A second method to photometrically align multi-site microlensing light curves: Source color in planetary event MOA-2007-BLG-192

Abstract

At present, microlensing light curves from different telescopes and filters are photometrically aligned by fitting them to a common model. We present a second method based on photometry of common field stars. If two spectral responses are similar (or the color of the source is known), then this technique can resolve important ambiguities that frequently arise when predicting the future course of the event, and that occasionally persist even when the event is over. Or, if the spectral responses are different, it can be used to derive the color of the source when that is unknown. We present the essential elements of this technique and apply it to the case of MOA-2007-BLG-192, an important planetary event for which the system may be a terrestrial planet orbiting a brown dwarf or very low mass star. The refined estimate of the source color that we derive here V - I = 2.36±0.03 will aid in making the estimate of the lens mass more precise. © 2010 The American Astronomical Society.