Kmt-2016-blg-1397b: Kmtnet-only discovery of a microlens giant planet

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a super-Jupiter planet via microlensing using only the KMTNet data, demonstrating the network's capability for autonomous planet detection.

Contribution

It presents a novel microlensing planet discovery solely from KMTNet data, including detailed analysis and Bayesian mass estimation of the planet and host star.

Findings

Discovery of a super-Jupiter with ~7 M_J at 5.1 AU

Effective ruling out of binary source solutions

Bayesian analysis constrains lens mass and distance

Abstract

We report the discovery of a giant planet in the KMT-2016-BLG-1397 microlensing event, which was found by The Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) alone. The time scale of this event is t_E = 40.0 +- 0.5 days and the mass ratio between the lens star and its companion is q = 0.016 +- 0.002. The planetary perturbation in the light curve is a smooth bump, resulting in the classical binary-lens/binary-source (2L1S/1L2S) degeneracy. We measure the V - I color of the (putative) two sources in the 1L2S model, and then effectively rule out the binary source solution. The finite-source effect is marginally detected. Combined with the limits on the blend flux and the probability distribution of the source size normalized by the Einstein radius rho, a Bayesian analysis yields the lens mass M_L = 0.45+0.33-0.28 M_sun, at distance of D_L = 6.60+1.10-1.30 kpc. Thus the companion is a super-Jupiter of a mass m_p = 7.0+5.2-4.3 M_J , at a projected separation r = 5.1+1.5-1.7 AU, indicating that the planet is well beyond the snow line of the host star.