Rayleigh Scattering in the Atmosphere of the Warm Exo-Neptune GJ 3470b

GJ 3470b is a warm Neptune-size planet transiting an M dwarf star. Like the handful of other small exoplanets for which transmission spectroscopy has been obtained, GJ 3470b exhibits a flat spectrum in the near- and mid-infrared. Recently, a tentative detection of Rayleigh scattering in its atmosphere has been reported. This signal manifests itself as an observed increase of the planetary radius as a function of decreasing wavelength in the visible. We set out to verify this detection and observed several transits of this planet with the LCOGT network and the Kuiper telescope in four different bands (Sloan g, Sloan i, Harris B, and Harris V). Our analysis reveals a strong Rayleigh scattering slope, thus confirming previous results. This makes GJ 3470b the smallest known exoplanet with a detection of Rayleigh scattering. We find that the most plausible scenario is a hydrogen/helium-dominated atmosphere covered by clouds which obscure absorption features in the infrared and hazes which give rise to scattering in the visible. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of exoplanet atmospheric characterization from the ground, even with meter-class telescopes

Unusual Isotopic Abundances in a Fully-Convective Stellar Binary

Low-mass M dwarfs represent the most common outcome of star formation, but their complex emergent spectra hinder detailed studies of their composition and initial formation. The measurement of isotopic ratios is a key tool that has been used to unlock the formation of our Solar System, the Sun, and the nuclear processes within more massive stars. We observed GJ 745AB, two M dwarfs orbiting in a wide binary, with the IRTF/iSHELL spectrograph. Our spectroscopy of CO in these stars at the 4.7 micron fundamental and 2.3 micron first-overtone rovibrational bandheads reveals 12C16O, 13C16O, and 12C18O in their photospheres. Since the stars are fully convective, the atomic constituents of these isotopologues should be uniformly mixed throughout the stars' interiors. We find that in these M dwarfs, both 12C/13C and 16O/18O greatly exceed the Solar values. These measurements cannot be explained solely by models of Galactic chemical evolution, but require that the stars formed from an ISM significantly enriched by material ejected from an exploding core-collape supernova. These isotopic measurements complement the elemental abundances provided by large-scale spectroscopic surveys, and open a new window onto studies of Galactic evolution, stellar populations, and individual systems.Comment: 11 pages, 4 data files, 3 figures, 2 tables. ApJ in pres

High Resolution, Differential, Near-infrared Transmission Spectroscopy of GJ 1214b

The nearby star GJ 1214 hosts a planet intermediate in radius and mass between Earth and Neptune, resulting in some uncertainty as to its nature. We have observed this planet, GJ 1214b, during transit with the high-resolution, near-infrared NIRSPEC spectrograph on the Keck II telescope, in order to characterize the planet's atmosphere. By cross-correlating the spectral changes through transit with a suite of theoretical atmosphere models, we search for variations associated with absorption in the planet atmosphere. Our observations are sufficient to rule out tested model atmospheres with wavelength-dependent transit depth variations >5e-4 over the wavelength range 2.1 - 2.4 micron. Our sensitivity is limited by variable slit loss and telluric transmission effects. We find no positive signatures but successfully rule out a number of plausible atmospheric models, including the default assumption of a gaseous, H-dominated atmosphere in chemical equilibrium. Such an atmosphere can be made consistent if the absorption due to methane is reduced. Clouds can also render such an atmosphere consistent with our observations, but only if they lie higher in the atmosphere than indicated by recent optical and infrared measurements. When taken in concert with constraints from other groups, our results support a consensus model in which the atmosphere of GJ 1214b contains significant H and He, but where methane is depleted. If this depletion is the result of photochemical processes, it may also produce a haze that suppresses spectral features in the optical.Comment: 32 pages, 15 figures, preprint, accepted to ApJ, responded to referee's comments. Comments welcom

ACME Stellar Spectra. I. Absolutely Calibrated, Mostly Empirical Flux Densities of 55 Cancri and its Transiting Planet 55 Cancri e

