Polarization in exoplanetary systems caused by transits, grazing transits, and starspots

Abstract

We present results of numerical simulations of flux and linear polarization variations in transiting exoplanetary systems, caused by the host star disk symmetry breaking. We consider different configurations of planetary transits depending on orbital parameters. Starspot contribution to the polarized signal is also estimated. Applying the method to known systems and simulating observational conditions, a number of targets is selected where transit polarization effects could be detected. We investigate several principal benefits of the transit polarimetry, particularly, for determining orbital spatial orientation and distinguishing between grazing and near-grazing planets. Simulations show that polarization parameters are also sensitive to starspots, and they can be used to determine spot positions and sizes.

arXiv comment39 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, accepted to ApJ

References in corpus (22)

• Analytic Lightcurves for Planetary Transit Searches
• The NextGen Model Atmosphere grid for $3000\le \Teff \le 10000\K$
• EXOFAST: A fast exoplanetary fitting suite in IDL
• ELODIE metallicity-biased search for transiting Hot Jupiters II. A very hot Jupiter transiting the bright K star HD189733
• Exoplanetary Spin-Orbit Alignment: Results from the Ensemble of Rossiter-McLaughlin Observations
• Stellar activity of planetary host star HD 189733
• The Transit Light Curve Project. V. System Parameters and Stellar Rotation Period of HD 189733
• WASP-43b: The closest-orbiting hot Jupiter
• Kepler-63b: A Giant Planet in a Polar Orbit around a Young Sun-like Star
• WASP-80b: a gas giant transiting a cool dwarf
• The Rotation Period of the Planet-Hosting Star HD 189733
• Estimating stellar rotation from starspot detection during planetary transits
• Polarized reflected light from the exoplanet HD189733b: First multicolor observations and confirmation of detection
• First detection of polarized scattered light from an exoplanetary atmosphere
• The linear polarization of nearby bright stars measured at the parts per million level
• The Polarization Signature of Extrasolar Planets Transiting Cool Dwarfs
• Planetpol polarimetry of the exoplanet systems 55 Cnc and tau Boo
• Three-dimensional Radiative Transfer Modeling of the Polarization of the Sun's Continuous Spectrum
• Toward the Detection of Exoplanet Transits with Polarimetry
• Orbital parameters of extrasolar planets derived from polarimetry
• Center-to-limb polarization in continuum spectra of F, G, K stars
• Starspots and spin-orbit alignment for Kepler cool host stars

Cited by in corpus (19)

• A Ground-Based Albedo Upper Limit for HD 189733b from Polarimetry
• The polarisation of HD 189733
• Circular polarization signals of cloudy (exo)planets
• Spatially resolved spectroscopy across stellar surfaces. I. Using exoplanet transits to analyze 3-D stellar atmospheres
• Blue, white, and red ocean planets - Simulations of orbital variations in flux and polarization colors
• Detecting Exomoons Around Self-luminous Giant Exoplanets Through Polarization
• The polarization of the planet-hosting WASP-18 system
• A Multiple Scattering Polarized Radiative Transfer Model: Application to HD 189733b
• Detecting Magnetic Fields in Exoplanets with Spectropolarimetry of the Helium Line at 1083 nm
• The Rotationally Modulated Polarization of $\xi$ Boo A
• Colors of an Earth-like exoplanet -- Temporal flux and polarization signals of the Earth
• Polarization of hot Jupiter systems: a likely detection of stellar activity and a possible detection of planetary polarization
• Center-to-limb variation of intensity and polarization in continuum spectra of FGK stars for spherical atmospheres
• Traces of exomoons in computed flux and polarization phase curves of starlight reflected by exoplanets
• Computation of the transmitted and polarized scattered fluxes by the exoplanet HD 189733b in X-rays
• Polarimetry microlensing of close-in planetary systems
• Scattering linear polarization of late-type active stars
• Ocean signatures in the total flux and polarization spectra of Earth-like exoplanets
• Scientific Validation of the SPARC4 Pipeline: Multi-band Imaging, Polarimetry, and Photometric Time Series for Improved Characterization of Transiting Exoplanets