small scales, we are able to separate the mean from the turbulent component and analyze them individually. We find that a mean-field dynamo naturally occurs as a result of the dynamical evolution of the galaxy and amplifies the magnetic field by an order of magnitude over half a Gyr. Despite the highly dynamical nature of these models, the morphology of the mean component of the field is identical to analytical predictions. This result underlines the importance of the mean-field dynamo in galactic evolution. Moreover, by demonstrating the natural growth of the magnetic field in a complex galactic environment, it brings us a step closer to understanding the cosmic origin of magnetic fields., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Proxima c, a candidate second planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, was detected with the radial velocity method. The announced long orbital period (5.21$^{+0.26}_{-0.22}$ years), and small semi-amplitude of the induced Doppler signal (1.2$\pm$0.4 m/s), make this detection challenging and the target worthy of a follow-up in the next years. We intend to evaluate the impact of future data on the statistical significance of the detection through realistic simulated radial velocities to be added to the published dataset, spanning up to one orbital period of Proxima c in the time range 2019-2023. We find that the detection significance of Proxima c increases depending not only on the amount of data collected, but also on the number of instruments used, and especially on the timespan covered by the observational campaign. However, on average we do not get strong statistical evidence and we predict that, in the best-case scenario, in the next 5 years the detection of Proxima c can become significant at 4$\sigma$ level. If instead Proxima c does not exist, the detected signal may lower its significance down to 2$\sigma$., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 2020

Our nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, hosts a temperate terrestrial planet. We detected in radial velocities evidence of a possible second planet with minimum mass mc sin ic = 5.8 ± 1.9M⊕ and orbital period Pc = 5.21–0.22 +0.26 years. The analysis of photometric data and spectro-scopic activity diagnostics does not explain the signal in terms of a stellar activity cycle, but follow-up is required in the coming years for confirming its planetary origin. We show that the existence of the planet can be ascertained, and its true mass can be determined with high accuracy, by combining Gaia astrometry and radial velocities. Proxima c could become a prime target for follow-up and characterization with next-generation direct imaging instrumentation due to the large maximum angular separation of ~1 arc second from the parent star. The candidate planet represents a challenge for the models of super-Earth formation and evolution. Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved.

We investigate the effect of magnetic helicity on the stability of buoyant magnetic cavities as found in the intergalactic medium. In these cavities, we insert helical magnetic fields and test whether or not helicity can increase their stability to shredding through the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and, with that, their lifetime. This is compared to the case of an external vertical magnetic field which is known to reduce the growth rate of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. By comparing a low-helicity configuration with a high helicity one with the same magnetic energy we find that an internal helical magnetic field stabilizes the cavity. This effect increases as we increase the helicity content. Stabilizing the cavity with an external magnetic field requires instead a significantly stronger field at higher magnetic energy. We conclude that the presence of helical magnetic fields is a viable mechanism to explain the stability of intergalactic cavities on time scales longer than 100 Myr., Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

We investigate the effect of magnetic helicity on the stability of buoyant magnetic cavities as found in the intergalactic medium. In these cavities, we insert helical magnetic fields and test whether or not helicity can increase their stability to shredding through the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and, with that, their lifetime. This is compared to the case of an external vertical magnetic field which is known to reduce the growth rate of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. By comparing a low-helicity configuration with a high helicity one with the same magnetic energy we find that an internal helical magnetic field stabilizes the cavity. This effect increases as we increase the helicity content. Stabilizing the cavity with an external magnetic field requires instead a significantly stronger field at higher magnetic energy. We conclude that the presence of helical magnetic fields is a viable mechanism to explain the stability of intergalactic cavities on time scales longer than 100 Myr., Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

The full-sky Planck polarization data at 850um revealed unexpected properties of the E and B mode power spectra of dust emission in the interstellar medium (ISM). The positive cross-correlation between the total dust intensity, T, with the B modes has raised new questions about the physical mechanisms that affect dust polarization, such as the Galactic magnetic-field structure. This is key both to better understanding ISM dynamics and to accurately describing Galactic foregrounds to the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). In this theoretical paper we investigate the possibility that the observed cross-correlations in the dust polarization power spectra, and specifically between T and B, can be related to a parity-odd quantity in the ISM such as the magnetic helicity. We produce synthetic dust polarization data, derived from 3D analytical toy models of density structures and helical magnetic fields, to compare with the E and B modes of observations. Focusing on the observed T-B correlation, we propose a new line of interpretation of the Planck observations based on a large-scale helical component of the Galactic magnetic field in the solar neighborhood. Our analysis shows that: I) the sign of magnetic helicity does not affect E and B modes for isotropic magnetic-field configurations; II) helical magnetic fields threading interstellar filaments cannot reproduce the Planck results; III) a weak helical left-handed magnetic field structure in the solar neighborhood may explain the T-B correlation seen in the Planck data. This work suggests a new perspective for the interpretation of the dust polarization power spectra, which strongly supports the imprint of a large-scale structure of the Galactic magnetic field in the solar neighborhood., Comment: Accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics on November 24, 2018

