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The Random Transiter - EPIC 249706694/HD 139139

  • S. Rappaport*
  • , A. Vanderburg
  • , M. H. Kristiansen
  • , M. R. Omohundro
  • , H. M. Schwengeler
  • , I. A. Terentev
  • , F. Dai
  • , K. Masuda
  • , T. L. Jacobs
  • , D. LaCourse
  • , D. W. Latham
  • , A. Bieryla
  • , C. L. Hedges
  • , J. Dittmann
  • , G. Barentsen
  • , W. Cochran
  • , M. Endl
  • , J. M. Jenkins
  • , A. Mann
  • *Corresponding author for this work
    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • University of Texas at Austin
    • University of Oxford
    • Princeton University
    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    • Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
    • NASA Ames Research Center

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

    239 Downloads (Orbit)

    Abstract

    We have identified a star, EPIC 249706694 (HD 139139), that was observed during K2 Campaign 15 with the Kepler extended mission that appears to exhibit 28 transit-like events over the course of the 87-d observation. The unusual aspect of these dips, all but two of which have depths of 200 +/- 80 ppm, is that they exhibit no periodicity, and their arrival times could just as well have been produced by a random number generator. We show that no more than four of the events can be part of a periodic sequence. We have done a number of data quality tests to ascertain that these dips are of astrophysical origin, and while we cannot be absolutely certain that this is so, they have all the hallmarks of astrophysical variability on one of two possible host stars (a likely bound pair) in the photometric aperture. We explore a number of ideas for the origin of these dips, including actual planet transits due to multiple or dust emitting planets, anomalously large TTVs, S-and P-type transits in binary systems, a collection of dust-emitting asteroids, 'dipper-star' activity, and short-lived starspots. All transit scenarios that we have been able to conjure up appear to fail, while the intrinsic stellar variability hypothesis would be novel and untested.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
    Volume488
    Issue number2
    Pages (from-to)2455-2465
    ISSN0035-8711
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2019

    Keywords

    • Stars: activity
    • Circumstellar matter
    • Stars: general
    • Planets and satellites: general.

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