Detecting Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets in High Magnification Gravitational Microlensing Events

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  • 2 November 2001
Abstract
Gravitational microlensing events of high magnification have been shown to be promising targets for searching for extrasolar planets. However, only a few events of high magnification have been detected using conventional survey techniques. Here we demonstrate that high magnification events can be readily detected in microlensing surveys using a strategy of high frequency sampling of target fields and real-time difference imaging analysis. We present 10 microlensing events with peak magnifications greater than 40 that were observed towards the Galactic Bulge during 2001 by MOA. We show that the efficiency for detecting Earth-mass planets in future events such as these is high if they are monitored intensively around the times of peak magnification. Such monitoring would yield a first measurement of the abundance of terrestrial planets in the Galaxy.

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