Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 238
This version created on 05 October 2006

Follow-up strategies for the SuperWASP extrasolar planet candidates


Tim Lister, Keele University
 and the WASP Consortium

We present details of the spectroscopic and photometric follow-up
observations that have been performed on the extrasolar planet
candidates identified from transit searches on data from the 2004
season of SuperWASP-North.  SuperWASP is a "wide but shallow" survey
of stars in the range V=8-15 and is designed to produce a large number
of transiting extrasolar planets to allow statistical conclusions to
be drawn about the population of exoplanets.  During 2004
May-September, SuperWASP-North observed nearly 7 million stars and
several hundred initial transit candidates were identified by our
transit search algorithm.  We discuss the candidate filtering strategy
we have evolved which draws together information from a wide range of
existing catalogues and surveys to filter out false positives at an
early stage in a robust manner.  This process then produces ranked
target lists for efficient prioritised follow-up observations with 1-2
metre telescopes, greatly reducing the amount of valuable large
telescope time required.  This form of efficient filtering and
follow-up strategy will become increasingly important given the large
number of candidates expected to be produced by the expanded dual-site
SuperWASP survey and other large scale transit surveys which are
planned or already in operation.

----------------------------------