Kepler's Unparalleled Exploration of the Time Dimension

2013/09/04 by William Welsh, Steven Bloemen, Welsh, William +33
Physics and Astronomy · #Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Physical sciences #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR) #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.SR

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1309.1176

Kepler White Paper; 10 pages, 5 figures

arxiv created 2013/09/04 · arxiv updated 2013/09/06

Abstract

We show that the Kepler spacecraft in two-reaction wheel mode of operation is very well suited for the study of eclipsing binary star systems. Continued observations of the Kepler field will provide the most enduring and long-term valuable science. It will enable the discovery and characterization of eclipsing binaries with periods greater than 1 year - these are the most important, yet least understood binaries for habitable-zone planet background considerations. The continued mission will also enable the investigation of hierarchical multiple systems (discovered through eclipse timing variations), and provide drastically improved orbital parameters for circumbinary planetary systems.

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