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Searching for Exocomets in the Roman Galactic Bulge and Plane Time Domain Surveys
Program ID 19027
Science Category Exoplanets & Exoplanet Formation
Program Type Analysis
Category Small
Principal Investigator Meredith MacGregor
PI Institution Johns Hopkins University
Co-Investigators
  • Aislyn Bell (Johns Hopkins University)
  • Carl Ingebretsen (Johns Hopkins University)
  • Ann Marie Cody (SETI Institute)
  • Ward Howard (University of Colorado, Boulder)
  • Adalyn Gibson (University of Colorado, Boulder)
  • Adina Feinstein (Michigan State University)
  • Darryl Seligman (Michigan State University)
Abstract Transit observations of 'exocomets' provide a unique opportunity to study the properties of these small bodies including their size distribution, orbital parameters, and composition. To date, only two exocomet systems have been studied in detail - RZ Psc and Beta Pic. It is difficult to draw conclusions regarding the broader population of exocomets orbiting Main Sequence stars with such a small sample. Wide-field surveys, like those planned by Roman will provide, are essential. We propose to use both of the Roman Galactic Bulge and Plane Surveys to detect new transiting exocomet systems in order to (1) determine their occurrence rate, (2) model their properties and size distribution, and (3) constrain the temporal evolution of that distribution for the first time. Our survey will increase the sample of detected exocomets by >3x and provide connections to both interstellar objects and solar system reservoirs.