The detectability of Saturn-like exoplanetary rings by PLATO

Abstract: All long-period gas giant planets (and at least one minor planet) in the Solar System host rings. PLATO's superb photometric sensitivity and long dwell time make it ideal for study of the (presumed) population of similar such exoplanets. Inspired by the work of Barnes and Fortney (2004), I consider the detectability of Saturn-like exoplanetary rings by PLATO. I introduce a software package in development, capable of simulating the transits of exoplanets hosting complex ring systems, and which can take advantage of the parallel processing power of GPUs. Finally, I highlight the potential impact on extracted planetary radii, and by extension densities, under the assumption of no rings.