High-precision photometry with Ariel

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In this paper we describe the photometry instruments of Ariel, consisting of the VISPhot, FGS1 and FGS2 photometers in the visual and mid-IR wavelength. These photometers have their own cadence, which can be independent from each other and the cadence of the spectral instruments. Ariel will be capable to do high cadence and high precision photometry in independent bands. There is also a possibility for synthetic Jsynth, Hsynth, and wide-band thermal infrared photometry from spectroscopic data. Although the cadence of the synthetic bands will be identical to that of the spectrographs, the precision of synthetic photometry in the suggested synthetic bands will be at least as precise as the optical data. We present the accuracy of these instruments. We also review selected fields of new science which will be opened up by the possibility of high cadence multiband space photometry, including stellar rotation, spin-orbit misalignment, orbital precession, planetary rotation and oblateness, tidal distortions, rings, and moons. © 2021, The Author(s).
This work has been supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFI) grants K-119517, K-115709, and GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00003, the Lendület Program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, project No. LP2018-7/2020, and the City of Szombathely under agreement No. S-11-1027. L.V.M. and E.P. was supported by the ASI grant n. 2018.22.HH.O. ZG and TP acknowledge support from the VEGA grant of the Slovak Academy of Sciences No. 2/0031/18 and by the grant of the Slovak Research and Development Agency number APVV-15-0458. LBo acknowledges the funding support from Italian Space Agency (ASI) regulated by “Accordo ASI-INAF n. 2013-016-R.0 del 9 luglio 2013 e integrazione del 9 luglio 2015 CHEOPS Fasi A/B/C”.
With funding from the Spanish government through the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation SEV-2017-0709.