Transits against Fainter Stars: The Power of Image Deconvolution (2009)
Sackett, Penny D., Gillon, Michaël, Bayliss, Daniel D. R., Weldrake, David T. F., Tingley, Brandon
Compared to bright star searches, surveys for transiting planets against fainter (V=12-18) stars have the advantage of much higher sky densities of dwarf star primaries, which afford easier detection...
SuperLupus: A Deep, Long Duration Transit Survey (2008)
Bayliss, Daniel D. R., Sackett, Penny D., Weldrake, David T. F.
SuperLupus is a deep transit survey monitoring a Galactic Plane field in the Southern hemisphere. The project is building on the successful Lupus Survey, and will double the number of images of the...
Possibility of Detecting Moons of Pulsar Planets Through Time-of-Arrival Analysis (2008)
Lewis, Karen M., Sackett, Penny D., Mardling, Rosemary A.
The perturbation caused by planet-moon binarity on the time-of-arrival signal of a pulsar with an orbiting planet is derived for the case in which the orbits of the moon and the planet-moon...
Lupus-TR-3b: A Low-Mass Transiting Hot Jupiter in the Galactic Plane? (2008)
Weldrake, David T F, Bayliss, Daniel D R, Sackett, Penny D, Tingley, Brandon W, Gillon, Michaël, Setiawan, Johny
We present a strong case for a transiting hot Jupiter planet identified during a single-field transit survey toward the Lupus Galactic plane. The object, Lupus-TR-3b, transits a V=17.4 K1 V host star...
Lupus-TR-3b: a low-mass transiting hot Jupiter in the galactic plane? (2008)
Weldrake, David T. F., Bayliss, Daniel D. R., Sackett, Penny D., Tingley, Brandon W., Gillon, Michael, Setiawan, Johny
We present a strong case for a transiting hot Jupiter planet identified during a single-field transit survey toward the Lupus Galactic plane. The object, Lupus-TR-3b, transits a V=17.4 K1 V host star...
The frequency of large-radius hot and very hot Jupiters in ω Centauri (2008)
Weldrake, David T. F., Sackett, Penny D., Bridges, Terry J.
We present the results of a deep, wide-field search for transiting hot Jupiter (HJ) planets in the globular cluster omega Centauri. As a result of a 25 night observing run with the ANU 40 inch (1 m)...
Lupus-TR-3b: A Low-Mass Transiting Hot Jupiter in the Galactic Plane? (2007)
Weldrake, David T. F., Bayliss, Daniel D. R., Sackett, Penny D., Tingley, Brandon W., Gillon, Michael, Setiawan, Johny
We present a strong case for a transiting Hot Jupiter planet identified during a single-field transit survey towards the Lupus Galactic plane. The object, Lupus-TR-3b, transits a V=17.4 K1V host star...
The Frequency of Large Radius Hot and Very Hot Jupiters in omega Centauri (2007)
Weldrake, David T F, Sackett, Penny D, Bridges, Terry J
We present the results of a deep, wide-field search for transiting `Hot Jupiter (HJ)' planets in the globular cluster omega Centauri. As a result of a 25-night observing run with the ANU 40-inch...
A Deep Wide-Field Variable Star Catalog of ω Centauri (2007)
Weldrake, David T. F., Sackett, Penny D., Bridges, Terry J.
We present a variable star catalog of an extensive ground-based wide-field variability survey in the globular cluster omega Centauri. Using the Australian National University 40 inch (1 m) telescope...
Searching for Planetary Transits in Globular Clusters - 47 Tucanae and omega Centauri (2006)
Weldrake, David T. F, Sackett, Penny D, Bridges, Terry J
We have performed a large ground-based search for transiting Hot Jupiter planets in the outer regions of the globular clusters 47 Tucanae and omega Centauri. The aim was to help understand the role...
Searching for Planetary Transits in the Lupus Galactic Plane (2006)
Weldrake, David T. F, Bayliss, Daniel D. R., Sackett, Penny D, Bessell, Michael, Tingley, Brandon W.
A 52'X52' field in the Lupus Galactic plane was observed with the ANU 1m telescope for 53 nights during 2005 and 2006 in a search for transiting Hot Jupiter planets. A total of 2200 images were...
A Deep Wide-Field Variable Star Catalog of Omega Centauri (2006)
Weldrake, David T. F, Sackett, Penny D, Bridges, Terry J
We present a variable star catalog of an extensive ground-based wide-field variability survey in the globular cluster omega Centauri. Using the ANU 40-inch (1m) telescope at Siding Spring...
