[64.12] Moving Object and Transient Event Search System (MOTESS): An Evaluation of Photometric Properties/Low Amplitude Stellar Variation Measurements

AAS 200th meeting, Albuquerque, NM, June 2002
Session 64. New Developments in Ground Based Instrumentation
Display, Wednesday, June 5, 2002, 10:00am-7:00pm, SW Exhibit Hall

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[64.12] Moving Object and Transient Event Search System (MOTESS): An Evaluation of Photometric Properties/Low Amplitude Stellar Variation Measurements

E.R. Craine (WRC/GNAT), R.A. Tucker (G-PObs/GNAT), M.S. Giampapa (NSO), W.W.G. Scharlach (GNAT)

The Moving Object and Transient Event Search System (MOTESS) is being expanded from its original task as an automated, moving object search system (astrometric application) to add the transient event detection capability (photometric application). In anticipation of this activity, photometric reductions of MOTESS images have been systematically undertaken to characterize the system in terms of photometric precision during a night, light curve stability from night to night and long term time series photometry. We discuss the data pipeline, characteristics of the system images, and photometric precision as a function of brightness of the object observed. We also present example light curves of known variable objects as a demonstration of the capabilities of the system. In this context we summarize key science programs of the Global Network of Automatic Telescopes (GNAT) which are being undertaken with the MOTESS facility, including extrasolar planetary transit searches, supernovae monitoring and other stellar variability programs.

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