Seminar

Assessing the combination of Rubin and Roman observatories for enhanced characterization of microlensing events

September 7, 2023

Anibal Varela

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (WFIRST) is scheduled to begin its science operations in 2027. It will undertake two main surveys, one of which focuses on exoplanet exploration. By utilizing microlensing, a prominent technique for planet discovery, Roman is expected to make significant discoveries of planetary systems. The exoplanet survey conducted by Roman will specifically target the galactic bulge, covering an area of approximately 2.2 square degrees with high cadence, allowing for a dense coverage of the light curves. In parallel, the Vera Rubin Telescope will start its science operations in 2024, preceding the start of the Roman survey by three years. With its 9.9 square degree field of view and large collecting area, Rubin will image nearly the entire visible sky within a single day, providing light curves for variable objects across the sky. In particular, Rubin will cover the galactic bulge, overlapping with the Roman footprint. The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential enhancement in the discovery rate and the characterization of microlensing events when data from both the Roman and Rubin telescopes are combined. To achieve this, the team conducts simulations of microlensing events generated by planetary systems as observed by both telescopes. Through the fitting of the realistic simulated light curves we are quantifying the improvements in terms of the ability to characterize and detect these planetary systems. This assessment aims to provide valuable insights into the synergy and complementarity of data obtained from Roman and Rubin and may impact the observing strategies of both telescopes. The coordinated operation and analysis of the data from both telescopes will ultimately advance our understanding of exoplanetary systems.

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