Characterizing Exoplanets with Transit Timing

undreds of exoplanets have now been discovered via Doppler shifts and transits of their host stars.  The Doppler shift is sensitive to planet mass and eccentricity, while the transit to planet size.  However, we would like to measure size, mass and eccentricities to get at the bulk density, escape velocity, insolation, dynamical interactions of these planets; all properties which may encode their formation and evolution. I will describe the novel technique of transit timing variations which for the best cases in the Kepler data yields both the masses and radii of planets, and also constrains their eccentricities.  I will discuss some of the challenges faced by this technique, as well as recent progress in solving these.  I will conclude with the future prospects for applying transit timing to potentially habitable exoplanets, and its place in the larger context of exoplanet exploration.

Speaker: Eric Agol (U of Washington)