PLATTE: An Automated 24-diagnostic Light Curve Analysis and Vetting Suite for Transiting Exoplanets
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The identification and validation of transiting exoplanet candidates from space-based photometric missions such as NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is often constrained by the domain expertise needed to differentiate planetary transits from instrumental artifacts and astrophysical false positives. Here, I present Planetensuche Lightcurve Analysis Tool for Transiting Exoplanets (PLATTE), an automated vetting suite implemented within the offline-first Java desktop application Planetensuche . Conceived as an advanced successor to the unmaintained LATTE tool, PLATTE executes 24 automated diagnostic tests across data quality, blend exclusion, and astrophysical plausibility. Unlike previous tools that require manual interpretation of disparate plots, PLATTE synthesizes individual test dispositions into an objective overall verdict (CANDIDATE, CAUTION, or FALSE-POSITIVE) while estimating essential planetary parameters ( R p , T eq , b , i ) and generating standardized PDF reports. A case study of Pi Mensae c in TESS Sector 94 demonstrates PLATTE’s automated vetting and parameter estimation capabilities.
Source: Research Notes of the AAS
Author: Gerd Gühne
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225325476