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Planet Detection; Eclipse Timing Variation

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

Definition

Planet detection from eclipse timing variations is a method for determining the existence and properties of a planet in an eclipsing binary star system from the gravitational perturbations the planet induces in the orbit of the binary.

Overview

The mutual orbit of an isolated, unperturbed binary star system is purely Keplerian. That is, the two stars of the binary revolve around their center of mass in Keplerian orbits. In such systems, the orbital evolution of the system can be predicted precisely. If the two stars eclipse each other (in which case the system is known as an eclipsing binary), the eclipses will happen at the same time and will have the same durations. However, if the orbit of the binary is perturbed, changes will appear in the period of the binary eclipses. This is known as Eclipse Timing Variation or ETV.

Eclipse timing variations may be induced by several processes (Conroy et al. 2014):

  1. 1.

    Light travel time effect (LITE): a third body perturbing the center...

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References and Further Reading

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  • Conroy KE, Prsa A, Stassun KG, Orosz JA, Fabrycky DA, Welsh WF (2014) Kepler eclipsing binary stars. IV. Precise eclipse times for close binaries and identification of candidate three-body systems. Astron J 147:45

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Nader Haghighipour

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  1. Nader Haghighipour
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Correspondence to Nader Haghighipour .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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Haghighipour, N. (2014). Planet Detection; Eclipse Timing Variation. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5291-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5291-8

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Planet Detection: Eclipse Timing Variation
    Published:
    29 July 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5291-9

  2. Original

    Planet Detection; Eclipse Timing Variation
    Published:
    28 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5291-8

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