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TESS produces several catalogs of possibly transit-like, periodic signals found in the TESS data.  As the diagram above indicates, these catalogs contain overlapping populations each with different levels of vettingsignals are vetted they are can be included in the next catalog down.  The catalog of signals with the lowest least amount of vetting are the Threshold Crossing Events (TCEs) which are produced by the SPOC Pipeline.  Other groups may also search the short cadence light curves, or the longer cadence FFIs for signals that may be consistent with transiting exoplanets. Since these signals have little-to-no vetting, the reliability can be quite low.  Signals found in the data are then turned into TESS Objects of Interest (TOI) once the signal is vetted and determined to be sufficiently consistent with a transit or eclipse. The TOI list contains both planet candidates and false positives. The false positives are those with evidence of being an eclipsing binary, but these are the signals that are worthy of follow-up observations. Once follow-up measurements, or additional analysis, reveal the mass of the transiting object, or remove all doubt that the signal could be caused by an eclipsing binary, the planet is considered confirmed.

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