The full-sky Planck polarization data at 850um revealed unexpected properties of the E and B mode power spectra of dust emission in the interstellar medium (ISM). The positive cross-correlation between the total dust intensity, T, with the B modes has raised new questions about the physical mechanisms that affect dust polarization, such as the Galactic magnetic-field structure. This is key both to better understanding ISM dynamics and to accurately describing Galactic foregrounds to the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). In this theoretical paper we investigate the possibility that the observed cross-correlations in the dust polarization power spectra, and specifically between T and B, can be related to a parity-odd quantity in the ISM such as the magnetic helicity. We produce synthetic dust polarization data, derived from 3D analytical toy models of density structures and helical magnetic fields, to compare with the E and B modes of observations. Focusing on the observed T-B correlation, we propose a new line of interpretation of the Planck observations based on a large-scale helical component of the Galactic magnetic field in the solar neighborhood. Our analysis shows that: I) the sign of magnetic helicity does not affect E and B modes for isotropic magnetic-field configurations; II) helical magnetic fields threading interstellar filaments cannot reproduce the Planck results; III) a weak helical left-handed magnetic field structure in the solar neighborhood may explain the T-B correlation seen in the Planck data. This work suggests a new perspective for the interpretation of the dust polarization power spectra, which strongly supports the imprint of a large-scale structure of the Galactic magnetic field in the solar neighborhood., Comment: Accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics on November 24, 2018

Stellar dynamos are affected by boundary conditions imposed by stellar coronae. Under some approximations it is possible to find analytical solutions. Interior dynamo models often consider a current-free coronae without taking into account the constraints imposed by the presence of currents in the corona. We aim to analytically evaluate the effect of coronal currents and of an outer boundary condition on the efficiency of an $\alpha^2$ dynamo. We intend to estimate the change in geometry and dinamo excitation numbers with respect to the current-free case. We analytically solve the turbulent dynamo induction equation for a homogeneous, non-mirror symmetric turbulence, in a spherical domain surrounded by a linear force-free corona with magnetic field B satisfying curl B = \beta B. The main result is that the dynamo number is a decreasing function of \beta. Moreover, if the current is parallel to the field (\beta > 0) the dynamo number is smaller than in the force-free case. On the contrary (\beta < 0) the dynamo number is greater than the in force-free case. We conclude that the presence of currents in the corona needs to be taken into account because it affects the condition for excitation of a dynamo., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A

Stellar dynamos are affected by boundary conditions imposed by stellar coronae. Under some approximations it is possible to find analytical solutions. Interior dynamo models often consider a current-free coronae without taking into account the constraints imposed by the presence of currents in the corona. We aim to analytically evaluate the effect of coronal currents and of an outer boundary condition on the efficiency of an $\alpha^2$ dynamo. We intend to estimate the change in geometry and dinamo excitation numbers with respect to the current-free case. We analytically solve the turbulent dynamo induction equation for a homogeneous, non-mirror symmetric turbulence, in a spherical domain surrounded by a linear force-free corona with magnetic field B satisfying curl B = \beta B. The main result is that the dynamo number is a decreasing function of \beta. Moreover, if the current is parallel to the field (\beta > 0) the dynamo number is smaller than in the force-free case. On the contrary (\beta < 0) the dynamo number is greater than the in force-free case. We conclude that the presence of currents in the corona needs to be taken into account because it affects the condition for excitation of a dynamo., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A

Owing to technological advances, the number of exoplanets discovered has risen dramatically in the last few years. However, when trying to observe Earth analogs, it is often difficult to test the veracity of detection. We have developed a new approach to the analysis of exoplanetary spectral observations based on temporal multifractality, which identifies timescales that characterize planetary orbital motion around the host star and those that arise from stellar features such as spots. Without fitting stellar models to spectral data, we show how the planetary signal can be robustly detected from noisy data using noise amplitude as a source of information. For observation of transiting planets, combining this method with simple geometry allows us to relate the timescales obtained to primary and secondary eclipse of the exoplanets. Making use of data obtained with ground-based and space-based observations we have tested our approach on HD 189733b. Moreover, we have investigated the use of this technique in measuring planetary orbital motion via Doppler shift detection. Finally, we have analyzed synthetic spectra obtained using the SOAP 2.0 tool, which simulates a stellar spectrum and the influence of the presence of a planet or a spot on that spectrum over one orbital period. We have demonstrated that, so long as the signal-to-noise-ratio >= 75, our approach reconstructs the planetary orbital period, as well as the rotation period of a spot on the stellar surface.

