RISE: a fast-readout imager for exoplanet transit timing

TL;DR

RISE is a specialized fast-readout camera designed for precise exoplanet transit timing, enabling detection of additional planets through minute transit variations.

Contribution

The paper introduces the design, construction, and commissioning of RISE, a novel fast-readout imager optimized for high-precision exoplanet transit timing.

Findings

Achieved high-precision light curves with 0.005-0.02 mag accuracy

Demonstrated the importance of autoguiding for consistent measurements

Validated the instrument's capability for detecting additional planetary bodies

Abstract

By the precise timing of the low amplitude (0.005 - 0.02 magnitude) transits of exoplanets around their parent star it should be possible to infer the presence of other planetary bodies in the system down to Earth-like masses. We describe the design and construction of RISE, a fast-readout frame transfer camera for the Liverpool Telescope designed to carry out this experiment. The results of our commissioning tests are described as well as the data reduction procedure necessary. We present light curves of two objects, showing that the desired timing and photometric accuracy can be obtained providing that autoguiding is used to keep the target on the same detector pixel for the entire (typically 4 hour) observing run.