Open AccessUsing long‐term transit timing to detect terrestrial planets
Author(s) -
Heyl Jeremy S.,
Gladman Brett J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11697.x
Subject(s) - physics , planet , transit (satellite) , exoplanet , astronomy , planetary system , term (time) , terrestrial planet , orbit (dynamics) , astrobiology , stars , astrophysics , aerospace engineering , public transport , engineering , political science , law
We propose that the presence of additional planets in extrasolar planetary systems can be detected by long‐term transit timing studies. If a transiting planet is on an eccentric orbit then the presence of another planet causes a secular advance of the transiting planet's pericentre over and above the effect of general relativity. Although this secular effect is impractical to detect over a small number of orbits, it causes long‐term differences when future transits occur, much like the long‐term decay observed in pulsars. Measuring this transit‐timing delay would thus allow the detection of either one or more additional planets in the system or the first measurements of non‐zero oblateness ( J 2 ) of the central stars.