Browsing by Author "Rektsini N"

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    Adaptive Optics Imaging Can Break the Central Caustic Cusp Approach Degeneracy in High-magnification Microlensing Events
    (IOP Publishing on behalf of the American Astronomical Society, 2022-11-01) Terry SK; Bennett DP; Bhattacharya A; Koshimoto N; Beaulieu J-P; Blackman JW; Bond IA; Cole AA; Lu JR; Marquette JB; Ranc C; Rektsini N; Vandorou A
    We report new results for the gravitational microlensing target OGLE-2011-BLG-0950 from adaptive optics images using the Keck Observatory. The original analysis by Choi et al. and reanalysis by Suzuki et al. report degenerate solutions between planetary and stellar binary lens systems. This particular case is the most important type of degeneracy for exoplanet demographics because the distinction between a planetary mass or stellar binary companion has direct consequences for microlensing exoplanet statistics. The 8 and 10 yr baselines allow us to directly measure a relative proper motion of 4.20 ± 0.21 mas yr−1, confirming the detection of the lens star system and ruling out the planetary companion models that predict a ∼4× smaller relative proper motion. The Keck data also rule out the wide stellar binary solution unless one of the components is a stellar remnant. The combination of the lens brightness and close stellar binary light-curve parameters yields primary and secondary star masses of M A = 1.12 − 0.09 + 0.11 and M B = 0.47 − 0.10 + 0.13 M ☉ at a distance of D L = 6.70 − 0.30 + 0.55 kpc and a projected separation of 0.39 − 0.04 + 0.05 au. Assuming that the predicted proper motions are measurably different, the high-resolution imaging method described here can be used to disentangle this degeneracy for events observed by the Roman exoplanet microlensing survey using Roman images taken near the beginning or end of the survey.
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    Keck and Hubble Observations Show that MOA-2008-BLG-379Lb is a Super-Jupiter Orbiting an M Dwarf
    (American Astronomical Society, New York; Currently published by IOP Publishing, 2024-07-01) Bennett DP; Bhattacharya A; Beaulieu J-P; Koshimoto N; Blackman JW; Bond IA; Ranc C; Rektsini N; Terry SK; Vandorou A; Lu JR; Marquette JB; Olmschenk G; Suzuki D
    We present high angular resolution imaging that detects the MOA-2008-BLG-379L exoplanet host star using Keck adaptive optics and the Hubble Space Telescope. These observations reveal host star and planet masses of M host = 0.434 ± 0.065 M ⊙ and m p = 2.44 ± 0.49 M Jupiter. They are located at a distance of D L = 3.44 ± 0.53 kpc, with a projected separation of 2.70 ± 0.42 au. These results contribute to our determination of exoplanet host star masses for the Suzuki et al. statistical sample, which will determine the dependence of the planet occurrence rate on the mass and distance of the host stars. We also present a detailed discussion of the image-constrained modeling version of the eesunhong light-curve modeling code that applies high angular resolution image constraints to the light-curve modeling process. This code increases modeling efficiency by a large factor by excluding models that are inconsistent with the high angular resolution images. The analysis of this and other events from the Suzuki et al. statistical sample reveals the importance of including higher-order effects, such as microlensing parallax and planetary orbital motion, even when these features are not required to fit the light-curve data. The inclusion of these effects may be needed to obtain accurate estimates of the uncertainty of other microlensing parameters that affect the inferred properties of exoplanet microlens systems. This will be important for the exoplanet microlensing survey of the Roman Space Telescope, which will use both light-curve photometry and high angular resolution imaging to characterize planetary microlens systems.