Eclipse timing variations to detect possible Trojan planets in binary systems

TL;DR

This study explores the potential to detect Trojan planets in binary star systems using eclipse timing variations, employing numerical simulations to identify conditions favorable for detection with current and future telescopes.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analysis of ETVs caused by Trojan planets in binary systems, including stability and detection prospects through detailed dynamical simulations.

Findings

Many ETV amplitudes are detectable for Earth-like Trojans.

Stable Trojan orbits are mostly in tadpole configurations.

Identified candidate systems for Trojan planet detection.

Abstract

This paper is devoted to study the circumstances favourable to detect Trojan planets in close binary-star-systems by the help of eclipse timing variations (ETVs). To determine the probability of the detection of such variations with ground based telescopes and space telescopes (like former missions CoRoT and Kepler and future space missions like Plato, Tess and Cheops), we investigated the dynamics of binary star systems with a planet in tadpole motion. We did numerical simulations by using the full three-body problem as dynamical model. The stability and the ETVs are investigated by computing stability/ETV maps for different masses of the secondary star and the Trojan planet. In addition we changed the eccentricity of the possible Trojan planet. By the help of the libration amplitude $\sigma$ we could show whether or not all stable objects are moving in tadpole orbits. We can conclude that many amplitudes of ETVs are large enough to detect Earth-like Trojan planets in binary star systems. As an application, we prepared a list of possible candidates.