Global Architecture of Planetary Systems (GAPS), a project for the whole Italian Community

TL;DR

The GAPS project, active since 2012, unites the Italian astronomical community to maximize HARPS-N's scientific output in exoplanet research through discovery, characterization, and dynamical studies.

Contribution

It is the first large-scale Italian collaboration leveraging HARPS-N for comprehensive exoplanet discovery and characterization, enhancing Italy's role in international exoplanet research.

Findings

Discovery of planetary system around XO-2 binary

Characterization of host stars via asteroseismology

Dynamical studies using Rossiter-McLaughlin effect

Abstract

The GAPS project is running since 2012 with the goal to optimize the science return of the HARPS-N instrument mounted at Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. A large number of astronomers is working together to allow the Italian community to gain an international position adequate to the HARPS-N capabilities in the exoplanetary researches. Relevant scientific results are being obtained on both the main guidelines of the collaboration, i.e., the discovery surveys and the characterization studies. The planetary system discovered around the southern component of the binary XO-2 and its characterization together with that of the system orbiting the northern component are a good example of the completeness of the topics matched by the GAPS project. The dynamics of some planetary systems are investigated by studying the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, while host stars are characterized by means of asteroseismology and star-planet interaction.