Preparations for Confirmation of Candidate Hot Jupiters

Gas Giant planets, like Jupiter, are expected to form far from their host star, where there are more raw materials to be collected during planet formation. However, the discovery of so-called “hot Jupiter planets” in 1995 upended our understanding of Gas Giant planet formation processes. Hot Jupiters are gas giants that orbit their host star in about 3-10 Earth days, implying an orbital distance that contradicts existing planet formation theories. There are three leading hypotheses on hot Jupiter formation: in situ formation, disk migration, and high-eccentricity tidal migration. Each may account for some fraction of observed hot Jupiters, but a primary method for hot Jupiter formation has yet to be identified. The identification of a dominant formation method will require analysis of the statistical distribution of hot Jupiters and their stars, highlighting a need for further discovery of hot Jupiters to add to the current population. With data collected by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and spectral observation and analysis from the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory, we seek to confirm the presence of one or more hot Jupiters among candidate systems. Adding to the known population of hot Jupiters, aiding our understanding of planet formation, and distinguishing between hot Jupiter formation scenarios.