The ACME Spectra project provides absolutely calibrated, mostly empirical spectra of exoplanet host stars for use in analysis of the stars and their planets. Spectra are obtained from ground-based telescopes and are tied directly to calibrated ground- and space-based photometry. The spectra remain only "mostly" empirical because of telluric absorption, but interpolation of stellar models over the gaps in wavelength coverage provides continuous stellar spectra. Among other uses, the spectra are suitable for precisely converting observed secondary eclipses (occultations) into absolute flux units with minimal recourse to models. In this letter I introduce ACME's methods and present a calibrated spectrum of the nearby, super-Earth hosting star 55 Cancri that spans the range from 0.81-5.05 micron. This spectrum is well-suited for interpreting near- and thermal-infrared eclipse observations. With this spectrum I show that the brightness temperature of the small, low-mass transiting planet 55 Cnc e is 1950 +260/-190 K at 4.5 micron (cooler than previously reported), which corresponds to a planetary flux of 0.44 +0.12/-0.08 mJy. This result suggests the planet has some combination of a nonzero albedo, a moderately efficient redistribution of absorbed stellar irradiation, and/or an optically thick atmosphere, but more precise eclipse measurements are required to distinguish between these scenarii.Comment: Accepted to A&A. 6 pages, 1 figure, 1 electronic table. See http://irtfweb.ifa.hawaii.edu/~spex/IRTF_Spectral_Library/ for an alternative spectru

A global cloud map of the nearest known brown dwarf

Brown dwarfs -- substellar bodies more massive than planets but not massive enough to initiate the sustained hydrogen fusion that powers self-luminous stars -- are born hot and slowly cool as they age. As they cool below about 2,300 K, liquid or crystalline particles composed of calcium aluminates, silicates and iron condense into atmospheric 'dust', which disappears at still cooler temperatures (around 1,300 K). Models to explain this dust dispersal include both an abrupt sinking of the entire cloud deck into the deep, unob- servable atmosphere and breakup of the cloud into scattered patches (as seen on Jupiter and Saturn). Thus far, observations of brown dwarfs have been limited to globally integrated measurements, which can reveal surface inhomogeneities but cannot unambiguously resolve surface features. Here we report a two-dimensional map of a brown dwarf's surface that allows identification of large-scale bright and dark features, indicative of patchy clouds.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures. Spectra and map available upon reques

Characterizing Exoplanets in the Visible and Infrared: A Spectrometer Concept for the EChO Space Mission

Transit-spectroscopy of exoplanets is one of the key observational techniques to characterize the extrasolar planet and its atmosphere. The observational challenges of these measurements require dedicated instrumentation and only the space environment allows an undisturbed access to earth-like atmospheric features such as water or carbon-dioxide. Therefore, several exoplanet-specific space missions are currently being studied. One of them is EChO, the Exoplanet Characterization Observatory, which is part of ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program, and which is one of four candidates for the M3 launch slot in 2024. In this paper we present the results of our assessment study of the EChO spectrometer, the only science instrument onboard this spacecraft. The instrument is a multi-channel all-reflective dispersive spectrometer, covering the wavelength range from 400 nm to 16 microns simultaneously with a moderately low spectral resolution. We illustrate how the key technical challenge of the EChO mission - the high photometric stability - influences the choice of spectrometer concept and drives fundamentally the instrument design. First performance evaluations underline the fitness of the elaborated design solution for the needs of the EChO mission.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in the Journal of Astronomical Instrumentatio

Exoplanet phase curves: observations and theory

Phase curves are the best technique to probe the three dimensional structure of exoplanets' atmospheres. In this chapter we first review current exoplanets phase curve observations and the particular challenges they face. We then describe the different physical mechanisms shaping the atmospheric phase curves of highly irradiated tidally locked exoplanets. Finally, we discuss the potential for future missions to further advance our understanding of these new worlds.Comment: Fig.5 has been updated. Table 1 and corresponding figures have been updated with new values for WASP-103b and WASP-18b. Contains a table sumarizing phase curve observation