MINERVA-Australis. I. Design, commissioning, and first photometric results

Brett Addison; Duncan J. Wright; Robert A. Wittenmyer; Jonathan Horner; Matthew W. Mengel; Daniel Johns; Connor Marti; Belinda Nicholson; Jack Soutter; Brendan Bowler; Ian Crossfield; Stephen R. Kane; John Kielkopf; Peter Plavchan; C. G. Tinney; Hui Zhang; Jake T. Clark; Mathieu Clerte; Jason D. Eastman; Jon Swift; Michael Bottom; Philip Muirhead; Nate McCrady; Erich Herzig; Kristina Hogstrom; Maurice Wilson; David Sliski; Samson A. Johnson; Jason T. Wright; John Asher Johnson; Cullen Blake; Reed Riddle; Brian Lin; Matthew Cornachione; Timothy R. Bedding; Dennis Stello; Daniel Huber; Stephen Marsden; Bradley D. Carter

doi:10.1088/1538-3873/ab03aa

MINERVA-Australis. I. Design, commissioning, and first photometric results

Brett Addison, Duncan J. Wright, Robert A. Wittenmyer, Jonathan Horner, Matthew W. Mengel, Daniel Johns, Connor Marti, Belinda Nicholson, Jack Soutter, Brendan Bowler, Ian Crossfield, Stephen R. Kane, John Kielkopf, Peter Plavchan, C. G. Tinney, Hui Zhang, Jake T. Clark, Mathieu Clerte, Jason D. Eastman, Jon SwiftMichael Bottom, Philip Muirhead, Nate McCrady, Erich Herzig, Kristina Hogstrom, Maurice Wilson, David Sliski, Samson A. Johnson, Jason T. Wright, John Asher Johnson, Cullen Blake, Reed Riddle, Brian Lin, Matthew Cornachione, Timothy R. Bedding, Dennis Stello, Daniel Huber, Stephen Marsden, Bradley D. Carter

Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

57 Scopus citations

Abstract

The MINERVA-Australis telescope array is a facility dedicated to the follow-up, confirmation, characterization, and mass measurement of planets orbiting bright stars discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) —a category in which it is almost unique in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located at the University of Southern Queensland’s Mount Kent Observatory near Toowoomba, Australia. Its flexible design enables multiple 0.7 m robotic telescopes to be used both in combination, and independently, for high-resolution spectroscopy and precision photometry of TESS transit planet candidates. MINERVA-Australis also enables complementary studies of exoplanet spin–orbit alignments via Doppler observations of the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, radial velocity searches for nontransiting planets, planet searches using transit timing variations, and ephemeris refinement for TESS planets. In this first paper, we describe the design, photometric instrumentation, software, and science goals of MINERVA-Australis, and note key differences from its Northern Hemisphere counterpart, the MINERVA array. We use recent transit observations of four planets, WASP-2b, WASP-44b, WASP-45b, and HD 189733b, to demonstrate the photometric capabilities of MINERVA-Australis.

Original language	English
Article number	115003
Pages (from-to)	1-15
Number of pages	15
Journal	Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Volume	131
Issue number	1005
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/1538-3873/ab03aa
State	Published - Nov 2019

Keywords

(stars:) planetary systems
Instrumentation: photometers
Instrumentation: spectrographs
Planets and satellites: detection
Techniques: photometric
Techniques: radial velocities
Techniques: spectroscopic

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10.1088/1538-3873/ab03aa

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Addison, B., Wright, D. J., Wittenmyer, R. A., Horner, J., Mengel, M. W., Johns, D., Marti, C., Nicholson, B., Soutter, J., Bowler, B., Crossfield, I., Kane, S. R., Kielkopf, J., Plavchan, P., Tinney, C. G., Zhang, H., Clark, J. T., Clerte, M., Eastman, J. D., ... Carter, B. D. (2019). MINERVA-Australis. I. Design, commissioning, and first photometric results. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 131(1005), 1-15. Article 115003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1538-3873/ab03aa

@article{320a2aa3330c40d898329b7817d669c4,

title = "MINERVA-Australis. I. Design, commissioning, and first photometric results",

abstract = "The MINERVA-Australis telescope array is a facility dedicated to the follow-up, confirmation, characterization, and mass measurement of planets orbiting bright stars discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) —a category in which it is almost unique in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located at the University of Southern Queensland{\textquoteright}s Mount Kent Observatory near Toowoomba, Australia. Its flexible design enables multiple 0.7 m robotic telescopes to be used both in combination, and independently, for high-resolution spectroscopy and precision photometry of TESS transit planet candidates. MINERVA-Australis also enables complementary studies of exoplanet spin–orbit alignments via Doppler observations of the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, radial velocity searches for nontransiting planets, planet searches using transit timing variations, and ephemeris refinement for TESS planets. In this first paper, we describe the design, photometric instrumentation, software, and science goals of MINERVA-Australis, and note key differences from its Northern Hemisphere counterpart, the MINERVA array. We use recent transit observations of four planets, WASP-2b, WASP-44b, WASP-45b, and HD 189733b, to demonstrate the photometric capabilities of MINERVA-Australis.",

keywords = "(stars:) planetary systems, Instrumentation: photometers, Instrumentation: spectrographs, Planets and satellites: detection, Techniques: photometric, Techniques: radial velocities, Techniques: spectroscopic",

