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Planet Hunters IX. KIC 8462852 - Where's the Flux?

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Boyajian, T. S., LaCourse, D. M., Rappaport, S. A., Fabrycky, D., Fischer, D. A., Gandolfi, D., Kennedy, G. M., Korhonen, H. +41 more·2016·Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
DOI 10.1093/mnras/stw218
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Abstract

Over the duration of the Kepler mission, KIC 8462852 was observed to undergo irregularly shaped, aperiodic dips in flux of up to ∼20 per cent. The dipping activity can last for between 5 and 80 d. We characterize the object with high-resolution spectroscopy, spectral energy distribution fitting, radial velocity measurements, high-resolution imaging, and Fourier analyses of the Kepler light curve. We determine that KIC 8462852 is a typical main-sequence F3 V star that exhibits no significant IR excess, and has no very close interacting companions. In this paper, we describe various scenarios to explain the dipping events observed in the Kepler light curve. We confirm that the dipping signals in the data are not caused by any instrumental or data processing artefact, and thus are astrophysical in origin. We construct scenario-independent constraints on the size and location of a body in the system that are needed to reproduce the observations. We deliberate over several assorted stellar and circumstellar astrophysical scenarios, most of which have problems explaining the data in hand. By considering the observational constraints on dust clumps in orbit around a normal main-sequence star, we conclude that the scenario most consistent with the data in hand is the passage of a family of exocomet or planetesimal fragments, all of which are associated with a single previous break-up event, possibly caused by tidal disruption or thermal processing. The minimum total mass associated with these fragments likely exceeds 10−6 M⊕, corresponding to an original rocky body of >100 km in diameter. We discuss the necessity of future observations to help interpret the system.

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  • In this scenario, some of this material would be expected to transit J1407, causing irregular variations in its light curve comparable to KIC 8462852.

    “In this scenario, it would be expected that some of this material would be observed to transit J1407 (V1400 Centauri), causing irregular variations in its light curve comparable to the star KIC 8462852 (Boyajian et al., 2016).”

    From A Self-Gravitating Exoring Around J1407b and Implications for In-Situ Exomoon Formation (2022) · cites this paper as Boyajian et al., 2016

  • In October 2015, the Kepler space telescope observed an unusual signal in its data; the star KIC 8462852 showed irregularly shaped dips in its flux, dropping below 20%.

    “In October 2015, the Kepler space telescope observed an unusual signal in its data; the star KIC 8462852 showed irregularly shaped dips in its flux, dropping below 20%.”

    From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Boyajian et al., 2016

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Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Ansdell M. et al., 2015, ArXiv e-prints [3.3.2]
  2. Castelli F., Kurucz R. L., 2004, ArXiv Astrophysics e-prints [2.4]
  3. Genda H., Kobayashi H., Kokubo E., 2015, ArXiv e-prints [5.2]
  4. Grindlay J., Tang S., Los E., Servillat M., 2012, in E. Griffin, R. Hanisch, R. Seaman, eds, IAU Symposium. IAU Symposium, Vol. 285, pp. 29-34 [2.5]
  5. Jenkins J. M. et al., 2010, in Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series. Society of PhotoOptical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series, Vol. 7740, p. 0 [1]
  6. Mamajek E. E., 2015, ArXiv e-prints [2.7]
  7. Rappaport S., van den Heuvel E. P. J., 1982, in M. Jaschek, H.G. Groth, eds, Be Stars. IAU Symposium, Vol. 98, pp. 327-344 [3.2]
  8. Sanchis-Ojeda R. et al., 2015, ArXiv e-prints [5.4]

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Authors
Boyajian, T. S., LaCourse, D. M., Rappaport, S. A., Fabrycky, D., Fischer, D. A., Gandolfi, D., Kennedy, G. M., Korhonen, H., Liu, M. C., Moor, A., Olah, K., Vida, K., Wyatt, M. C., Best, W. M. J., Brewer, J., Ciesla, F., Csák, B., Deeg, H. J., Dupuy, T. J., Handler, G., Heng, K., Howell, S. B., Ishikawa, S. T., Kovács, J., Kozakis, T., Kriskovics, L., Lehtinen, J., Lintott, C., Lynn, S., Nespral, D., Nikbakhsh, S., Schawinski, K., Schmitt, J. R., Smith, A. M., Szabo, G., Szabo, R., Viuho, J., Wang, J., Weiksnar, A., Bosch, M., Connors, J. L., Goodman, S., Green, G., Hoekstra, A. J., Jebson, T., Jek, K. J., Omohundro, M. R., Schwengeler, H. M., & Szewczyk, A.
Affiliations
  • Yale University (US)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
  • University of Chicago (US)
  • Heidelberg University (DE)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • University of Copenhagen (DK)
  • University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
  • Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HU)
  • Eötvös Loránd University (HU)
  • Universidad de La Laguna (ES)
  • The University of Texas at Austin (US)
  • Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (PL)
  • University of Bern (CH)
  • Ames Research Center (US)
  • Adler Planetarium (US)
  • Cornell University (US)
  • University of Helsinki (FI)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Finnish Meteorological Institute (FI)
  • ETH Zurich (CH)
  • California Institute of Technology (US)
ORCID
Venue
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2016-01-27
Volume
457
Issue
4
Pages
3988-4004
ISSN
  • 0035-8711 (ISSN-L)
  • 1365-2966
DOI
10.1093/mnras/stw218
OpenAlex
W1935026852
Cited by
291
References
88
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 60 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 2
FWCI
26.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (publishedVersion)
  • Repository of the Academy's Library (Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) (acceptedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • Institutional Research Information System University of Turin (University of Turin) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Civil War Book Review (submittedVersion)
  • Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
  • Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
  • Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (submittedVersion)
  • Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
  • Apollo
  • Open Access CRIS of the University of Bern
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (0909222, 0909073, FP7/2007-2013, 1313370, 0407380)
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (LP2012-31, NKFIH K-115709, ADAP12-0172)
  • W. M. Keck Foundation
  • California Institute of Technology
  • Royal Society (UF140298)
  • European Commission (312844, 2007–2013, 39346, FP7 2007-2013, FP7/2007, 269194)
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (FP7/2007-2013, 115709, PP00P2 138979/1, PP00P2, 138979)
  • Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (K113117, K-115709, K-109276)
  • Magyar Tudományos Akadémia (K-109276, NKFIH K-115709, LP2012-31, K-115709)
  • Nemzeti Kutatási Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal (NKFIH K-115709, K-109276, OTKA K-109276, K-115709, OTKA K-113117, K-113117)
  • Jet Propulsion Laboratory
  • University of California, Los Angeles
  • Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/L007010/1)
  • Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/N003179/1, ST/N000927/1)
  • National Research, Development and Innovation Office
  • FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (279973)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Instrumentation › Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Keywords
KIC 8462852, tidal disruption, thermal processing, radial velocity, spectral energy distribution, Fourier analysis of light curves

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