To expand the homogeneous microlensing planetary sample of the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), we investigate six planetary candidates identified by the AnomalyFinder search in the 2023 prime-field data, namely KMT-2023-BLG-1592, OGLE-2023-BLG-0766, KMT-2023-BLG-0332, KMT-2023-BLG-0486, KMT-2023-BLG-0792, and OGLE-2023-BLG-1043. Light-curve modeling indicates that the first two events have planetary mass ratios of logq similar to-3.0 and -2.6, while the third exhibits a brown dwarf mass ratio of logq similar to-1.4 . The remaining three events show the well-known degeneracy between the binary-lens single-source (2L1S) and single-lens binary-source (1L2S) interpretations. A Bayesian analysis yields companion masses of about 0.6 and 1.2 Jupiter masses for the two planetary systems, likely orbiting beyond the snow lines of M- or K-dwarf hosts. A review of the KMTNet planetary sample shows that candidates discovered by AnomalyFinder are significantly more likely to exhibit the 2L1S/1L2S degeneracy, consistent with the tendency of AnomalyFinder to detect subtler planetary signals.
We present observations and analysis of the bound planetary microlensing event KMT-2025-BLG-1616. The planetary signal was captured by the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network and the Dark Energy Camera Rogue Earths and Mars Survey (DREAMS). DREAMS’s minute-cadence observations break the central/resonant degeneracy in the binary-lens models. The color of the faint source star ( I = 22) is measured from the DREAMS’s r − z color. The planetary system has a planet-host mass ratio of q ∼ 5 × 10 ^−4 . A Bayesian analysis yields a host-star mass of ∼0.3 M _⊙ , a planetary mass of ∼40 M _⊕ , a projected planet-host separation of ∼1.6 au, and a lens distance of ∼7.5 kpc. Based on the photometric precision achieved by DREAMS for this event, we simulate free-floating planet (FFP) detections and find that DREAMS is sensitive to Mars-mass FFPs in the Galactic bulge and Moon-mass FFPs in the Galactic disk.
We present detailed light-curve analyses of 10 binary-lens microlensing events observed during the 2023-2025 seasons and selected as candidates for hosting brown dwarf companions. The sample includes OGLE-2023-BLG-0249, KMT-2023-BLG-1246, OGLE-2023-BLG-0079, KMT-2024-BLG-0072, KMT-2024-BLG-0897, KMT-2024-BLG-1876, KMT-2024-BLG-2379, KMT-2025-BLG-0922, KMT-2025-BLG-1056, and KMT-2025-BLG-2427. For each event, we carry out modeling of the light curve, explore relevant degeneracies, and, when finite-source effects are present, determine the angular Einstein radius. For OGLE-2023-BLG-0249, we additionally measure the microlens parallax, which allows a direct determination of the lens masses and distance. For the remaining events, we estimate the physical lens properties via Bayesian analyses incorporating Galactic priors. The resulting posteriors show that the lens companions in all systems have median masses in the brown dwarf regime, and the lenses of two events (KMT-2025-BLG-0922 and KMT-2025-BLG-1056) are consistent with binaries in which both lens components fall within the brown dwarf mass range. Spanning a wide range of projected separations and distances, these detections illustrate the power of high-cadence microlensing surveys to build a census of brown dwarf companions, including faint and distant systems beyond the reach of flux-limited methods.
In this work, we present analyses of four newly discovered planetary microlensing events from the 2024 KMTNet survey season: KMT-2024-BLG-0176, KMT-2024-BLG-0349, KMT-2024-BLG-1870, and KMT-2024-BLG-2087. In each case, the planetary nature was revealed through distinct types of anomalies in the lensing light curves: a positive bump near the peak for KMT-2024-BLG-0176, an asymmetric peak for KMT-2024-BLG-0349, a short-duration central dip for KMT-2024-BLG-1870, and a caustic-crossing feature for KMT-2024-BLG-2087. Detailed modeling of the light curves confirms that these anomalies are produced by planetary companions with planet-to-host mass ratios in the range of (1.5-17.9) x 10-3. Despite the diversity of signal morphologies, all planets detected in these events are giant planets with masses comparable to or exceeding that of Jupiter in the solar system. Each planet orbits a host star less massive than the Sun, emphasizing the strength of microlensing in uncovering planetary systems around low-mass stellar hosts.
