Search for free-floating planets by using gravitational microlensing

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24253004
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Sumi Takahiro 大阪大学, 理学研究科, 准教授 (30432214)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 系外惑星 / 重力マイクロレンズ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project continued the exoplanet search by MOA group via gravitational microlensing for 4 years aiming to increase free-floating planet candidates to study their abundance and mass function. During February-November in 2014-2017, we, Japanese members and NZ local observers, conducted the high cadence continuous survey observation in 50 square degree field towards the Galactic Bulge and succeeded to find about 2,500 microlensing events in real time. We are currently working on the statistical analysis of this dataset to estimate the number of short timescale microlensing events, which are free-floating planet candidates.

Free Research Field

光赤外線天文学