Eric Agol studies transits of extrasolar planets, for which he has created a widely used modeling code and helped originate the idea of detecting and characterizing planets using transit time variations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is a former member of the Kepler team, with which he led the discovery and characterization of Kepler’s first exoplanet small enough to plausibly have a rocky composition orbiting within the habitable zone (Kepler 62f) as well as a closely orbiting super-Earth and mini-Neptune (Kepler 36). He also helped to characterize two circumbinary planet systems, including the first two-planet system orbiting a binary star (Kepler 38 and 47).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He first postulated the possibility of long-lived habitable planets around white dwarf stars (if they could form or migrate inward, and retain volatiles). He is also interested in atmospheric modeling of hot jupiters, coronagraphic imaging, radial velocity surveys, and mapping of extrasolar planets (using their time-dependent variation). He has recently helped to characterize the Earth-sized transiting exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1 system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gordon T., Agol, E., Foreman-Macey, D. (2020). A Fast, 2D Gaussian Process Method Based on Celerite: Applications to Transiting Exoplanet Discovery and Characterization. Submitted to AAS Journals. https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2007.05799<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ducrot, E., Gillon, M., Delrez, L., Agol, E., Rimmer, P., Turbet, M., G\u00fcnther, M. N., Demory, B.-O., Triaud, A. H. M. J., Bolmont, E., Burgasser, A., Carey, S. J., Ingalls, J. G., Jehin, E., Leconte, J., Lederer, S. M., Queloz, D., Raymond, S. N., Selsis, F., \u2026 de Wit, J. (2020). TRAPPIST-1: Global results of the Spitzer Exploration Science Program Red Worlds. \u200bAstronomy & Astrophysics\u200b<\/i>, A112. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1051\/0004-6361\/201937392<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Weiss, L. M., Fabrycky, D. C., Agol, E., Mills, S. M., Howard, A. W., Isaacson, H., Petigura, E. A., Fulton, B., Hirsch, L., & Sinukoff, E. (2020). The Discovery of the Long-Period, Eccentric Planet Kepler-88 d and System Characterization with Radial Velocities and Photodynamical Analysis. \u200bThe Astronomical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 242. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-3881\/ab88ca<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Morris, B. M., Bobra, M. G., Agol, E., Lee, Y. J., & Hawley, S. L. (2020). The stellar variability noise floor for transiting exoplanet photometry with PLATO. \u200bMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society\u200b<\/i>, 5489\u20135498. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/mnras\/staa618<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Agol, E., Luger, R., & Foreman-Mackey, D. (2020). Analytic Planetary Transit Light Curves and Derivatives for Stars with Polynomial Limb Darkening. \u200bThe Astronomical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 123. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-3881\/ab4fee<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Windemuth, D., Agol, E., Carter, J., Ford, E. B., Haghighipour, N., Orosz, J. A., & Welsh, W. F. (2019). An automated method to detect transiting circumbinary planets. \u200bMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society\u200b<\/i>, 1313\u20131324. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/mnras\/stz2637<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kruse, E., Agol, E., Luger, R., & Foreman-Mackey, D. (2019). Detection of Hundreds of New Planet Candidates and Eclipsing Binaries in K2 Campaigns 0\u20138. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series\u200b<\/i>, 11. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-4365\/ab346b<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Freudenthal, J., von Essen, C., Ofir, A., Dreizler, S., Agol, E., Wedemeyer, S., Morris, B. M., Becker, A. C., Deeg, H. J., Hoyer, S., Mallonn, M., Poppenhaeger, K., Herrero, E., Ribas, I., Boumis, P., & Liakos, A. (2019). Kepler Object of Interest Network. \u200bAstronomy & Astrophysics\u200b<\/i>, A108. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1051\/0004-6361\/201935879<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Orosz, J. A., Welsh, W. F., Haghighipour, N., Quarles, B., Short, D. R., Mills, S. M., Satyal, S., Torres, G., Agol, E., Fabrycky, D. C., Jontof-Hutter, D., Windmiller, G., M\u00fcller, T. W. A., Hinse, T. C., Cochran, W. D., Endl, M., Ford, E. B., Mazeh, T., & Lissauer, J. J. (2019). Discovery of a Third Transiting Planet in the Kepler-47 Circumbinary System. \u200bThe Astronomical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 174. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-3881\/ab0ca0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Windemuth, D., Agol, E., Ali, A., & Kiefer, F. (2019). Modelling Kepler eclipsing binaries: homogeneous inference of orbital and stellar properties. \u200bMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society\u200b<\/i>, 1644\u20131666. