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Kepler Data Validation I: Architecture, Diagnostic Tests, and Data Products for Vetting Transiting Planet CandidatesThe Kepler Mission was designed to identify and characterize transiting planets in the Kepler Field of View and to determine their occurrence rates. Emphasis was placed on identification of Earth-size planets orbiting in the Habitable Zone of their host stars. Science data were acquired for a period of four years. Long-cadence data with 29.4 min sampling were obtained for approx. 200,000 individual stellar targets in at least one observing quarter in the primary Kepler Mission. Light curves for target stars are extracted in the Kepler Science Data Processing Pipeline, and are searched for transiting planet signatures. A Threshold Crossing Event is generated in the transit search for targets where the transit detection threshold is exceeded and transit consistency checks are satisfied. These targets are subjected to further scrutiny in the Data Validation (DV) component of the Pipeline. Transiting planet candidates are characterized in DV, and light curves are searched for additional planets after transit signatures are modeled and removed. A suite of diagnostic tests is performed on all candidates to aid in discrimination between genuine transiting planets and instrumental or astrophysical false positives. Data products are generated per target and planet candidate to document and display transiting planet model fit and diagnostic test results. These products are exported to the Exoplanet Archive at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, and are available to the community. We describe the DV architecture and diagnostic tests, and provide a brief overview of the data products. Transiting planet modeling and the search for multiple planets on individual targets are described in a companion paper. The final revision of the Kepler Pipeline code base is available to the general public through GitHub. The Kepler Pipeline has also been modified to support the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Mission which is expected to commence in 2018.
Document ID
20180001990
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Twicken, Joseph D.
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Catanzarite, Joseph H.
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Clarke, Bruce D.
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Giroud, Forrest
(Logyx, LLC Mountain View, CA, United States)
Jenkins, Jon M.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Klaus, Todd C.
(Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Li, Jie
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
McCauliff, Sean D.
(Wyle Labs., Inc. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Seader, Shawn E.
(Rincon Research Corp. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Tennenbaum, Peter
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Wohler, Bill
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Bryson, Stephen T.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Burke, Christopher P.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Caldwell, Douglas A.
(Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Haas, Michael R.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Henze, Christopher E.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Sanderfer, Dwight T.
(Jacobs Technology, Inc. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
March 21, 2018
Publication Date
January 1, 2018
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
ARC-E-DAA-TN53613
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNA16BD26C
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX17AK23A
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNA14AB82C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
data analysis
Exoplanets
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