News from the NASA K2 Mission

A talk by Geert Barentsen (K2 Guest Observer Office) for the Bay Area Exoplanet meeting held at NASA Ames on 29 Sep 2016.

1. News from the K2 Mission A talk by Geert Barentsen (K2 GO) for the Bay Area Exoplanet meeting at NASA Ames on 29 Sep 2016
5. 5 K2’s yield* as of Sep 2016: * as recorded in the NASA Exoplanet Archive 172 confirmed planets 458 candidate planets 198,000 aperture masks 1.5 TB of target pixel files
10. K2’s timeline 2014: Campaigns 0-3 2015: Campaigns 4-7 2016: Campaigns 8-12 2017: Campaigns 13-16 Campaigns 17+ are at risk of fuel running out,
 their status is to be confirmed over the next year.
11. Campaign 9 (Apr-Jun 2016) - Towards Galactic Bulge. - Focused on a 3.7 deg2 microlensing aperture. - Other notable targets included: - Lagoon Nebula - >20 O-type stars - Quaoar - Calibrated data to hit the archive next week. - Microlensing science team is preparing detrended difference imaging maps for public release.
13. Campaign 10 (Jul-Sep 2016) - Virgo; high galactic latitude (+60°). - 28,000 targets, including 3C-273. - Module 4 retired mid-way.
14. Campaign 11 (Sep-Dec 2016) - Ophiuchus; low galactic latitude (+5°). - 14,000 targets, including M9, M19, NGC 6293, NGC 6355, Terzan 5 (globular clusters);
 also Titan, Enceladus, Trojan asteroids. Campaign 12 (Dec-Mar 2017) - Aquarius / Pisces; high galactic latitude (-60°). - Targets include TRAPPIST-1 and comet Chiron. Campaign 13 (Mar-May 2017) - Taurus; low galactic latitude (-15°). - Targets include the Hyades and members of the Taurus star-forming region.
15. K2 GO Cycle 5 - Proposals for Campaigns 14-15-16 are currently being solicited. - Small programs (<1,000 targets) eligible for funding up to $50,000. - Large programs (>=1,000 targets) eligible for up to $150,000;
 must provide a value-added community product. Deadlines: Nov 3 (Step 1) & Dec 15 (Step 2)
16. 19,208 Galaxies; 6,993 Quasars; 1,904 M-type stars; 868 High Proper-Motion stars; 820 Active Galactic Nuclei; 533 Planetary Nebulae; 515 White Dwarfs; 511 RR Lyr Variables; 296 Symbiotic Stars; 131 Brown Dwarfs; 75 Blue Stragglers; 64 Cepheids 28 T Tauri Stars; 22 Cataclysmic Variables; 16 Mira Variables; 3 O-type stars. SIMBAD’s View of Campaigns 14-15-16
17. Campaign 14 (May-Aug 2017) - Leo / Sextans; moderate galactic latitude (+50°). - Notable targets: - Wolf 359
 (nearby late-M dwarf at 2.4pc) - WASP 104
 (bright G dwarf w/ transiting hot Jupiter) - Leo I Group
 (M95, M96, M105)
18. Campaign 15 (Aug-Nov 2017) - Libra; moderate galactic latitude (+30°). - Small overlap with Campaign 2. - Notable targets: - Upper Sco - HIP 78530
 (B star w/ directly imaged low-mass companion) - HD 134439 / HD 134440
 (metal-poor proper motion pair) - Asteroid Ryugu
 (to be visited by the Hayabusa 2 sample-return mission in 2018)
19. Campaign 16 (Dec-Feb 2018) - Cancer; moderate galactic latitude (+35°). - 30% overlap with Campaign 5. - Notable targets: - M44 = Praesepe = Beehive
 (600 Myr-old open cluster) - M67
 (4 Gyr-old open cluster) - Arkushanangarushashutu
20. Earth Kepler Spitzer View from above on 15 May 2016 0.8 AU Sun Campaign 16 is forward-facing!
21. K2 Supernova Cosmology Experiment
23. The K2 Supernova Cosmology Experiment aims to monitor >10,000 low-z galaxies to capture >20 Type Ia Supernovae. Science goals include: -probing the circumstellar environments of the progenitors; -getting a detailed view of lightcurve variations; -improving the use of supernovae as standard candles. 
 Also: -improving constraints on supernova frequencies; -searching for optical counterparts of fast radio bursts. A workshop will be held at Ames in Feb or Mar (TBC) to organize the simultaneous ground-based observing efforts.
24. NEW: PRF Data Release - During commissioning, Kepler collected data in a 121-point dither pattern to sample its Pixel Response Function (PRF). - The PRF model was published by Bryson et al. (2010). - The underlying 15-minute cadence pixel data is now being processed for its first public release.
25. NEW: K2 Campaigns 0-1-2 re-processing - The first three K2 Campaigns were originally processed using a preliminary version of the pipeline. - These are now being re-processed: - adds lightcurves (long cadence); - adds collateral data products; - improves calibration in short cadence.
26. NEW: Kepler/K2 Visiting Scientist Program -The GO office is setting up a “Visiting Scientist” program to enable users to spend several weeks or months embedded in the Kepler/K2 office. -Ideally suited for users wishing to understand Kepler data in depth.
27. NEW: Kepler and K2 have new Project Scientists! Jessie Dotson (K2) Natalie Batalha (Kepler)
28. Check keplerscience.arc.nasa.gov for updates
29. Nov 3 Step-1 Deadline for K2 GO Cycle 5 https://keplerscience.arc.nasa.gov