Searching for transiting circumbinary planets in the CoRoT eclipsing binary light curves

Klagyivik Péter
IAC & MTA CSFK CSI


We already know from Kepler that transiting circumbinary planets exist. Most of these planets might be detectable even in the CoRoT light curves as well. Since CoRoT observed approximately the same number of targets as Kepler, and the number of surveyed eclipsing binaries are also similar, transiting circumbinary planets might be detected. We developed a code which removes the light curve of the eclipsing binaries and searches for quasi-periodic transit-like features in the residual light curve. The code can be used for other space missions as well like Kepler, K2, TESS and PLATO. We also calculated the upper limits for the number of Jupiter and Neptune sized planets in co-planar orbits for different orbital periods.



Parallel orbital planes in the young open cluster NGC 2264?



During the photometric analysis of the 3Myr old open cluster NGC 2264, we found that there are 25x more eclipsing binaries in the direction of the cluster than expected. Based on a simple binary model, it is possible if the orbital planes inside the cluster are almost parallel and we see the systems edge-on. Contrary to this cluster, in the Pleiades there are only 4 recently published eclipsing binaries which are likely cluster members. If this is a common feature of the clusters than it has an important impact on stellar and cluster formation as well as on transiting planet search in clusters.