Presenter: Matthieu LANEUVILLE
Abstract:
As the ensemble of known planets keeps on increasing, more questions can be
addressed. For example, what is the average mass of planets within a star's
surface liquid water zone? Or what is the distribution of masses on either side
of the Fulton gap? Given any individual question, it is possible to devise an
observational strategy that would maximise the convergence to the answer, but
possibly at the cost of other questions.
In this contribution, we discuss a series of methods to choose targets for
follow-up studies or promising stars to observe, based on the specific question
the community would like to address. Quantifying the gain in convergence rate to
an answer using individual strategies allows us to discuss community-wide
compromises and ways to mix question-focused follow-up observations and
observations aimed at maximising new information.
A key step for those methods is to estimate the expected result of any new
observation. The functional shape of that distribution of outcomes either have
to be specified (within the Bayesian framework) or not (using neural networks).
We will present methods to select targets for RV follow-up measurements in order
to maximise convergence to specific mass distribution questions.