12-24-2025, 11:02 AM
I'm an astronomy graduate student planning my thesis, and I'm focusing on comparing the efficacy of different exoplanet detection methods, specifically the radial velocity technique versus transit photometry, for characterizing small, rocky planets in the habitable zones of M-dwarf stars. While I understand the basic principles, I'm having trouble finding consolidated data on the instrumental limitations and systematic errors for current and upcoming missions that would affect my simulations. For researchers in the field, what are the most critical factors to model when simulating detection yields for these methods, and are there any publicly available software packages or databases you'd recommend for accessing realistic noise models and stellar activity data? How do you weigh the trade-offs between the precision of radial velocity for mass determination and the richer atmospheric data potential from transit spectroscopy?