Transits in the Roman galactic EXoplanet Survey (TRExS): Potential Breakthroughs in Exoplanet Demographics Enabled by Roman's Unprecedented Survey Depth and Volume
Abstract:
The Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS) will monitor 100s of millions of stars toward the center of the Milky Way, providing a powerful dataset that can be exploited for a number of scientific investigations, including the detection of over 60,000 to 200,000 exoplanets via transit. The allure of this transiting exoplanet sample is threefold: First, in the statistical power offered by the shear sample size, providing strict constraints on the demographics of intrinsically rare systems. Second, in the depth and distances of the surveyed stars, which represent nearly every major stellar population in the Galaxy. And third, in the near-infrared bandpass which will enable the direct detection of 1000s of transiting exoplanet atmospheres, providing population-level constraints into their dynamics and cloudiness. In addition to these three advantages, the Roman GBTDS transiting exoplanet sample will provide an invaluable complement to the Roman microlensing exoplanet sample, enabling insight into the formation and evolution of exoplanets at nearly every size and orbital separation. In this talk, I will cover the challenges in compiling the anticipated catalog of transiting exoplanet detections and the actions we are taking to harness Roman’s capabilities and enable a broad range of transiting exoplanet science in the GBTDS.