Thurl, Christine, Sackett, Penny D., Hauschildt, Peter H.
We present work on H alpha spectral line characteristics in PHOENIX stellar model atmospheres and their comparison to microlensing observations. We examine in detail the H alpha equivalent width (EW)...
MACHOs in M31? Absence of evidence but not evidence of absence (2005)
Widrow, Lawrence M., Cseresnjes, Patrick, Kuijken, Konrad, Crotts, Arlin P. S., Bergier, Alexander, ...
We present results of a microlensing survey toward the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) carried out during four observing seasons at the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT). This survey is part of the larger...
An Absence of Hot Jupiter Planets in 47 Tucanae: Results of a Wide-Field Transit Search (2004)
Weldrake, David T. F, Sackett, Penny D, Freeman, Kenneth C, Bridges, Terry J
We present the results of a comprehensive wide field search for transiting ``Hot Jupiter'' planets (1d
A Method for the Detection of Planetary Transits in Large Time-Series Datasets (2004)
Weldrake, David T. F, Sackett, Penny D
We present a fast, efficient and easy to apply computational method for the detection of planetary transits in large photometric datasets. The code has been specifically produced to analyse an...
Phase light curves for extrasolar Jupiters and Saturns (2004)
Dyudina, Ulyana A., Sackett, Penny D., Bayliss, Daniel D. R., Seager, Sara, Porco, Carolyn C., Throop, Henry B., ...
We predict how a remote observer would see the brightness variations of giant planets similar to Jupiter and Saturn as they orbit their central stars. We model the geometry of Jupiter, Saturn and...
A Comprehensive Catalogue of Variable Stars in the field of 47 Tucanae (2004)
Weldrake, David T F, Sackett, Penny D, Bridges, Terry J, Freeman, Kenneth C
We present the results of a comprehensive search for stellar variability in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae. Using the Mount Stromlo 40-inch (1m) telescope at Siding Spring Observatory and a combined...
Weldrake, David T. F, Sackett, Penny D, Bridges, Terry J
We present a short progress report of a comprehensive search for variability in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae. Using the MSSSO 40'' telescope and a combined V+R filter, we are searching for...
First Microlensing Events From The MEGA Survey Of M31 (2003)
Kuijken, Konrad H., Crotts, Arlin P. S., Sackett, Penny D., Sutherland, Will J., Uglesich, Robert R., ...
We present the first M31 candidate microlensing events from the Microlensing Exploration of the Galaxy and Andromeda (MEGA) survey. MEGA uses several telescopes to detect microlensing towards the...
PLANET II: A Microlensing and Transit Search for Extrasolar Planets (2002)
Sackett, Penny D., Albrow, M. D., Caldwell, J. A. R., Coutures, C., Dominik, M., ...
Due to their extremely small luminosity compared to the stars they orbit, planets outside our own Solar System are extraordinarily difficult to detect directly in optical light. Careful photometric...
Neeser, Mark J., Sackett, Penny D., De Marchi, Guido, Paresce, Francesco
We report the detection of a thick disk in the edge-on, low surface brightness (LSB), late-type spiral ESO 342-G017, based on ultra-deep images in the V and R bands obtained with the VLT Test Camera...
Microlensing in M31; Preliminary lightcurves from MEGA (2001)
De Jong, Jelte, Sackett, Penny D., Kuijken, Konrad, Uglesich, Robert, Crotts, Arlin, Sutherland, Will
One of the possible astrophysical solutions to the galactic dark matter problem is the presence of a significant amount of ``dark'' compact objects (MACHOs) in galactic dark matter halos. MEGA...
Interpreting Debris from Satellite Disruption In External Galaxies (2001)
Johnston, Kathryn V., Sackett, Penny D., Bullock, James S.
We examine the detectability and interpretation of debris trails caused by satellite disruption in external galaxies using semi-analytic approximations for the dependence of streamer length, width...
Results from Microlensing Searches for Extrasolar Planets (2000)
Specially-designed microlensing searches, some of which have been underway for several years, are sensitive to extrasolar planets orbiting the most common stars in our Galaxy. Microlensing is...
Microlensing and the Physics of Stellar Atmospheres (2000)
The simple physics of microlensing provides a well-understood tool with which to probe the atmospheres of distant stars in the Galaxy and Local Group with high magnification and resolution. Recent...
The Stellar Content of the Halo of NGC 5907 from Deep HST NICMOS Imaging (2000)
Zepf, Stephen E., Liu, Michael C., Marleau, Francine R., Sackett, Penny D., Graham, James. R.