As part of the Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS), the Nancy Grace Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey (RGES) will use microlensing to discover cold outer planets and free-floating planets not bound to stars. NASA has established several science requirements for the GBTDS to ensure RGES success. A key advantage of RGES is Roman's high angular resolution, which will allow detection of flux from many host stars. One requirement specifies that Roman must measure the masses and distances of 40% of detected planet hosts with 20% precision or better. To test this, we simulated microlensing events toward the GBTDS fields and used Fisher matrix analysis to estimate light curve parameter uncertainties. Combining these with Roman imaging observables (lens flux and relative lens-source proper motion), we estimated the achievable precision of lens mass and distance measurements. Using pyLIMASS, a publicly available code for estimating lens properties, we applied this analysis to 3000 simulated events. Assuming the A. Cassan et al. exoplanet mass function, we find that >= 40% of host stars meet the required 20% precision threshold, confirming that the GBTDS can satisfy the mission requirement. We validated our approach by comparing our inferred lens masses and distances to empirical measurements from detailed image-constrained light curve modeling of historical microlensing events with Hubble and Keck follow-up imaging. Our results agree within roughly 1 sigma, demonstrating that both approaches yield consistent and reliable mass and distance estimates, and confirming the robustness of our simulations for Roman-era microlensing science.
We present observations and analyses of three high-magnification microlensing events: KMT-2022-BLG-0954, KMT-2024-BLG-0697, and MOA-2024-BLG-018. All three exhibit the 'Planet/Binary' degeneracy, with planetary solutions corresponding to mass ratios in the range-3.7 < log q < -2.2, while the binary solutions yield log q > -2.0. For KMT-2022-BLG-0954, we identify a previously unrecognized degeneracy among planetary solutions, involving different mass ratios and normalized source radii. In all three cases, single-lens binary-source models are excluded. Bayesian analyses suggest that the planetary solutions correspond to gas giants orbiting M/K dwarfs beyond the snow line, while KMT-2022-BLG-0954 also admits an alternative interpretation as a super-Earth orbiting a late-type M dwarf. The binary solutions imply a diverse set of systems, including M-dwarf pairs and M-dwarf-brown-dwarf binaries. A review of known events subject to the 'Planet/Binary' degeneracy shows that in most cases the degeneracy cannot be resolved through follow-up high-resolution imaging, particularly in the presence of the newly identified degeneracy.
We present the discovery and analysis of three microlensing planets identified through brief positive anomalies on the wings of their light curves. The events, KMT-2021-BLG-0852, KMT-2024-BLG-2005, and KMT-2025-BLG-0481, were detected in high-cadence survey data from the KMTNet, OGLE, MOA, and PRIME collaborations. The anomaly morphologies are consistent with major-image perturbations induced by planetary-mass companions located near the peripheral caustic. A systematic exploration of model degeneracies, including binary-source scenarios, higher mass-ratio binary lenses, and the inner-outer caustic degeneracy, firmly establishes the planetary origin of each signal. Measurements of the angular Einstein radius and event timescale, combined with Bayesian priors from a Galactic model, yield the physical parameters of each system. The hosts are low-mass stars (0.12-0.75 M circle dot), while the companions are Saturn-mass planets (0.16-0.59 MJ) projected at separations of 1.1-7.8 au, placing them beyond the snowline of their hosts. These results demonstrate the capability of microlensing to detect and characterize cold giant planets around low-mass stars at kpc distances, populating the critical transition region between ice giants and gas giants.
