Samantha Buck

Date of Award

December 2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Space Studies

First Advisor

Sherry Fieber-Beyer

Abstract

To maximize the science return from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP) was created to network scientists and observatories to conduct follow-up observations of potential exoplanets. As members of TFOP-Subgroup 1, we observed four exoplanet candidates: TOI-1362.01, TOI-2290.01, TOI-6010.01, and TOI-6324.01 using the University of North Dakota Space Studies Observatory. The TOI observations were conducted from 31 October 2024 – 15 November, 2024 UTC. AstroImageJ software was used to perform differential photometry and, if a transit event was observed, determine orbital parameters and physical characteristics. Each of the target’s light curves was modeled and parameters adjusted to find the lowest combination value of ??2, Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and the RMS error. We present modeled transit light curves for exoplanet candidates TOI-1362.01, TOI-2290.01, TOI-6010.01, and TOI-6324.01. Our results suggest that transit events were not observed for any of the four TOIs. Follow-up observations and high-precision radial velocity measurements are needed to either eliminate or strengthen the candidacy of TOI-1362.01, TOI-2290.01, and TOI-6010.01.

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