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/mnras\/stz2137<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luger, R., Agol, E., Foreman-Mackey, D., Fleming, D. P., Lustig-Yaeger, J., & Deitrick, R. (2019). The Institute of Physics, find out more starry: Analytic Occultation Light Curves. \u200bThe Astronomical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 64. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-3881\/aae8e5<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Borucki, W., Thompson, S. E., Agol, E., & Hedges, C. (2018). Kepler-62f: Kepler\u2019s first small planet in the habitable zone, but is it real? \u200bNew Astronomy Reviews\u200b<\/i>, 28\u201336. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.newar.2019.03.002<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Grimm, S. L., Demory, B.-O., Gillon, M., Dorn, C., Agol, E., Burdanov, A., Delrez, L., Sestovic, M., Triaud, A. H. M. J., Turbet, M., Bolmont, \u00c9., Caldas, A., de Wit, J., Jehin, E., Leconte, J., Raymond, S. N., Van Grootel, V., Burgasser, A. J., Carey, S., \u2026 Queloz, D. (2018). The nature of the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets. \u200bAstronomy & Astrophysics\u200b<\/i>, A68. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1051\/0004-6361\/201732233<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luger, R., Kruse, E., Foreman-Mackey, D., Agol, E., & Saunders, N. (2018). An Update to the EVEREST K2 Pipeline: Short Cadence, Saturated Stars, and Kepler-like Photometry Down to Kp = 15. \u200bThe Astronomical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 99. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-3881\/aad230<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Morris, B. M., Agol, E., Hebb, L., & Hawley, S. L. (2018). Robust Transiting Exoplanet Radii in the Presence of Starspots from Ingress and Egress Durations. \u200bThe Astronomical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 91. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-3881\/aad3b7<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Morris, B. M., Agol, E., Hebb, L., Hawley, S. L., Gillon, M., Ducrot, E., Delrez, L., Ingalls, J., & Demory, B.-O. (2018). Non-detection of Contamination by Stellar Activity in the Spitzer Transit Light Curves of TRAPPIST-1. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, L32. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/2041-8213\/aad8aa<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Morris, B. M., Agol, E., Davenport, J. R. A., & Hawley, S. L. (2018). Spotting stellar activity cycles in Gaia astrometry. \u200bMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society\u200b<\/i>, 5408\u20135416. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/mnras\/sty568<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Grimm, S. L., Demory, B.-O., Gillon, M., Dorn, C., Agol, E., Burdanov, A., Delrez, L., Sestovic, M., Triaud, A. H. M. J., Turbet, M., Bolmont, \u00c9., Caldas, A., de Wit, J., Jehin, E., Leconte, J., Raymond, S. N., Van Grootel, V., Burgasser, A. J., Carey, S., \u2026 Queloz, D. (2018). The nature of the TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets. \u200bAstronomy & Astrophysics\u200b<\/i>, A68. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1051\/0004-6361\/201732233<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Delrez, L., Gillon, M., Triaud, A. H. M. J., Demory, B.-O., de Wit, J., Ingalls, J. G., Agol, E., Bolmont, E., Burdanov, A., Burgasser, A. J., Carey, S. J., Jehin, E., Leconte, J., Lederer, S., Queloz, D., Selsis, F., & Van Grootel, V. (2018). Early 2017 observations of TRAPPIST-1 with Spitzer. \u200bMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society\u200b<\/i>, 3577\u20133597. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/mnras\/sty051<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Morris, B. M., Agol, E., Davenport, J. R. A., & Hawley, S. L. (2018). Possible Bright Starspots on TRAPPIST-1. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 39. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-4357\/aab6a5<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Agol, E., & Fabrycky, D. C. (2018). Transit-Timing and Duration Variations for the Discovery and Characterization of Exoplanets. In \u200bHandbook of Exoplanets\u200b<\/i> (pp. 797\u2013816). Springer International Publishing. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/978-3-319-55333-7_7<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luger, R., Lustig-Yaeger, J., & Agol, E. (2017). Planet\u2013Planet Occultations in TRAPPIST-1 and Other Exoplanet Systems. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 94. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-4357\/aa9c43<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luger, R., Sestovic, M., Kruse, E., Grimm, S. L., Demory, B.-O., Agol, E., Bolmont, E., Fabrycky, D., Fernandes, C. S., Van Grootel, V., Burgasser, A., Gillon, M., Ingalls, J. G., Jehin, E., Raymond, S. N., Selsis, F., Triaud, A. H. M. J., Barclay, T., Barentsen, G., \u2026 Queloz, D. (2017). A seven-planet resonant chain in TRAPPIST-1. \u200bNature Astronomy\u200b<\/i>. