2022AJ....163....7F -
Astron. J., 163, 7-7 (2022/January-0)
The emission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-79b from HST/WFC3.
FOOTE T.O., LEWIS N.K., KILPATRICK B.M., GOYAL J.M., BRUNO G., WAKEFORD H.R., ROBBINS-BLANCH N., KATARIA T., MacDONALD R.J., LOPEZ-MORALES M., SING D.K., MIKAL-EVANS T., BOURRIER V., HENRY G. and BUCHHAVE L.A.
Abstract (from CDS):
Here we present a thermal emission spectrum of WASP-79b, obtained via Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 G141 observations as part of the PanCET program. As we did not observe the ingress or egress of WASP-79b's secondary eclipse, we consider two scenarios: a fixed mid-eclipse time based on the expected occurrence time, and a mid-eclipse time as a free parameter. In both scenarios, we can measure thermal emission from WASP-79b from 1.1 to 1.7 µm at 2.4σ confidence consistent with a 1900 K brightness temperature for the planet. We combine our observations with Spitzer dayside photometry (3.6 and 4.5 µm) and compare these observations to a grid of atmospheric forward models that span a range of metallicities, carbon-to-oxygen ratios, and recirculation factors. Given the strength of the planetary emission and the precision of our measurements, we found a wide range of forward models to be consistent with our data. The best-match equilibrium model suggests that WASP-79b's dayside has a solar metallicity and carbon-to-oxygen ratio, alongside a recirculation factor of 0.75. Models including significant H– opacity provide the best match to WASP-79b's emission spectrum near 1.58 µm. However, models featuring high-temperature cloud species-formed via vigorous vertical mixing and low sedimentation efficiencies-with little day-to-night energy transport also match WASP-79b's emission spectrum. Given the broad range of equilibrium chemistry, disequilibrium chemistry, and cloudy atmospheric models consistent with our observations of WASP-79b's dayside emission, further observations will be necessary to constrain WASP-79b's dayside atmospheric properties.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2021. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
Exoplanet atmospheric composition - Exoplanet atmospheres - Hot Jupiters - Exoplanets - Extrasolar gaseous giant planets
Simbad objects:
3
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