The First Post-Kepler Brightness Dips of KIC 8462852

Tabetha S. Boyajian, Roi Alonso, Alex Ammerman, David Armstrong, A. Asensio Ramos, K. Barkaoui, Thomas G. Beatty, Z. Benkhaldoun, Paul Benni, Rory O. Bentley, Andrei Berdyugin, Svetlana Berdyugina, Serge Bergeron, Allyson Bieryla, Michaela G. Blain, Alicia Capetillo Blanco, Eva H.L. Bodman, Anne Boucher, Mark Bradley, Stephen M. BrincatThomas G. Brink, John Briol, David J.A. Brown, J. Budaj, A. Burdanov, B. Cale, Miguel Aznar Carbo, R. Castillo Garcia, Wendy J. Clark, Geoffrey C. Clayton, James L. Clem, Phillip H. Coker, Evan M. Cook, Chris M. Copperwheat, J. L. Curtis, R. M. Cutri, B. Cseh, C. H. Cynamon, Alex J. Daniels, James R.A. Davenport, Hans J. Deeg, Roberto De Lorenzo, Thomas De Jaeger, Jean Bruno Desrosiers, John Dolan, D. J. Dowhos, Franky Dubois, R. Durkee, Shawn Dvorak, Lynn Easley, N. Edwards, Tyler G. Ellis, Emery Erdelyi, Steve Ertel, Rafael G. Farfán, J. Farihi, Alexei V. Filippenko, Emma Foxell, Davide Gandolfi, Faustino Garcia, F. Giddens, M. Gillon, Juan Luis González-Carballo, C. González-Fernández, J. I.González Hernández, Keith A. Graham, Kenton A. Greene, J. Gregorio, Na'Ama Hallakoun, Ottó Hanyecz, G. R. Harp, Gregory W. Henry, E. Herrero, Caleb F. Hildbold, D. Hinzel, G. Holgado, Bernadett Ignácz, Ilya Ilyin, Valentin D. Ivanov, E. Jehin, Helen E. Jermak, Steve Johnston, S. Kafka, Csilla Kalup, Emmanuel Kardasis, Shai Kaspi, Grant M. Kennedy, F. Kiefer, C. L. Kielty, Dennis Kessler, H. Kiiskinen, T. L. Killestein, Ronald A. King, V. Kollar, H. Korhonen, C. Kotnik, Réka Könyves-Tóth, Levente Kriskovics, Nathan Krumm, Vadim Krushinsky, E. Kundra, Francois Rene Lachapelle, D. LaCourse, P. Lake, Kristine Lam, Gavin P. Lamb, Dave Lane, Marie Wingyee Lau, Pablo Lewin, Chris Lintott, Carey Lisse, Ludwig Logie, Nicolas Longeard, M. Lopez Villanueva, E. Whit Ludington, A. Mainzer, Lison Malo, Chris Maloney, A. Mann, A. Mantero, Massimo Marengo, Jon Marchant, M. J. Martinez González, Joseph R. Masiero, Jon C. Mauerhan, James McCormac, Aaron McNeely, Huan Y.A. Meng, Mike Miller, Lawrence A. Molnar, J. C. Morales, Brett M. Morris, Matthew W. Muterspaugh, David Nespral, C. R. Nugent, Katherine M. Nugent, A. Odasso, Derek O'Keeffe, A. Oksanen, John M. O'Meara, András Ordasi, Hugh Osborn, John J. Ott, J. R. Parks, Diego Rodriguez Perez, Vance Petriew, R. Pickard, András Pál, P. Plavchan, Don Pollacco, F. Pozo Nunez, F. J. Pozuelos, Steve Rau, Seth Redfield, Howard Relles, Ignasi Ribas, Jon Richards, Joonas L.O. Saario, Emily J. Safron, J. Martin Sallai, Krisztián Sárneczky, Bradley E. Schaefer, Clea F. Schumer, Madison Schwartzendruber, Michael H. Siegel, Andrew P.V. Siemion, Brooke D. Simmons, Joshua D. Simon, S. Simón-Diaz, Michael L. Sitko, Hector Socas-Navarro, A. Sódor, Donn Starkey, Iain A. Steele, Geoff Stone, Klaus G. Strassmeier, R. A. Street, Tricia Sullivan, J. Suomela, J. J. Swift, Gyula M. Szabó, Róbert Szabó, Róbert Szakáts, Tamás Szalai, Angelle M. Tanner, B. Toledo-Padrón, Tamás Tordai, Amaury H.M.J. Triaud, Jake D. Turner, Joseph H. Ulowetz, Marian Urbanik, Siegfried Vanaverbeke, Andrew Vanderburg, Krisztián Vida, Brad P. Vietje, József Vinkó, K. Von Braun, Elizabeth O. Waagen, Dan Walsh, Christopher A. Watson, R. C. Weir, Klaus Wenzel, C. Westendorp Plaza, Michael W. Williamson, Jason T. Wright, M. C. Wyatt, Weikang Zheng, Gabriella Zsidi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a photometric detection of the first brightness dips of the unique variable star KIC 8462852 since the end of the Kepler space mission in 2013 May. Our regular photometric surveillance started in 2015 October, and a sequence of dipping began in 2017 May continuing on through the end of 2017, when the star was no longer visible from Earth. We distinguish four main 1%-2.5% dips, named "Elsie," "Celeste," "Skara Brae," and "Angkor," which persist on timescales from several days to weeks. Our main results so far are as follows: (i) there are no apparent changes of the stellar spectrum or polarization during the dips and (ii) the multiband photometry of the dips shows differential reddening favoring non-gray extinction. Therefore, our data are inconsistent with dip models that invoke optically thick material, but rather they are in-line with predictions for an occulter consisting primarily of ordinary dust, where much of the material must be optically thin with a size scale ≪1 μm, and may also be consistent with models invoking variations intrinsic to the stellar photosphere. Notably, our data do not place constraints on the color of the longer-term "secular" dimming, which may be caused by independent processes, or probe different regimes of a single process.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberL8
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume853
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 20 2018

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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