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.

Transcript

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
   

   View Slide

2. View Slide

3. View Slide

4. View Slide

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
   

   View Slide

6. View Slide

7. View Slide

8. View Slide

9. View Slide

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.
    

    View Slide

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.
    

    View Slide

12. View Slide

13. Campaign 10 (Jul-Sep 2016)
    - Virgo; high galactic latitude (+60°).
    - 28,000 targets, including 3C-273.
    - Module 4 retired mid-way.
    

    View Slide

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.
    

    View Slide

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)
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

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)
    

    View Slide

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)
    

    View Slide

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
    

    View Slide

20. Earth
    Kepler
    Spitzer
    View from above on 15 May 2016
    0.8 AU
    Sun
    Campaign 16 is forward-facing!
    

    View Slide

21. K2 Supernova Cosmology Experiment
    

    View Slide

22. View Slide

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.
    

    View Slide

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.
    

    View Slide

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.
    

    View Slide

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.
    

    View Slide

27. NEW: Kepler and K2 have new Project Scientists!
    Jessie Dotson (K2)
    Natalie Batalha (Kepler)
    

    View Slide

28. Check keplerscience.arc.nasa.gov for updates
    

    View Slide

29. Nov 3
    Step-1 Deadline for K2 GO Cycle 5
    https://keplerscience.arc.nasa.gov
    

    View Slide