Brown Dwarf Companions and Background Subtraction in The Next Generation Transit Survey

Brown dwarfs are the bridge between low mass stars and giant exoplanets. Studying them provides a vast amount of information, some of which is transferable to giant exoplanets. However, their low temperatures mean they are difficult to observe with many telescopes. Chapter 1 reviews the current understanding about brown dwarfs, their characteristics and their variability. It also reviews the current understanding of the so-called ‘brown dwarf desert’ which arises due to a lack of brown dwarf companions to main sequence stars, orbiting within 3 AU. I introduce the Next Generation Transit Survey and its capabilities for studying these intriguing objects. In Chapter 2, I discuss the methods I used to discover and characterise NGTS-28Ab and TOI-2490b, two new transiting brown dwarfs within the brown dwarf desert. NGTS-28Ab and TOI-2490b, their host stars and their position in the brown dwarf desert, are discussed in Chapters 3 and 4 respectively. Chapter 5 discusses the current pipeline for NGTS and particularly, the current background subtraction and how it may be improved. Nebuliser is introduced, along with its capabilities and previous uses. Chapter 6 details the analysis I performed to test whether including Nebuliser as an extra step in the background subtraction improves the precision of the fainter objects within each field. Finally, Chapter 7 summarises this thesis and discusses any future work/observations which could be performed/taken.</p

NGTS clusters survey – IV. Search for Dipper stars in the Orion Nebular Cluster

The dipper is a novel class of young stellar object associated with large drops in flux on the order of 10–50 per cent lasting for hours to days. Too significant to arise from intrinsic stellar variability, these flux drops are currently attributed to disc warps, accretion streams, and/or transiting circumstellar dust. Dippers have been previously studied in young star-forming regions, including the Orion Complex. Using Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) data, we identified variable stars from their light curves. We then applied a machine learning random forest classifier for the identification of new dipper stars in Orion using previous variable classifications as a training set. We discover 120 new dippers, of which 83 are known members of the Complex. We also investigated the occurrence rate of discs in our targets, again using a machine learning approach. We find that all dippers have discs, and most of these are full discs. We use dipper periodicity and model-derived stellar masses to identify the orbital distance to the inner disc edge for dipper objects, confirming that dipper stars exhibit strongly extended sublimation radii, adding weight to arguments that the inner disc edge is further out than predicted by simple models. Finally, we determine a dipper fraction (the fraction of stars with discs which are dippers) for known members of 27.8 ± 2.9 per cent. Our findings represent the largest population of dippers identified in a single cluster to date.</p

Stellar flares detected with the Next Generation Transit Survey

We present the results of a search for stellar flares in the first data release from the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). We have found 610 flares from 339 stars, with spectral types between F8 and M6, the majority of which belong to the Galactic thin disc. We have used the 13-s cadence NGTS light curves to measure flare properties such as the flare amplitude, duration, and bolometric energy. We have measured the average flare occurrence rates of K and early to mid-M stars and present a generalized method to measure these rates while accounting for changing detection sensitivities. We find that field age K and early M stars show similar flare behaviour, while fully convective M stars exhibit increased white-light flaring activity, which we attribute to their increased spin-down time. We have also studied the average flare rates of pre-main-sequence K and M stars, showing they exhibit increased flare activity relative to their main-sequence counterparts

NGTS clusters survey - III. A low-mass eclipsing binary in the Blanco 1 open cluster spanning the fully convective boundary

