One-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Networks for Detecting Transiting Exoplanets

The transit method is one of the most relevant exoplanet detection techniques, which consists of detecting periodic eclipses in the light curves of stars. This is not always easy due to the presence of noise in the light curves, which is induced, for example, by the response of a telescope to stellar flux. For this reason, we aimed to develop an artificial neural network model that is able to detect these transits in light curves obtained from different telescopes and surveys. We created artificial light curves with and without transits to try to mimic those expected for the extended mission of the Kepler telescope (K2) in order to train and validate a 1D convolutional neural network model, which was later tested, obtaining an accuracy of 99.02% and an estimated error (loss function) of 0.03. These results, among others, helped to confirm that the 1D CNN is a good choice for working with non-phased-folded Mandel and Agol light curves with transits. It also reduces the number of light curves that have to be visually inspected to decide if they present transit-like signals and decreases the time needed for analyzing each (with respect to traditional analysis).