# Design Considerations for a Ground-Based Search for Transiting Planets around L and T Dwarfs

## TL;DR

This paper discusses the design of a ground-based survey to detect transiting Earth-sized planets around L and T dwarf stars, including simulation results and optimal observational strategies.

## Contribution

It introduces a detailed simulation framework and recommends an efficient survey design using a 2-meter telescope with NIR capabilities for L and T dwarfs.

## Key findings

- Over 80% chance of detecting at least one planet in the survey
- On average, about 2 planets are detected per survey
- Survey success depends on true planet occurrence rates, which may be higher for L and T dwarfs

## Abstract

We present design considerations for a ground-based survey for transiting exoplanets around L and T dwarfs, spectral classes that have yet to be thoroughly probed for planets. We simulate photometry for L and T targets with a variety of red-optical and near-infrared detectors, and compare the scatter in the photometry to anticipated transit depths. Based on these results, we recommend the use of a low-dark-current detector with H-band NIR photometric capabilities. We then investigate the potential for performing a survey for Earth-sized planets for a variety of telescope sizes. We simulate planetary systems around a set of spectroscopically confirmed L and T dwarfs using measured M dwarf planet occurrence rates from $\textit{Kepler}$, and simulate their observation in surveys ranging in duration from 120 to 600 nights, randomly discarding 30% of nights to simulate weather losses. We find that an efficient survey design uses a 2-meter-class telescope with a NIR instrument and 360-480 observing nights, observing multiple L and T targets each night with a dithering strategy. Surveys conducted in such a manner have over an 80% chance of detecting at least one planet, and detect around 2 planets, on average. The number of expected detections depends on the true planet occurrence rate, however, which may in fact be higher for L and T dwarfs than for M dwarfs.