Context. The detection and characterisation of Earth-like planets with Doppler signals of the order of 1 ms(-1) currently represent one of the greatest challenge for extrasolar-planet hunters. As results for such findings are often controversial, it is desirable to provide independent confirmations of the discoveries. Testing different models for the suppression of non-Keplerian stellar signals usually plaguing radial velocity data is essential to ensuring findings are robust and reproducible. Aims. Using an alternative treatment of the stellar noise to that discussed in the discovery paper, we re-analyse the radial velocity dataset that led to the detection of a candidate terrestrial planet orbiting the star Proxima Centauri. We aim to confirm the existence of this outstanding planet, and test the existence of a second planetary signal. Methods. Our technique jointly modelled Keplerian signals and residual correlated signals in radial velocities using Gaussian processes. We analysed only radial velocity measurements without including other ancillary data in the fitting procedure. In a second step, we have compared our outputs with results coming from photometry, to provide a consistent physical interpretation. Our analysis was performed in a Bayesian framework to quantify the robustness of our findings. Results. We show that the correlated noise can be successfully modelled as a Gaussian process regression, and contains a periodic term modulated on the stellar rotation period and characterised by an evolutionary timescale of the order of one year. Both findings appear to be robust when compared with results obtained from archival photometry, thus providing a reliable description of the noise properties. We confirm the existence of a coherent signal described by a Keplerian orbit equation that can be attributed to the planet Proxima b, and provide an independent estimate of the planetary parameters. Our Bayesian analysis dismisses the existence of a second planetary

Context. Stellar dynamos are affected by boundary conditions imposed by stellar coronae. Under some approximations, it is possible to find analytical solutions. Interior dynamo models often consider a current-free corona without taking into account the constraints imposed by the presence of currents in the corona. Aims. We aim to analytically evaluate the effect of coronal currents and of an outer boundary condition on the efficiency of an alpha(2) dynamo. We intend to estimate the change in geometry and dynamo excitation numbers with respect to the current-free case. Methods. We analytically solved the turbulent dynamo induction equation for a homogeneous, non-mirror symmetric turbulence in a spherical domain surrounded by a linear force-free corona with the mean magnetic field B satisfying del x B = beta B. Results. The dynamo number is a decreasing function of beta. Moreover, if the current is parallel to the field (beta > 0), the dynamo number is smaller than in the force- free case. In contrast, for (beta < 0), the dynamo number is greater than in the force-free case. Conclusions. Currents in the corona need to be taken into account because they affect the condition for excitation of a dynamo.

Context. Stellar dynamos are affected by boundary conditions imposed by stellar coronae. Under some approximations, it is possible to find analytical solutions. Interior dynamo models often consider a current-free corona without taking into account the constraints imposed by the presence of currents in the corona. Aims. We aim to analytically evaluate the effect of coronal currents and of an outer boundary condition on the efficiency of an alpha(2) dynamo. We intend to estimate the change in geometry and dynamo excitation numbers with respect to the current-free case. Methods. We analytically solved the turbulent dynamo induction equation for a homogeneous, non-mirror symmetric turbulence in a spherical domain surrounded by a linear force-free corona with the mean magnetic field B satisfying del x B = beta B. Results. The dynamo number is a decreasing function of beta. Moreover, if the current is parallel to the field (beta > 0), the dynamo number is smaller than in the force- free case. In contrast, for (beta < 0), the dynamo number is greater than in the force-free case. Conclusions. Currents in the corona need to be taken into account because they affect the condition for excitation of a dynamo., QC 20190211

