Optimal parameter space for detecting stellar differential rotation and centre-to-limb convective variations

TL;DR

This study explores the optimal observational parameters for detecting stellar differential rotation and convective variations using the reloaded Rossiter-McLaughlin technique, highlighting key system configurations and instrumental sensitivities.

Contribution

It systematically maps the parameter space for detecting stellar differential rotation, identifying optimal conditions and instrumental setups, and assesses the impact of various observational factors.

Findings

DR is more detectable at low-impact parameters.

Detection hotspots depend on stellar inclination and obliquity.

Exposure time has minimal impact on DR detectability.

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to investigate the optimal parameters space for using the reloaded Rossiter-McLaughlin technique to detect differential rotation (DR) and centre-to-limb convective variations. We simulated a star-planet system with and without convective effects to map the optimal regions of the parameter space for retrieving the injected differential rotation. Our simulations explored all possible ranges of projected obliquity (spin-orbit angle), stellar inclination, and impact parameter, as well as differences in instrumental configuration, stellar magnitude, and exposure time. We find that DR is more easily retrieved at low-impact parameters, corresponding to system configurations in which the transiting planet crosses the largest number of stellar latitudes. The main hot-spots for detection (i.e. areas in which DR detectability is high) are $120^{\rm{o}}<|\lambda|<180^{\rm{o}}$ for $i_*<90^{\rm{o}}$ and $|\lambda|<60^{\rm{o}}$ for $i_*>90^{\rm{o}}$ on average, and they tend to shrink as the impact parameter increases. Additionally, in contrast to the crucial impact of brightness, we identify that exposure time has a negligible impact on the difficulty of detecting DR as the increase in signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) at longer exposure times is counteracted by the degraded sampling rate. We determine that an ESPRESSO-like setup of instrumental configuration and sensitivity might retrieve DR up to $V = 12$, compared to $V = 10$ for HARPS. We reach no clear conclusion about limb-dependent convective effects and the possible confusion with DR; preliminary results suggest, however, that under certain circumstances, while it seems that one effect could be mistaken for the other, the accuracy of the fit (in particular of $\alpha$) does not hold up under additional scrutiny.