An Examination of Possible Gravitational Perturbations in the Transit Timing Variations of Exoplanet WASP-3b

TL;DR

This paper investigates potential gravitational influences on the transit timing variations of exoplanet WASP-3b, providing additional measurements that support the possibility of a second perturbing planet.

Contribution

It presents new transit timing data that modestly support the existence of a sinusoidal variation caused by a hypothetical second planet.

Findings

Support for sinusoidal TTV signal

Additional transit timing measurements

Implication of a second exoplanet

Abstract

Maciejewski et al. (2010) claim to have detected a possible sinusoidal variation in the transit timing variations of exoplanet WASP-3b, which is currently the only known planet orbiting the star WASP-3. According to Maciejewski's analysis, this signal might be the consequence of gravitational perturbations caused by a hypothetical second exoplanet in the WASP-3 system. I report five transit timing measurements from the summer of 2010 which provide modest support for Maciejewski's proposed sinusoidal signal.