1,445 research outputs found
On the penetration of meridional circulation below the solar convection zone
Meridional flows with velocities of a few meters per second are observed in
the uppermost regions of the solar convection zone. The amplitude and pattern
of the flows deeper in the solar interior, in particular near the top of the
radiative region, are of crucial importance to a wide range of solar
magnetohydrodynamical processes. In this paper, we provide a systematic study
of the penetration of large-scale meridional flows from the convection zone
into the radiative zone. In particular, we study the effects of the assumed
boundary conditions applied at the convective-radiative interface on the deeper
flows. Using simplified analytical models in conjunction with more complete
numerical methods, we show that penetration of the convectively-driven
meridional flows into the deeper interior is not necessarily limited to a
shallow Ekman depth but can penetrate much deeper, depending on how the
convective-radiative interface flows are modeled.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Subitted to Ap
Detection of Planetary Emission from the Exoplanet TrES-2 using Spitzer /IRAC
We present here the results of our observations of TrES-2 using the Infrared
Array Camera on Spitzer. We monitored this transiting system during two
secondary eclipses, when the planetary emission is blocked by the star. The
resulting decrease in flux is 0.127%+-0.021%, 0.230%+-0.024%, 0.199%+-0.054%,
and 0.359%+-0.060%, at 3.6 microns, 4.5 microns, 5.8 microns, and 8.0 microns,
respectively. We show that three of these flux contrasts are well fit by a
black body spectrum with T_{eff}=1500 K, as well as by a more detailed model
spectrum of a planetary atmosphere. The observed planet-to-star flux ratios in
all four IRAC channels can be explained by models with and without a thermal
inversion in the atmosphere of TrES-2, although with different atmospheric
chemistry. Based on the assumption of thermochemical equilibrium, the chemical
composition of the inversion model seems more plausible, making it a more
favorable scenario. TrES-2 also falls in the category of highly irradiated
planets which have been theoretically predicted to exhibit thermal inversions.
However, more observations at infrared and visible wavelengths would be needed
to confirm a thermal inversion in this system. Furthermore, we find that the
times of the secondary eclipses are consistent with previously published times
of transit and the expectation from a circular orbit. This implies that TrES-2
most likely has a circular orbit, and thus does not obtain additional thermal
energy from tidal dissipation of a non-zero orbital eccentricity, a proposed
explanation for the large radius of this planet.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in the
Astrophysical Journal. V2: New figure added ; other minor changes throughou
High Metallicity and Non-equilibrium Chemistry in the Dayside Atmosphere of hot-Neptune GJ 436b
We present a detailed analysis of the dayside atmosphere of the hot-Neptune
GJ~436b, based on recent Spitzer observations. We report statistical
constraints on the thermal and chemical properties of the planetary atmosphere,
study correlations between the various molecular species, and discuss scenarios
of equilibrium and non-equilibrium chemistry in GJ 436b. We model the
atmosphere with a one-dimensional line-by-line radiative transfer code with
parameterized molecular abundances and temperature structure. We explore the
model parameter space with 10^6 models, using a Markov chain Monte Carlo
scheme. Our results encompass previous findings, indicating a paucity of
methane, an overabundance of CO and CO2, and a slight underabundance of H2O, as
compared to equilibrium chemistry with solar metallicity. The concentrations of
the species are highly correlated. Our best-fit, and most plausible,
constraints require a CH4 mixing ratio of 1.0E-7 to 1.0E-6, with CO >= 1.0E-3,
CO2 ~ 1.0E-6 to 1.0E-4, and H2O <= 1.0E-4; higher CH4 would require much higher
CO and CO2. Based on calculations of equilibrium and non-equilibrium chemistry,
we find that the observed abundances can potentially be explained by a
combination of high metallicity (~ 10 x solar) and vertical mixing with Kzz ~
10^6 - 10^7 cm^2/s. The inferred metallicity is enhanced over that of the host
star which is known to be consistent with solar metallicity. Our constraints
rule out a dayside thermal inversion in GJ 436b. We emphasize that the
constraints reported in this work depend crucially on the observations in the
two Spitzer channels at 3.6 micron and 4.5 micron. Future observations with
warm Spitzer and with the James Webb Space Telescope will be extremely
important to improve upon the present constraints on the abundances of carbon
species in the dayside atmosphere of GJ 436b.Comment: Accepted version, 15 pages in emulateapj, 7 figures. Published in
ApJ, 2011, 729, 4
A Precise Estimate of the Radius of HD 149026b
We present Spitzer 8 micron transit observations of the extrasolar planet
system HD 149026. At this wavelength, transit light curves are weakly affected
by stellar limb-darkening, allowing for a simpler and more accurate
determination of planetary parameters. We measure a planet-star radius ratio of
R_p/R_s = 0.05158 +/- 0.00077, and in combination with ground-based data and
independent constraints on the stellar mass and radius, we derive an orbital
inclination of i = 85.4 +0.9/-0.8 deg. and a planet radius of 0.755 +/- 0.040
Jupiter radii. These measurements further support models in which the planet is
greatly enriched in heavy elements.Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the 253rd IAU Symposium: "Transiting
