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The little dippers: transits of star-grazing exocomets?
- Source :
- Monthly Notices of the RAS (0035-8711), Monthly Notices of the RAS (0035-8711), 483(3), 3579-3591
- Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- We describe EPIC 205718330 and EPIC 235240266, two systems identified in the K2 data whose light curves contain episodic drops in brightness with shapes and durations similar to those of the young "dipper" stars, yet shallower by ~1-2 orders of magnitude. These "little dippers" have diverse profile shapes with durations of ~0.5-1.0 days and depths of ~0.1-1.0% in flux; however, unlike most of the young dipper stars, these do not exhibit any detectable infrared excess indicative of protoplanetary disks, and our ground-based follow-up spectra lack any signatures of youth while indicating these objects as kinematically old. After ruling out instrumental and/or data processing artifacts as sources of the dimming events, we investigate possible astrophysical mechanisms based on the light curve and stellar properties. We argue that the little dippers are consistent with transits of star-grazing exocomets, and speculate that they are signposts of massive non-transiting exoplanets driving the close-approach orbits.<br />14 pages, 9 Figures; accepted to MNRAS
- Subjects :
- Physics
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Brightness
Infrared excess
010308 nuclear & particles physics
FOS: Physical sciences
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Planetary system
Light curve
01 natural sciences
Exoplanet
Stars
Space and Planetary Science
Asteroid
0103 physical sciences
Orders of magnitude (length)
Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
QB
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00358711
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Monthly Notices of the RAS (0035-8711), Monthly Notices of the RAS (0035-8711), 483(3), 3579-3591
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ab198e57752deadab794f4ccaeb5c83e