We present the discovery and characterization of an eclipsing binary identified by the Next Generation Transit Survey in the ∼115-Myr-old Blanco 1 open cluster. NGTS J0002-29 comprises three M dwarfs: a short-period binary and a companion in a wider orbit. This system is the first well-characterized, low-mass eclipsing binary in Blanco 1. With a low mass ratio, a tertiary companion, and binary components that straddle the fully convective boundary, it is an important benchmark system, and one of only two well-characterized, low-mass eclipsing binaries at this age. We simultaneously model light curves from NGTS, TESS, SPECULOOS, and SAAO, radial velocities from VLT/UVES and Keck/HIRES, and the system’s spectral energy distribution. We find that the binary components travel on circular orbits around their common centre of mass in Porb = 1.098 005 24 ± 0.000 000 38 d, and have masses Mpri = 0.3978 ± 0.0033 M☉ and Msec = 0.2245 ± 0.0018 M☉, radii Rpri = 0.4037 ± 0.0048 R☉ and Rsec = 0.2759 ± 0.0055 R☉, and effective temperatures Tpri = 3372+44-37 K and Tsec = 3231+38-31 K. We compare these properties to the predictions of seven stellar evolution models, which typically imply an inflated primary. The system joins a list of 19 well-characterized, low-mass, sub-Gyr, stellar-mass eclipsing binaries, which constitute some of the strongest observational tests of stellar evolution theory at low masses and young ages

TIC-320687387 B: a long-period eclipsing M-dwarf close to the hydrogen burning limit

We are using precise radial velocities from CORALIE together with precision photometry from the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) to follow-up stars with single-transit events detected with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). As part of this survey, we identified a single transit on the star TIC-320687387, a bright (T = 11.6) G-dwarf observed by TESS in Sectors 13 and 27. From subsequent monitoring of TIC-320687387 with CORALIE, NGTS, and Lesedi we determined that the companion, TIC-320687387 B, is a very low-mass star with a mass of 96.2±1.92.0 MJ and radius of 1.14±0.020.02 RJ placing it close to the hydrogen burning limit (∼80 MJ). TIC-320687387 B is tidally decoupled and has an eccentric orbit, with a period of 29.77381 d and an eccentricity of 0.366 ± 0.003. Eclipsing systems such as TIC-320687387 AB allow us to test stellar evolution models for low-mass stars, which in turn are needed to calculate accurate masses and radii for exoplanets orbiting single low-mass stars. The sizeable orbital period of TIC-320687387 B makes it particularly valuable as its evolution can be assumed to be free from perturbations caused by tidal interactions with its G-type host star.</p

NGTS-21b: an inflated Super-Jupiter orbiting a metal-poor K dwarf

We report the discovery of NGTS-21b , a massive hot Jupiter orbiting a low-mass star as part of the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). The planet has a mass and radius of 2.36 ± 0.21 MJ and 1.33 ± 0.03 RJ, and an orbital period of 1.543 d. The host is a K3V (Teff = 4660 ± 41 K) metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −0.26 ± 0.07 dex) dwarf star with a mass and radius of 0.72 ± 0.04 M⊙ and 0.86 ± 0.04R⊙. Its age and rotation period of 10.02+3.29−7.30 Gyr and 17.88 ± 0.08 d, respectively, are in accordance with the observed moderately low-stellar activity level. When comparing NGTS-21b with currently known transiting hot Jupiters with similar equilibrium temperatures, it is found to have one of the largest measured radii despite its large mass. Inflation-free planetary structure models suggest the planet’s atmosphere is inflated by ∼21 per cent⁠, while inflationary models predict a radius consistent with observations, thus pointing to stellar irradiation as the probable origin of NGTS-21b’s radius inflation. Additionally, NGTS-21b’s bulk density (1.25 ± 0.15 g cm–3) is also amongst the largest within the population of metal-poor giant hosts ([Fe/H] < 0.0), helping to reveal a falling upper boundary in metallicity–planet density parameter space that is in concordance with core accretion formation models. The discovery of rare planetary systems such as NGTS-21 greatly contributes towards better constraints being placed on the formation and evolution mechanisms of massive planets orbiting low-mass stars.</p

Planet Hunters NGTS: New Planet Candidates from a Citizen Science Search of the Next Generation Transit Survey Public Data