Context. The detection and characterisation of Earth-like planets with Doppler signals of the order of 1 m s-1 currently represent one of the greatest challenge for extrasolar-planet hunters. As results for such findings are often controversial, it is desirable to provide independent confirmations of the discoveries. Testing different models for the suppression of non-Keplerian stellar signals usually plaguing radial velocity data is essential to ensuring findings are robust and reproducible. Aims. Using an alternative treatment of the stellar noise to that discussed in the discovery paper, we re-analyse the radial velocity dataset that led to the detection of a candidate terrestrial planet orbiting the star Proxima Centauri. We aim to confirm the existence of this outstanding planet, and test the existence of a second planetary signal. Methods. Our technique jointly modelled Keplerian signals and residual correlated signals in radial velocities using Gaussian processes. We analysed only radial velocity measurements without including other ancillary data in the fitting procedure. In a second step, we have compared our outputs with results coming from photometry, to provide a consistent physical interpretation. Our analysis was performed in a Bayesian framework to quantify the robustness of our findings. Results. We show that the correlated noise can be successfully modelled as a Gaussian process regression, and contains a periodic term modulated on the stellar rotation period and characterised by an evolutionary timescale of the order of one year. Both findings appear to be robust when compared with results obtained from archival photometry, thus providing a reliable description of the noise properties. We confirm the existence of a coherent signal described by a Keplerian orbit equation that can be attributed to the planet Proxima b, and provide an independent estimate of the planetary parameters. Our Bayesian analysis dismisses the existence of a second planetary, QC 20170601

Owing to technological advances, the number of exoplanets discovered has risen dramatically in the last few years. However, when trying to observe Earth analogs, it is often difficult to test the veracity of detection. We have developed a new approach to the analysis of exoplanetary spectral observations based on temporal multifractality, which identifies timescales that characterize planetary orbital motion around the host star and those that arise from stellar features such as spots. Without fitting stellar models to spectral data, we show how the planetary signal can be robustly detected from noisy data using noise amplitude as a source of information. For observation of transiting planets, combining this method with simple geometry allows us to relate the timescales obtained to primary and secondary eclipse of the exoplanets. Making use of data obtained with ground-based and space-based observations we have tested our approach on HD 189733b. Moreover, we have investigated the use of this technique in measuring planetary orbital motion via Doppler shift detection. Finally, we have analyzed synthetic spectra obtained using the SOAP 2.0 tool, which simulates a stellar spectrum and the influence of the presence of a planet or a spot on that spectrum over one orbital period. We have demonstrated that, so long as the signal-to-noise-ratio >= 75, our approach reconstructs the planetary orbital period, as well as the rotation period of a spot on the stellar surface., QC 20170222

Owing to technological advances, the number of exoplanets discovered has risen dramatically in the last few years. However, when trying to observe Earth analogs, it is often difficult to test the veracity of detection. We have developed a new approach to the analysis of exoplanetary spectral observations based on temporal multifractality, which identifies time scales that characterize planetary orbital motion around the host star, and those that arise from stellar features such as spots. Without fitting stellar models to spectral data, we show how the planetary signal can be robustly detected from noisy data using noise amplitude as a source of information. For observation of transiting planets, combining this method with simple geometry allows us to relate the time scales obtained to primary and secondary eclipse of the exoplanets. Making use of data obtained with ground-based and space-based observations we have tested our approach on HD 189733b. Moreover, we have investigated the use of this technique in measuring planetary orbital motion via Doppler shift detection. Finally, we have analyzed synthetic spectra obtained using the SOAP 2.0 tool, which simulates a stellar spectrum and the influence of the presence of a planet or a spot on that spectrum over one orbital period. We have demonstrated that, so long as the signal-to-noise-ratio $\ge$ 75, our approach reconstructs the planetary orbital period, as well as the rotation period of a spot on the stellar surface.

Owing to technological advances, the number of exoplanets discovered has risen dramatically in the last few years. However, when trying to observe Earth analogs, it is often difficult to test the veracity of detection. We have developed a new approach to the analysis of exoplanetary spectral observations based on temporal multifractality, which identifies time scales that characterize planetary orbital motion around the host star, and those that arise from stellar features such as spots. Without fitting stellar models to spectral data, we show how the planetary signal can be robustly detected from noisy data using noise amplitude as a source of information. For observation of transiting planets, combining this method with simple geometry allows us to relate the time scales obtained to primary and secondary eclipse of the exoplanets. Making use of data obtained with ground-based and space-based observations we have tested our approach on HD 189733b. Moreover, we have investigated the use of this technique in measuring planetary orbital motion via Doppler shift detection. Finally, we have analyzed synthetic spectra obtained using the SOAP 2.0 tool, which simulates a stellar spectrum and the influence of the presence of a planet or a spot on that spectrum over one orbital period. We have demonstrated that, so long as the signal-to-noise-ratio $\ge$ 75, our approach reconstructs the planetary orbital period, as well as the rotation period of a spot on the stellar surface.