Detecting companions to extrasolar planets using mutual events
Abstract
Description
We investigate a new approach to the detection of companions to extrasolar planets beyond the transit method. We discuss the possibility of the existence of binary planets.
We develop a method based on the imaging of a planet-companion as an unresolved system (but resolved from its parent star). It makes use of planet-companion mutual phenomena, namely mutual transits and mutual shadows.
We show that companions can be detected and their radius measured down to lunar sizes.
6 pages, 7 figures
6 pages, 7 figures