We present the results from the first two years of the Planet Hunters Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS) citizen science project, which searches for transiting planet candidates in data from the NGTS by enlisting the help of members of the general public. Over 8000 registered volunteers reviewed 138,198 light curves from the NGTS Public Data Releases 1 and 2. We utilize a user weighting scheme to combine the classifications of multiple users to identify the most promising planet candidates not initially discovered by the NGTS team. We highlight the five most interesting planet candidates detected through this search, which are all candidate short-period giant planets. This includes the TIC-165227846 system that, if confirmed, would be the lowest-mass star to host a close-in giant planet. We assess the detection efficiency of the project by determining the number of confirmed planets from the NASA Exoplanet Archive and TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs) successfully recovered by this search and find that 74% of confirmed planets and 63% of TOIs detected by NGTS are recovered by the Planet Hunters NGTS project. The identification of new planet candidates shows that the citizen science approach can provide a complementary method to the detection of exoplanets with ground-based surveys such as NGTS.</p

NGTS-19b: a high-mass transiting brown dwarf in a 17-d eccentric orbit

We present the discovery of NGTS-19b, a high mass transiting brown dwarf discovered by the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). We investigate the system using follow up photometry from the South African Astronomical Observatory, as well as sector 11 TESS data, in combination with radial velocity measurements from the CORALIE spectrograph to precisely characterise the system. We find that NGTS-19b is a brown dwarf companion to a K-star, with a mass of $69.5 ^{+5.7}_{-5.4}$ M$_{Jup}$ and radius of $1.034 ^{+0.055}_{-0.053}$ R$_{Jup}$. The system has a reasonably long period of 17.84 days, and a high degree of eccentricity of $0.3767 ^{+0.0061}_{-0.0061}$. The mass and radius of the brown dwarf imply an age of $0.46 ^{+0.26}_{-0.15}$ Gyr, however this is inconsistent with the age determined from the host star SED, suggesting that the brown dwarf may be inflated. This is unusual given that its large mass and relatively low levels of irradiation would make it much harder to inflate. NGTS-19b adds to the small, but growing number of brown dwarfs transiting main sequence stars, and is a valuable addition as we begin to populate the so called brown dwarf desert

NGTS 15b, 16b, 17b and 18b: four hot Jupiters from the Next Generation Transit Survey

We report the discovery of four new hot Jupiters with the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). NGTS-15b, NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b are short-period ($P<5$d) planets orbiting G-type main sequence stars, with radii and masses between $1.10-1.30$ $R_J$ and $0.41-0.76$ $M_J$. By considering the host star luminosities and the planets' small orbital separations ($0.039-0.052$ AU), we find that all four hot Jupiters are highly irradiated and therefore occupy a region of parameter space in which planetary inflation mechanisms become effective. Comparison with statistical studies and a consideration of the planets' high incident fluxes reveals that NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b are indeed likely inflated, although some disparities arise upon analysis with current Bayesian inflationary models. However, the underlying relationships which govern radius inflation remain poorly understood. We postulate that the inclusion of additional hyperparameters to describe latent factors such as heavy element fraction, as well as the addition of an updated catalogue of hot Jupiters, would refine inflationary models, thus furthering our understanding of the physical processes which give rise to inflated planets

NGTS 15b, 16b, 17b and 18b: four hot Jupiters from the Next Generation Transit Survey

We report the discovery of four new hot Jupiters with the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). NGTS-15b, NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b are short-period ($P<5$d) planets orbiting G-type main sequence stars, with radii and masses between $1.10-1.30$ $R_J$ and $0.41-0.76$ $M_J$. By considering the host star luminosities and the planets' small orbital separations ($0.039-0.052$ AU), we find that all four hot Jupiters are highly irradiated and therefore occupy a region of parameter space in which planetary inflation mechanisms become effective. Comparison with statistical studies and a consideration of the planets' high incident fluxes reveals that NGTS-16b, NGTS-17b, and NGTS-18b are indeed likely inflated, although some disparities arise upon analysis with current Bayesian inflationary models. However, the underlying relationships which govern radius inflation remain poorly understood. We postulate that the inclusion of additional hyperparameters to describe latent factors such as heavy element fraction, as well as the addition of an updated catalogue of hot Jupiters, would refine inflationary models, thus furthering our understanding of the physical processes which give rise to inflated planets