Transit Timing Variations - the contribution of amateur astronomers

G. Boué, M. Montalto, N. C. Santos

Abstract.
Because of planet-planet interactions, a transiting planet in a multiplanetary system does not cross the stellar disk with constant period. The small variations of mid-transit time with respect to an unperturbed case are called TTV (Transit Timing Variations). Interestingly, it is possible to reconstruct the trajectory of an unknown perturber from the TTV signal only. With this method, it is even possible to detect Earth-like planets, depending on the orbital configuration. But to do so, one needs lots of transit observations.

XXI Encontro Nacional de Astronomia e Astrofisica
Coimbra, Portugal
September 2011

Type: Oral comunication