Oryna Ivashtenko, Weizmann Institute of Science
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When
Noon – 1 p.m., Jan. 12, 2026
Origins Seminar / TAP Planet Formation Initiative Special Talk
Oryna Ivashtenko, Weizmann Institute of Science
Title: Reliable Detection of Small Long-period Planets in Kepler Data
Abstract: The Kepler spacecraft provided unprecedented photometric precision, enabling the detection of Earth-like planets. However, the final Kepler catalog lacks sufficient reliability for small, long-period planets, complicating estimates of occurrence rates in this regime. A major source of this problem is the difficulty in distinguishing genuine but faint planetary signals from systematic false alarms—spurious detections caused by correlated, non-Gaussian noise.
We developed an independent search and vetting pipeline that addresses this noise structure using tailored statistical methods, providing a clean background distribution free from the false alarm tail. The pipeline was applied to the entire Kepler dataset, yielding a list of planetary candidates. For each candidate, we estimated its probability of being a real astrophysical periodic signal, using empirical per-target background estimation and injection-recovery campaign.
In this talk, I will explain the methodology behind this pipeline and present the planetary candidates that obtained a high probability of being real. I will demonstrate the pipeline reliability and its detection efficiency. Next, I will outline the future steps of the project and explain how these results will be used in the estimation of occurrence rates.
Bio: 4-th year PhD student at Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) working with Barak Zackay. Previously: MSc also at Weizmann, BSc from Ukraine.
Contacts
Host: Andrew Youdin