We present a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging survey of a 1.1 deg ^2 sky area toward the Milky Way Galactic bulge. This field significantly overlaps with the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey. High angular resolution imaging of this area with HST before the start of the Roman Galactic Exoplanet Survey will greatly strengthen Roman’s ability to characterize detected exoplanet systems, as well as provide a rich and wide-field archive for use as a legacy dataset toward the Galactic bulge for the broader community. We conduct coordinated parallel imaging with both wide-field cameras on HST, the Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys, utilizing the F606W and F814W passbands. Approximately 70% of the survey was conducted during HST Cycle 32, with the remaining 30% conducted during Cycle 33. In this Letter, the first in a series, we give a general overview of the program and the observing strategy and present early results. This campaign secures HST’s lasting impact on the high-precision study of stellar populations, dynamics, exoplanet systems, interstellar extinction, metallicities, cluster associations, and more toward the center of our Galaxy.
We present the Microlensing Object high-Resolution Imaging Analysis pipeline, or MORIA. This is an automated procedure to reduce high-resolution HST images of microlensing targets, build empirical point-spread function models from the data, and perform simultaneous multi-star PSF fitting to blended sources, lenses, and neighbor stars. We have developed and tested this pipeline using HST observations of the microlensing event KMT-2019-BLG-0253, where we determine a host mass of M_host = 0.65 ± 0.04M_⊙. We have reduced the number of possible solutions for this target by a factor of two, with the remaining solution subject to the well-known close-wide degeneracy. We determine a planet mass of m_p = 7.18 ± 0.40 M_⊕ (close) or m_p = 9.48 ± 1.13 M_⊕ (wide), and distance to the lens system of D_L= 2.64 ± 0.22 kpc. This work demonstrates the importance of using an automated high resolution imaging tool to inform light curve modeling for microlensing planets found during the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Galactic Bulge Time Domain Survey (GBTDS).
We report the discovery and characterization of a planetary companion in the microlensing event KMT-2016-BLG-1337, which was produced by a binary system of low-mass stars. The light curve of the event exhibits a short-term anomaly superposed on the profile of a binary-lens single-source (2L1S) model. To investigate the nature of this anomaly, we performed detailed modeling under both the binary-lens binary-source (2L2S) and triple-lens single-source (3L1S) interpretations. The 3L1S model provides a substantially better fit to the data, strongly favoring the presence of a planetary companion in the lens system. Two viable 3L1S solutions describe the event nearly equally well. In one solution, the planet has a mass of M3 similar to 0.3 MJ and lies at a projected separation of a perpendicular to,3 similar to 4 au from the heavier member of the host binary. In the alternative solution, the planet has a mass of M3 similar to 7 MJ and a projected separation of a perpendicular to,3 similar to 1.5 au. The host binary consists of early M-type dwarfs with masses of M1 similar to 0.54 M circle dot and M2 similar to 0.40 M circle dot, separated in projection by a perpendicular to,2 similar to 3.5 au. The system is located at a distance of DL similar to 7 kpc toward the Galactic bulge. This event demonstrates the sensitivity of microlensing to planets in dynamically complex stellar environments, including systems beyond the reach of other detection techniques. It thereby contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of planet formation in multiple-star systems.
We present the discovery and analysis of the sixth microlensing two-planet system, KMT-2022-BLG-1818Lb,c, detected by a follow-up program targeting high-magnification events. The second planet was identified from implausible physical parameters for the models with a single planet. Both planets are subject to the well-known “close/wide” degeneracy, although for the first planet, which has a super-Jovian mass ratio of q _2 ≃ 5 × 10 ^−3 in both solutions, the close topology, with a normalized separation of s ≃ 0.70, is clearly preferred by Δ χ ^2 = 26. However, contrary to all previous two-planet microlensing systems, the mass ratio for the second planet, q _3 , is substantially (factor of ∼10) different for the Close and Wide topologies of the first planet. While this degeneracy is resolved in the present case due to high-cadence follow-up observations, the appearance of this new degeneracy indicates the need for caution in the analysis of future two-planet systems. A Bayesian analysis suggests that the host is likely a K dwarf star in the Galactic disk. The first planet is probably a super-Jupiter on a Jupiter-like orbit, while the second planet is a Saturn-class planet on either a Mercury-like or Saturn-like orbit.
