A Search for Exotrojans in Transiting Exoplanetary systems

TL;DR

This study searches for Trojan companions in 25 transiting exoplanet systems using transit timing analysis, finding no companions but setting upper mass limits down to a few Earth masses.

Contribution

It applies a novel timing technique to constrain the presence of Trojan bodies in exoplanet systems, improving mass detection limits.

Findings

No Trojan companions detected in the sample.

Median 2σ upper mass limit is 60 Earth masses.

Most constraining limit is 2.5 Earth masses for GJ 436.

Abstract

We present a search for Trojan companions to 25 transiting exoplanets. We use the technique of Ford & Gaudi 2006, in which a difference is sought between the observed transit time and the transit time that is calculated by fitting a two-body Keplerian orbit to the radial-velocity data. This technique is sensitive to the imbalance of mass at the L4/L5 points of the planet-star orbit. No companions were detected. The median 2$\sigma$ upper limit is 60 Earth masses, and the most constraining limit is 2.5 Earth masses for the case of GJ 436.