We present H-band images obtained with NICMOS of a field 75'' (5kpc) above the plane of the disk of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 5907. Ground-based observations have shown that NGC 5907 has a...
The 24-Hour Night Shift: Astronomy from Microlensing Monitoring Networks (2000)
Scores of on-going microlensing events are now announced yearly by the microlensing discovery teams OGLE, MACHO and EROS. These early warning systems have allowed other international microlensing...
Discovery of the optical counterpart and early optical observations of GRB 990712 (2000)
Sahu, Kailash C., Vreeswijk, P. M., Bakos, Gaspar A., Menzies, John W., Bragaglia, Angela, Frontera, Filippo, ...
We present the discovery observations of the optical counterpart of the gamma-ray burst GRB 990712 taken 4.16 hr after the outburst and discuss its light curve observed in the V, R, and I bands...
Discovery of the optical counterpart and early optical observations of GRB 990712 (2000)
Sahu, Kailash C., Vreeswijk, P. M., Bakos, Gaspar A., Menzies, John W., Bragaglia, Angela, Frontera, Filippo, ...
We present the discovery observations of the optical counterpart of the gamma-ray burst GRB 990712 taken 4.16 hr after the outburst and discuss its light curve observed in the V, R, and I bands...
Planetary Microlensing: Present Status and Long-term Goals (1999)
Massive gravitational microlensing programs were begun about a decade ago as a means to search for compact baryonic dark matter in the Galaxy, but before the first events were detected the technique...
Detection Efficiencies of Microlensing Datasets to Stellar and Planetary Companions (1999)
Gaudi, B. Scott, Sackett, Penny D.
Microlensing light curves are now being monitored with the precision required to detect small perturbations due to planetary companions of the primary lens. Microlensing is complementary to other...
The Shape of Dark Matter Halos (1999)
Techniques for inferring the radial and geometric form of dark matter halos and the results they have produced to date are reviewed. Dark halos appear to extend to at least ~50 kpc with total...
Searching for Unseen Planets via Occultation and Microlensing (1998)
The fields of occultation and microlensing are linked historically. Early this century, occultation of the Sun by the Moon allowed the apparent positions of background stars projected near the limb...
Microlensing by Multiple Planets in High Magnification Events (1998)
Gaudi, B. Scott, Naber, Richard M., Sackett, Penny D.
Microlensing is increasingly gaining recognition as a powerful method for the detection and characterization of extra-solar planetary systems. Naively, one might expect that the probability of...
Beaulieu, J. P., Sackett, Penny D.
We examine the morphology of the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) for core helium-burning (red clump) stars to test the recent suggestion by Zaritsky & Lin (1997) that an extension of the red clump in...
Planet Detection via Microlensing (1997)
Microlensing is the most promising method to study the statistical frequency of extra-solar planets orbiting typical (random) stars in the Milky Way, even those several kiloparsecs from Earth. The...
Does the Milky Way have a Maximal Disk? (1996)
The Milky Way is often considered to be the best example of a spiral for which the dark matter not only dominates the outer kinematics, but also plays a major dynamical role in the inner galaxy: the...
Another Flattened Dark Halo: Plar Ring Galaxy A0136-0801 (1994)
Sackett, Penny D., Pogge, Richard W.
Knowledge of the shape of dark matter halos is critical to our understanding of galaxy formation, dynamics, and of the nature of dark matter itself. Polar ring galaxies (PRGs) --- early-type galaxies...
A Faint Luminous Halo that May Trace the Dark Matter around Spiral Galaxy NGC~5907 (1994)
Sackett, Penny D., Morrison, Heather L., Harding, Paul, Boroson, Todd A.
The presence of unseen halos of ``dark matter'' has long been inferred from the high rotation speeds of gas and stars in the outer parts of spiral galaxies$^{1}$. The volume density of this dark...
The Flattened Dark Halo of Polar Ring Galaxy NGC 4650A: A Conspiracy of Shapes? (1994)
Sackett, Penny D., Rix, Hans-Walter, Jarvis, Brian J., Freeman, Kenneth C.
Kinematics and photometry of the polar ring galaxy NGC 4650A, including new observations of the rotation and velocity dispersion of its central stellar disk, are used to infer the presence of a dark...
MACHOs in a Flattened Halo (1993)
Sackett, Penny D., Gould, Andrew
If massive compact halo objects (\ms) are detected in ongoing searches, then \tsmctlmc, the ratio of the optical depth toward the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, will be a robust indicator of the...