Exoplanets classified as super-Earths are commonly observed on short-period orbits, close to their host stars, but their abundance on wider orbits is poorly constrained. Gravitational microlensing is sensitive to exoplanets on wide orbits. We observed the microlensing event OGLE-2016-BLG-0007, which indicates an exoplanet with a planet-to-star mass ratio roughly double the Earth-Sun mass ratio, on an orbit longer than Saturn's. We combined this event with a larger sample from a microlensing survey to determine the distribution of mass ratios for planets on wide orbits. We infer that there are ~0.35 super-Earth planets per star on Jupiter-like orbits. The observations are most consistent with a bimodal distribution, with separate peaks for super-Earths and gas giants. We suggest that this reflects differences in their formation processes.
The light curves of the microlensing events MOA-2022-BLG-091 and KMT-2024-BLG-1209 exhibit anomalies with very similar features. These anomalies appear near the peaks of the light curves, where the magnifications are moderately high, and are distinguished by weak caustic-crossing features with minimal distortion while the source remains inside the caustic. To achieve a deeper understanding of these anomalies, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the lensing events. We carried out binary-lens modeling with a thorough exploration of the parameter space. This analysis revealed that the anomalies in both events are of planetary origin, although their exact interpretation is complicated by different types of degeneracy. In the case of MOA-2022-BLG-091, the main difficulty in the interpretation of the anomaly arises from a newly identified degeneracy related to the uncertain angle at which the source trajectory intersects the planet-host axis. For KMT-2024-BLG-1209, the interpretation is affected by the previously known inner-outer degeneracy, which leads to ambiguity between solutions in which the source passes through either the inner or outer caustic region relative to the planet host. Bayesian analysis indicates that the planets in both lens systems are giant planets with masses about 2 to 4 times that of Jupiter, orbiting early K-type main-sequence stars. Both systems are likely located in the Galactic disk at a distance of around 4 kiloparsecs. The degeneracy in KMT-2024-BLG-1209 is challenging to resolve because it stems from intrinsic similarities in the caustic structures of the degenerate solutions. In contrast, the degeneracy in MOA-2022-BLG-091, which occurs by chance rather than from inherent characteristics, is expected to be resolved by the future space based Roman RGES microlensing survey.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) will unveil for the first time the full architecture of planetary systems across Galactic distances through the discovery of up to 200,000 cool and hot exoplanets using microlensing and transit detection methods. Roman's huge exoplanet haul, and Galactic reach, will require new methods to leverage the full exoplanet demographic content of the combined microlensing and transit samples, given the different sensitivity bias of the techniques to planet and host properties and Galactic location. We present a framework for technique-agnostic exoplanet demography (TAED) that can allow large, multi-technique exoplanet samples distributed over Galactic distance scales to be combined for demographic studies. Our TAED forward modelling and retrieval framework uses parameterised model exoplanet demographic distributions to embed planetary systems within a stellar population synthesis model of the Galaxy, enabling internally consistent forecasts to be made for all detection methods that are based on spatio-kinematic system properties. In this paper, as a first test of the TAED framework, we apply it to simulated transit datasets based on the Kepler Data Release 25 to assess parameter recovery accuracy and method scalability for a single large homogeneous dataset. We find that optimisation using differential evolution provides a computationally scalable framework that gives a good balance between computational efficiency and accuracy of parameter recovery.
