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[41.06] Photometric Detection of ``Hot--Jupiters'' with a FAME--like Space Astrometry Mission

R. A. Gaume (USNO), R. P. Olling (USRA/USNO)

Astrometric and photometric data from space missions with designs similar to the Full--sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer (FAME) can be used to determine the properties of 40 million stars in the greater solar neighborhood (d \le 3 kpc) brighter than V=15--16 mag. Such a FAME--like mission would scan the sky for about 5 years, and cover each point on the sky once per day, on average. The \approx 10⁶ stars at the bright end of the FAME magnitude range (V=11 mag and brighter) have photometric accuracy better than about 0.003 mag (3 mmag) per focal--plane transit. This sample is ideally suited to look for transiting ``hot--jupiters'' that have transit depths of about 15 mmag. We present preliminary investigations on the likelihood of detection and characterization of such planetary transits. We estimate that a FAME--like mission will discover roughly 400 transiting ``hot--jupiters'' around stars in the V=9-11 magnitude range. Such bright systems are well--suited for follow-up investigations.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.