2771302

Target RA (J2000): 267.640502929688 and deg Target Dec (J2000): 36.5702209472656 and deg Gaia GMag: 10.486 Programme ID: CH_PR149004 Programme Manager: WILSON PI of observing programme: Benz Title of programme: SoM - Pre-PLATO TTVIGIL (Transit Timing Variation observations to fill In Gaps In Long-baseline data) Abstract: Important current questions of exoplanet science require an underlying precise determination of planet internal structures that can be done by studying their mass and/or orbital evolution. Transit timing variations (TTVs) can bypass stellar activity issues that can hinder RVs observations to achieve accurate mass determination and transit timing monitoring may reveal tidal decay that can inform the orbital evolution history of planets. The accuracy of these methods is mainly driven by 1) the knowledge of individual transit centre times and 2) the number of transits obtained and their baseline and sampling. PLATO will launch at the end of 2026 and focus on the detection of new exoplanets around bright stars. A supplementary scientific outcome will be the continuous observation of known exoplanets that will provide TTV/tidal decay monitoring. However to constrain planetary masses and orbit evolution we need to fill in gaps in the long-baseline data between the discovery transits and those that PLATO will observe. To do this we will observe transits of known exoplanets in the PLATO long- stare fields that are visible by CHEOPS. [truncated! Please see actual data for full text]