In this work, we continue to apply the updated KMTNet tender-love care photometric pipeline to historical microlensing events. We apply the pipeline to a subsample of events from the KMTNet database, which we refer to as the giant source sample. Leveraging the improved photometric data, we conduct a systematic search for anomalies within this sample. The search successfully uncovers four new planet-like anomalies and recovers two previously known planetary signals. After detailed analysis, two of the newly discovered anomalies are confirmed as clear planets: KMT-2019-BLG-0578 and KMT-2021-BLG-0736. Their planet-to-host mass ratios are q ∼ 4 × 10 ^−3 and q ∼ 1 × 10 ^−4 , respectively. Another event, OGLE-2018-BLG-0421 (KMT-2018-BLG-0831), remains ambiguous. Both a stellar companion and a giant planet in the lens system could potentially explain the observed anomaly. The anomaly signal of the last event, MOA-2022-BLG-038 (KMT-2022-BLG-2342), is attributed to an extra source star. Within this sample, our procedure doubles the number of confirmed planets, demonstrating a significant enhancement in the survey sensitivity.
We present a comprehensive analysis of the planetary microlensing event OGLE-2015-BLG-1609. The planetary anomaly was detected by two survey telescopes, OGLE and MOA. Both surveys collected enough data over the planetary anomaly to enable an unambiguous planet detection. Such survey detections of planetary anomalies are needed to build a robust sample of planets, which could improve studies on the microlensing planetary occurrence rate by reducing biases and statistical uncertainties. In this work we examined different methods for modeling microlensing events using individual datasets. In particular, we incorporated a Galactic model prior to better constrain the poorly defined microlensing parallax. Ultimately, we fitted a comprehensive model to all available data, identifying three potential topologies, with two showing comparably high Bayesian evidence. Our analysis indicates that the host of the planet is either a brown dwarf, with a probability of 34%, or a low-mass stellar object (M dwarf), with a probability of 66%. The topology that provides the best fit to the data results in an extraordinary low host mass, Mh = 0.025+(0.050)-M-0.012(circle dot), accompanied by an Earth-mass planet with Mc = 1.9+(3.9)-M-1.0(circle plus).
In this study, we analyze microlensing events from the 2023 and 2024 observing seasons to identify cases likely caused by binary systems composed of BDs. By applying criteria that the binary-lens events exhibit well-resolved caustics, short time scales (t_ E≲ 9 days), and have small angular Einstein radii (θ_ E≲ 0.17 mas), we identify six candidate binary BD events: MOA-2023-BLG-331, KMT-2023-BLG-2019, KMT-2024-BLG-1005, KMT-2024-BLG-1518, MOA-2024-BLG-181, and KMT-2024-BLG-2486. Analysis of these events leads to models that provide precise estimates for both lensing observables, t_ E and θ_ E. We estimate the masses of the binary components through Bayesian analysis, utilizing the constraints from t_ E and θ_ E. The results show that for the events KMT-2024-BLG-1005, KMT-2024-BLG-1518, MOA-2024-BLG-181, and KMT-2024-BLG-2486, the probability that both binary components lie within the BD mass range exceeds 50%, indicating a high likelihood that the lenses of these events are binary BDs. In contrast, for MOA-2023-BLG-331L and KMT-2023-BLG-2019L, the probabilities that the lower-mass components of the binary lenses lie within the BD mass range exceed 50%, while the probabilities for the heavier components are below 50%, suggesting that these systems are more likely to consist of a low-mass M dwarf and a BD. The brown-dwarf nature of the binary candidates can ultimately be confirmed by combining the measured lens-source relative proper motions with high-resolution imaging taken at a later time.
