http://arxiv.org/abs/1705.08377
Could the dips of “Tabetha’s Star” (KIC 8462852) have been caused by matter in our Solar System? The interval between periods of deep dips is nearly twice the orbital period of the Kepler satellite. I consider a clumpy particulate ring in the outer Solar System that grazes the line of sight to the star once per orbit of Kepler. The hypothesis predicts that future dips may be observed from Earth during windows separated by a year, although their detailed structure depends on the distribution of particles along the ring. Dips observed at separated sites will be decorrelated, with correlation lengths $\lesssim 10^{12}$ cm, and possibly as short as $\sim 600$ m.
J. Katz
Wed, 24 May 17
17/70
Comments: 4 pages, 3 figures