KMT-2015-1b: a Giant Planet Orbiting a Low-mass Dwarf Host Star Discovered by a New High-cadence Microlensing Survey with a Global Telescope Network

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a giant exoplanet, KMT-2015-1b, orbiting a low-mass M-dwarf star using a new high-cadence microlensing survey with a global telescope network, enhancing our understanding of planetary formation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel high-cadence, global microlensing survey method that enables precise detection and characterization of exoplanets around low-mass stars.

Findings

Detected a giant planet with twice Jupiter's mass.

Planet located beyond the snow line of its host star.

Survey demonstrates improved detection capabilities for diverse exoplanets.

Abstract

We report the discovery of an extrasolar planet, KMT-2015-1b, that was detected using the microlensing technique. The planetary lensing event was observed by KMTNet survey that has commenced in 2015. With dense coverage by using network of globally distributed telescopes equipped with very wide-field cameras, the short planetary signal is clearly detected and precisely characterized. We find that KMT-2015-1b is a giant planet orbiting a low-mass M-dwarf host star. The planet has a mass about twice that of Jupiter and it is located beyond the snow line of the host star. With the improvement of existing surveys and the advent of new surveys, future microlensing planet samples will include planets not only in greatly increased number but also in a wide spectrum of hosts and planets, helping us to have a better and comprehensive understanding about the formation and evolution of planets.