author = "Brett Addison and Wright, {Duncan J.} and Wittenmyer, {Robert A.} and Jonathan Horner and Mengel, {Matthew W.} and Daniel Johns and Connor Marti and Belinda Nicholson and Jack Soutter and Brendan Bowler and Ian Crossfield and Kane, {Stephen R.} and John Kielkopf and Peter Plavchan and Tinney, {C. G.} and Hui Zhang and Clark, {Jake T.} and Mathieu Clerte and Eastman, {Jason D.} and Jon Swift and Michael Bottom and Philip Muirhead and Nate McCrady and Erich Herzig and Kristina Hogstrom and Maurice Wilson and David Sliski and Johnson, {Samson A.} and Wright, {Jason T.} and Johnson, {John Asher} and Cullen Blake and Reed Riddle and Brian Lin and Matthew Cornachione and Bedding, {Timothy R.} and Dennis Stello and Daniel Huber and Stephen Marsden and Carter, {Bradley D.}",

year = "2019",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1088/1538-3873/ab03aa",

language = "English",

volume = "131",

pages = "1--15",

journal = "Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific",

issn = "0004-6280",

publisher = "Institute of Physics Publishing",

number = "1005",

}

Addison, B, Wright, DJ, Wittenmyer, RA, Horner, J, Mengel, MW, Johns, D, Marti, C, Nicholson, B, Soutter, J, Bowler, B, Crossfield, I, Kane, SR, Kielkopf, J, Plavchan, P, Tinney, CG, Zhang, H, Clark, JT, Clerte, M, Eastman, JD, Swift, J, Bottom, M, Muirhead, P, McCrady, N, Herzig, E, Hogstrom, K, Wilson, M, Sliski, D, Johnson, SA, Wright, JT, Johnson, JA, Blake, C, Riddle, R, Lin, B, Cornachione, M, Bedding, TR, Stello, D, Huber, D, Marsden, S & Carter, BD 2019, 'MINERVA-Australis. I. Design, commissioning, and first photometric results', Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, vol. 131, no. 1005, 115003, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1088/1538-3873/ab03aa

TY - JOUR

T1 - MINERVA-Australis. I. Design, commissioning, and first photometric results

AU - Addison, Brett

AU - Wright, Duncan J.

AU - Wittenmyer, Robert A.

AU - Horner, Jonathan

AU - Mengel, Matthew W.

AU - Johns, Daniel

AU - Marti, Connor

AU - Nicholson, Belinda

AU - Soutter, Jack

AU - Bowler, Brendan

AU - Crossfield, Ian

AU - Kane, Stephen R.

AU - Kielkopf, John

AU - Plavchan, Peter

AU - Tinney, C. G.

AU - Zhang, Hui

AU - Clark, Jake T.

AU - Clerte, Mathieu

AU - Eastman, Jason D.

AU - Swift, Jon

AU - Bottom, Michael

AU - Muirhead, Philip

AU - McCrady, Nate

AU - Herzig, Erich

AU - Hogstrom, Kristina

AU - Wilson, Maurice

AU - Sliski, David

AU - Johnson, Samson A.

AU - Wright, Jason T.

AU - Johnson, John Asher

AU - Blake, Cullen

AU - Riddle, Reed

AU - Lin, Brian

AU - Cornachione, Matthew

AU - Bedding, Timothy R.

AU - Stello, Dennis

AU - Huber, Daniel

AU - Marsden, Stephen

AU - Carter, Bradley D.

PY - 2019/11

Y1 - 2019/11

N2 - The MINERVA-Australis telescope array is a facility dedicated to the follow-up, confirmation, characterization, and mass measurement of planets orbiting bright stars discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) —a category in which it is almost unique in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located at the University of Southern Queensland’s Mount Kent Observatory near Toowoomba, Australia. Its flexible design enables multiple 0.7 m robotic telescopes to be used both in combination, and independently, for high-resolution spectroscopy and precision photometry of TESS transit planet candidates. MINERVA-Australis also enables complementary studies of exoplanet spin–orbit alignments via Doppler observations of the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, radial velocity searches for nontransiting planets, planet searches using transit timing variations, and ephemeris refinement for TESS planets. In this first paper, we describe the design, photometric instrumentation, software, and science goals of MINERVA-Australis, and note key differences from its Northern Hemisphere counterpart, the MINERVA array. We use recent transit observations of four planets, WASP-2b, WASP-44b, WASP-45b, and HD 189733b, to demonstrate the photometric capabilities of MINERVA-Australis.

AB - The MINERVA-Australis telescope array is a facility dedicated to the follow-up, confirmation, characterization, and mass measurement of planets orbiting bright stars discovered by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) —a category in which it is almost unique in the Southern Hemisphere. It is located at the University of Southern Queensland’s Mount Kent Observatory near Toowoomba, Australia. Its flexible design enables multiple 0.7 m robotic telescopes to be used both in combination, and independently, for high-resolution spectroscopy and precision photometry of TESS transit planet candidates. MINERVA-Australis also enables complementary studies of exoplanet spin–orbit alignments via Doppler observations of the Rossiter–McLaughlin effect, radial velocity searches for nontransiting planets, planet searches using transit timing variations, and ephemeris refinement for TESS planets. In this first paper, we describe the design, photometric instrumentation, software, and science goals of MINERVA-Australis, and note key differences from its Northern Hemisphere counterpart, the MINERVA array. We use recent transit observations of four planets, WASP-2b, WASP-44b, WASP-45b, and HD 189733b, to demonstrate the photometric capabilities of MINERVA-Australis.

KW - (stars:) planetary systems

KW - Instrumentation: photometers

KW - Instrumentation: spectrographs

KW - Planets and satellites: detection

KW - Techniques: photometric

KW - Techniques: radial velocities

KW - Techniques: spectroscopic

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087801275&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/1538-3873/ab03aa

DO - 10.1088/1538-3873/ab03aa

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85087801275

SN - 0004-6280

VL - 131

SP - 1

EP - 15

JO - Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

JF - Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

IS - 1005

M1 - 115003

ER -

MINERVA-Australis. I. Design, commissioning, and first photometric results

Abstract

Keywords

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