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41550-017-0129<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luger, R., Lustig-Yaeger, J., Fleming, D. P., Tilley, M. A., Agol, E., Meadows, V. S., Deitrick, R., & Barnes, R. (2017). The Pale Green Dot: A Method to Characterize Proxima Centauri b Using Exo-Aurorae. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 63. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/1538-4357\/aa6040<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gillon, M., Triaud, A. H. M. J., Demory, B.-O., Jehin, E., Agol, E., Deck, K. M., Lederer, S. M., de Wit, J., Burdanov, A., Ingalls, J. G., Bolmont, E., Leconte, J., Raymond, S. N., Selsis, F., Turbet, M., Barkaoui, K., Burgasser, A., Burleigh, M. R., Carey, S. J., \u2026 Queloz, D. (2017). Seven temperate terrestrial planets around the nearby ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1. \u200bNature\u200b<\/i>, 456\u2013460. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nature21360<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Luger, R., Agol, E., Kruse, E., Barnes, R., Becker, A., Foreman-Mackey, D., & Deming, D. (2016). EVEREST: PIXEL LEVEL DECORRELATION OFK2 LIGHT CURVES. \u200bThe Astronomical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 100. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3847\/0004-6256\/152\/4\/100<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Shields, A. L., Barnes, R., Agol, E., Charnay, B., Bitz, C., & Meadows, V. S. (2016). The Effect of Orbital Configuration on the Possible Climates and Habitability of Kepler-62f. \u200bAstrobiology\u200b<\/i>, 443\u2013464. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/ast.2015.1353<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Agol, E., Jansen, T., Lacy, B., Robinson, T. D., & Meadows, V. (2015). THE CENTER OF LIGHT: SPECTROASTROMETRIC DETECTION OF EXOMOONS. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 5. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/0004-637x\/812\/1\/5<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Deck, K. M., & Agol, E. (2015). MEASUREMENT OF PLANET MASSES WITH TRANSIT TIMING VARIATIONS DUE TO SYNODIC \u201cCHOPPING\u201d EFFECTS. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 116. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/0004-637x\/802\/2\/116<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Schmitt, J. R., Agol, E., Deck, K. M., Rogers, L. A., Gazak, J. Z., Fischer, D. A., Wang, J., Holman, M. J., Jek, K. J., Margossian, C., Omohundro, M. R., Winarski, T., Brewer, J. M., Giguere, M. J., Lintott, C., Lynn, S., Parrish, M., Schawinski, K., Schwamb, M. E., \u2026 Smith, A. M. (2014). PLANET HUNTERS. VII. DISCOVERY OF A NEW LOW-MASS, LOW-DENSITY PLANET (PH3 C) ORBITING KEPLER-289 WITH MASS MEASUREMENTS OF TWO ADDITIONAL PLANETS (PH3 B AND D). \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 167. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/0004-637x\/795\/2\/167<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Deck, K. M., Agol, E., Holman, M. J., & Nesvorn\u00fd, D. (2014). TTVFast: AN EFFICIENT AND ACCURATE CODE FOR TRANSIT TIMING INVERSION PROBLEMS. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 132. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/0004-637x\/787\/2\/132<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Borucki, W. J., Agol, E., Fressin, F., Kaltenegger, L., Rowe, J., Isaacson, H., Fischer, D., Batalha, N., Lissauer, J. J., Marcy, G. W., Fabrycky, D., Desert, J.-M., Bryson, S. T., Barclay, T., Bastien, F., Boss, A., Brugamyer, E., Buchhave, L. A., Burke, C., \u2026 Winn, J. N. (2013). Kepler-62: A Five-Planet System with Planets of 1.4 and 1.6 Earth Radii in the Habitable Zone. \u200bScience\u200b<\/i>, 587\u2013590. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1234702<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Eastman, J., Gaudi, B. S., & Agol, E. (2013). EXOFAST: A Fast Exoplanetary Fitting Suite in IDL. \u200bPublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific\u200b<\/i>, 83\u2013112. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/669497<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Agol, E. (2011). TRANSIT SURVEYS FOR EARTHS IN THE HABITABLE ZONES OF WHITE DWARFS. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, L31. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/2041-8205\/731\/2\/l31<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cowan, N. B., Agol, E., Meadows, V. S., Robinson, T., Livengood, T. A., Deming, D., Lisse, C. M., A\u2019Hearn, M. F., Wellnitz, D. D., Seager, S., & Charbonneau, D. (2009). ALIEN MAPS OF AN OCEAN-BEARING WORLD. \u200bThe Astrophysical Journal\u200b<\/i>, 915\u2013923. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1088\/0004-637x\/700\/2\/915<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Agol, E., Steffen, J., Sari, R., & Clarkson, W. (2005). On detecting terrestrial planets with timing of giant planet transits. \u200bMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society\u200b<\/i>, 567\u2013579. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1365-2966.2005.08922.x<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n