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Main Authors: Barragán, Oscar, Aigrain, Suzanne, McCormac, James
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.06132
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author Barragán, Oscar
Aigrain, Suzanne
McCormac, James
author_facet Barragán, Oscar
Aigrain, Suzanne
McCormac, James
contents Space-based photometry missions produce exquisite light curves that contain a wealth of stellar variability on a wide range of timescales. Light curves also typically contain significant instrumental systematics -- spurious, non-astrophysical trends that are common, in varying degrees, to many light curves. Empirical systematics-correction approaches using the information in the light curves themselves have been very successful, but tend to suppress astrophysical signals, particularly on longer timescales. Unlike its predecessors, the PLATO mission will use multiple cameras to monitor the same stars. We present REPUBLIC, a novel systematics-correction algorithm which exploits this multi-camera configuration to correct systematics that differ between cameras, while preserving the component of each star's signal that is common to all cameras, regardless of timescale. Through simulations with astrophysical signals (star spots and planetary transits), Kepler-like errors, and white noise, we demonstrate REPUBLIC's ability to preserve long-term astrophysical signals usually lost in standard correction techniques. We also explore REPUBLIC's performance with different number of cameras and systematic properties. We conclude that REPUBLIC should be considered a potential complement to existing strategies for systematic correction in multi-camera surveys, with its utility contingent upon further validation and adaptation to the specific characteristics of the PLATO mission data
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2404_06132
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle REPUBLIC: A variability-preserving systematic-correction algorithm for PLATO's multi-camera light curves
Barragán, Oscar
Aigrain, Suzanne
McCormac, James
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Space-based photometry missions produce exquisite light curves that contain a wealth of stellar variability on a wide range of timescales. Light curves also typically contain significant instrumental systematics -- spurious, non-astrophysical trends that are common, in varying degrees, to many light curves. Empirical systematics-correction approaches using the information in the light curves themselves have been very successful, but tend to suppress astrophysical signals, particularly on longer timescales. Unlike its predecessors, the PLATO mission will use multiple cameras to monitor the same stars. We present REPUBLIC, a novel systematics-correction algorithm which exploits this multi-camera configuration to correct systematics that differ between cameras, while preserving the component of each star's signal that is common to all cameras, regardless of timescale. Through simulations with astrophysical signals (star spots and planetary transits), Kepler-like errors, and white noise, we demonstrate REPUBLIC's ability to preserve long-term astrophysical signals usually lost in standard correction techniques. We also explore REPUBLIC's performance with different number of cameras and systematic properties. We conclude that REPUBLIC should be considered a potential complement to existing strategies for systematic correction in multi-camera surveys, with its utility contingent upon further validation and adaptation to the specific characteristics of the PLATO mission data
title REPUBLIC: A variability-preserving systematic-correction algorithm for PLATO's multi-camera light curves
topic Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.06132