2025A&A...703A.251V


Query : 2025A&A...703A.251V

2025A&A...703A.251V - Astronomy and Astrophysics, volume 703A251 (2025/11-1)

Atmospheric composition and circulation of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-121b with joint NIRPS, HARPS and CRIRES+ transit spectroscopy.

VAULATO V., HOBSON M.J., ALLART R., PELLETIER S., WARDENIER J.P., CHAKRABORTY H., EHRENREICH D., NARI N., STEINER M., DUMUSQUE X., HOEIJMAKERS H.J., ARTIGAU E., BARON F., BARROS S.C.C., BENNEKE B., BONFILS X., BOUCHY F., BRYAN M., CANTO MARTINS B.L., CLOUTIER R., COOK N.J., COWAN N.B., DE MEDEIROS J.R., DELFOSSE X., DELGADO-MENA E., DOYON R., GONZALEZ HERNANDEZ J.I., LAFRENIERE D., DE CASTRO LEAO I., LOVIS C., MALO L., MELO C., MIGNON L., MORDASINI C., PEPE F., REBOLO R., ROWE J., SANTOS N.C., SEGRANSAN D., SUAREZ MASCARENO A., UDRY S., VALENCIA D., WADE G., AGUIAR J.L.A., AL MOULLA K., AKINSANMI B., BORSATO N.W., CADIEUX C., CARTERET Y., COSTA SILVA A.R., CRISTO E.A.S., FORVEILLE T., FRENSCH Y.G.C., GROMEK N., LENDL M., PRINOTH B., PSARIDI A., STEFANOV A.K., THORSBRO B. and WEISSERMAN D.

Abstract (from CDS):

Ultra-hot gas giants such as WASP-121b provide unique laboratories for exploring atmospheric chemistry and dynamics under extreme irradiation conditions. Uncovering their chemical composition and atmospheric circulation is critical for tracing planet formation pathways. Here, we present a comprehensive atmospheric characterisation of WASP-121b using high-resolution transit spectroscopy across the optical to infrared with HARPS, NIRPS, and CRIRES+ spanning nine transit events. These observations are complemented with five TESS photometric sectors, two EulerCam light curves simultaneous to the HARPS and NIRPS transits, and an extensive radial velocity dataset in order to refine WASP-121b's orbital parameters. A cross-correlation analysis detected iron (Fe), carbon monoxide (CO) and vanadium (V) absorption signals with SNR of 5.8, 5.0, and 4.7, respectively. Our retrieval analysis constrains the water (H2O) abundance to -6.52–0.68+0.49 dex, although its absorption signal is effectively muted by the hydride (H–) continuum. We constrained the relative abundances of the volatile and refractory elements - which represents a crucial diagnostic of atmospheric chemistry, evolution, and planet formation pathways. The retrieved abundance ratios are broadly consistent with expected values of a solar composition atmosphere in chemical equilibrium, likely indicating minimal disequilibrium chemistry alterations at the probed pressures (∼10–4-10–3 bar). We update the orbital parameters of WASP-121b with its largest radial velocity dataset to date. By comparing orbital velocities derived from both the radial velocity analysis and the atmospheric retrieval, we determined a non-zero velocity offset caused by atmospheric circulation, ΔKp = -15 ± 3 km s–1 (assuming M⋆ = 1.38 ± 0.02 M⊙), consistent with predictions from either drag-free or weak-drag 3D global circulation models, while we caution the non-negligible dependence on the assumed stellar mass. These results place new constraints on the thermal structure, dynamics, and chemical inventory of WASP-121b, highlighting the power of multi-wavelength high-resolution spectroscopy to probe exoplanetary atmospheres.

Abstract Copyright: © The Authors 2025

Journal keyword(s): instrumentation: spectrographs - methods: observational - techniques: spectroscopic - planets and satellites: atmospheres - planets and satellites: composition - planets and satellites: gaseous planets

Simbad objects: 4

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Number of rows : 4
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA
ICRS (J2000)
DEC
Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2026
#notes
1 CD-38 3220 * 07 10 24.0604565856 -39 05 50.571250476   11.00 10.51     F6V 145 0
2 CD-38 3220b Pl 07 10 24.0604565856 -39 05 50.571250476           ~ 421 0
3 HD 133112b Pl 15 02 44.8678907928 -03 01 52.986571896           ~ 144 0
4 HD 195689b Pl 20 31 26.3534153736 +39 56 19.773037500           ~ 358 0

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