We present measurements of the microlensing optical depth and event rate toward the Galactic bulge using the data set from the 2006 to 2014 MOA-II survey, which covers 22 bulge fields spanning similar to 42 deg(2 )between -5 degrees < l < 10 degrees and -7 degrees < b < -1 degrees. In the central region with divided by l divided by < 5 degrees, we estimate an optical depth of tau=[1.75 +/- 0.04]x10(-6)exp[(0.34 +/- 0.02)(3 degrees-divided by b divided by)] and an event rate of Gamma = [16.08 +/- 0.28] x 10(-6) exp[(0.44 +/- 0.02)(3 degrees-divided by b divided by)]star(-1)yr(-1) using a sample consisting of 3525 microlensing events, with Einstein radius crossing times of t(E) < 760 days and a source star magnitude of I-s < 21.4 mag. We confirm our results are consistent with the latest measurements from the OGLE-IV 8 yr data set. We find our result is inconsistent with a prediction based on Galactic models, especially in the central region with divided by b divided by < 3 degrees. These results can be used to improve the Galactic bulge model, and more central regions can be further elucidated by upcoming microlensing experiments, such as the PRime-focus Infrared Microlensing Experiment and Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
We present the analysis of a microlensing event KMT-2022-BLG-0086 of which the overall light curve is not described by a binary-lens single-source (2L1S) model, which suggests the existence of an extra lens or an extra source. We found that the event is best explained by the binary-lens binary-source (2L2S) model, but the 2L2S model is only favored over the triple-lens single-source (3L1S) model by Delta chi 2 similar or equal to 9. Although the event has noticeable anomalies around the peak of the light curve, they are not enough covered to constrain the angular Einstein radius theta E, thus we only measure the minimum angular Einstein radius theta E,min . From the Bayesian analysis, it is found that that the binary lens system is a binary star with masses of (m1,m2)=(0.46-0.25+0.35M circle dot,0.75-0.55+0.67M circle dot) at a distance of DL=5.87-1.79+1.21 kpc, while the triple lens system is a brown dwarf or a massive giant planet in a low-mass binary-star system with masses of (m1,m2,m3)=(0.43-0.35+0.41M circle dot,0.056-0.047+0.055M circle dot , 20.84-17.04+20.20MJ) at a distance of DL=4.06-3.28+1.39 kpc, indicating a disk lens system. The 2L2S model yields the relative lens-source proper motion of mu rel >= 4.6 mas yr-1 that is consistent with the Bayesian result, whereas the 3L1S model yields mu rel >= 18.9 mas yr-1, which is more than three times larger than that of a typical disk object of similar to 6 mas yr-1 and thus is not consistent with the Bayesian result. This suggests that the event is likely caused by the binary-lens binary-source model.
Aims. We present analyses of six microlensing events: KMT-2023-BLG-0548, KMT-2023-BLG-0830, KMT-2023-BLG-0949, KMT-2024-BLG-1281, KMT-2024-BLG-2059, and KMT-2024-BLG-2242. These were identified in KMTNet data from the 2023-2024 seasons, selected for exhibiting anomalies shorter than one day - potential signatures of low-mass planetary companions. Motivated by this, we conducted detailed investigations to characterize the nature of the observed perturbations. Methods. Detailed modeling of the light curves reveals that the anomalies in all six events are caused by planetary companions to the lenses. The brief durations of the anomalies are attributed to various factors: a low planet-to-host mass ratio (KMT-2024-BLG-2059, KMT-2024-BLG-2242), a wide planet-host separation (KMT-2023-BLG-0548), small and elongated caustics restricting the source's interaction region (KMT-2023-BLG-0830, KMT-2024-BLG-1281), and a partial caustic crossing (KMT-2023-BLG-0949). Results. We estimated the physical parameters of the lens systems using Bayesian analysis. For KMT-2023-BLG-0548, the posterior distribution of the lens mass shows two distinct peaks: a low-mass solution indicating a sub-Jovian planet orbiting an M dwarf in the Galactic disk, and a high-mass solution suggesting a super-Jovian planet around a K-type dwarf in the bulge. KMT-2023-BLG-0830 hosts a Neptune-mass planet orbiting an M dwarf in the Galactic bulge. KMT-2023-BLG-0949 involves a super-Jovian planet orbiting a similar to 0.5 M-circle dot host located at similar to 6 kpc. KMT-2024-BLG-2059Lb is a super-Earth with a mass about seven times that of Earth, orbiting an early M dwarf of similar to 0.5 M-circle dot. KMT-2024-BLG-1281L hosts a planet slightly more massive than Neptune, orbiting an M dwarf of similar to 0.3 M-circle dot. The short timescale and small angular Einstein radius of KMT-2024-BLG-2242 suggest a similar to 0.07 M-circle dot primary, likely a brown dwarf, with a planet of Uranus- or Neptune-like mass.