Planets", May 2008, Cambridge, M
Resolving the Surfaces of Extrasolar Planets With Secondary Eclipse Light Curves
We present a method that employs the secondary eclipse light curves of
transiting extrasolar planets to probe the spatial variation of their thermal
emission. This technique permits an observer to resolve the surface of the
planet without the need to spatially resolve its central star. We evaluate the
feasibility of this technique for the HD 209458 system [..]. We consider two
representations of the planetary thermal emission; a simple model parameterized
by a sinusoidal dependence on longitude and latitude, as well as the results of
a three-dimensional dynamical simulation of the planetary atmosphere previously
published by Cooper & Showman. We find that observations of the secondary
eclipse light curve are most sensitive to a longitudinal offset in the
geometric and photometric centroids of the hemisphere of the planet visible
near opposition. To quantify this signal, we define a new parameter, the
``uniform time offset,'' which measures the time lag between the observed
secondary eclipse and that predicted by a planet with a uniform surface flux
distribution. We compare the predicted amplitude of this parameter for HD
209458 with the precision with which it could be measured with IRAC. We find
that IRAC observations at 3.6um a single secondary eclipse should permit
sufficient precision to confirm or reject the Cooper & Showman model of the
surface flux distribution for this planet. We quantify the signal-to-noise
ratio for this offset in the remaining IRAC bands (4.5um, 5.8um, and 8.0um),
and find that a modest improvement in photometric precision (as might be
realized through observations of several eclipse events) should permit a
similarly robust detection.Comment: AASTeX 5.2, 24 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ; v2:
clarifications, updated to version accepted by ApJ; v3: try to reduce spacin
The Broadband Infrared Emission Spectrum of the Exoplanet HD 189733b
We present Spitzer Space Telescope time series photometry of the exoplanet
system HD 189733 spanning two times of secondary eclipse, when the planet
passes out of view behind the parent star. We estimate the relative eclipse
depth in 5 distinct bands and find the planet-to-star flux ratio to be 0.256
+/- 0.014% (3.6 microns), 0.214 +/- 0.020% (4.5 microns), 0.310 +/- 0.034% (5.8
microns), 0.391 +/- 0.022% (8.0 microns), and 0.598 +/- 0.038% (24 microns).
For consistency, we re-analyze a previously published time series to deduce a
contrast ratio in an additional band, 0.519 +/- 0.020% (16 microns). Our data
are strongly inconsistent with a Planck spectrum, and we clearly detect
emission near 4 microns as predicted by published theoretical models in which
this feature arises from a corresponding opacity window. Unlike recent results
for the exoplanet HD 209458b, we find that the emergent spectrum from HD
189733b is best matched by models that do not include an atmospheric
temperature inversion. Taken together, these two studies provide initial
observational support for the idea that hot Jupiter atmospheres diverge into
two classes, in which a thermal inversion layer is present for the more
strongly irradiated objects.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figures, accepted to the Astrophysical Journal, minor
revision
An Upper Limit on the Reflected Light from the Planet Orbiting the Star tau Bootis
The planet orbiting tau Boo at a separation of 0.046 AU could produce a
reflected light flux as bright as 1e-4 relative to that of the star. A spectrum
of the system will contain a reflected light component which varies in
amplitude and Doppler-shift as the planet orbits the star. Assuming the
secondary spectrum is primarily the reflected stellar spectrum, we can limit
the relative reflected light flux to be less than 5e-5. This implies an upper
limit of 0.3 for the planetary geometric albedo near 480 nm, assuming a
planetary radius of 1.2 R_Jup. This albedo is significantly less than that of
any of the giant planets of the solar system, and is not consistent with
certain published theoretical predictions.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, accepted by ApJ Letter
The origin of grand minima in the sunspot cycle
One of the most striking aspects of the 11-year sunspot cycle is that there
have been times in the past when some cycles went missing, a most well-known
example of this being the Maunder minimum during 1645-1715. Analyses of
cosmogenic isotopes (C14 and Be10) indicated that there were about 27 grand
minima in the last 11,000 yr, implying that about 2.7% of the solar cycles had
conditions appropriate for forcing the Sun into grand minima. We address the
question how grand minima are produced and specifically calculate the frequency
of occurrence of grand minima from a theoretical dynamo model. We assume that
fluctuations in the poloidal field generation mechanism and the meridional
circulation produce irregularities of sunspot cycles. Taking these fluctuations
to be Gaussian and estimating the values of important parameters from the data
of last 28 solar cycles, we show from our flux transport dynamo model that
about 1-4% of the sunspot cycles may have conditions suitable for inducing
grand minima.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter
Hubble Space Telescope times-series photometry of the planetary transit of HD189733: no moon, no rings, starspots
We monitored three transits of the giant gas planet around the nearby K dwarf
HD 189733 with the ACS camera on the Hubble Space Telescope. The resulting
very-high accuracy lightcurve (signal-to-noise ratio near 15000 on individual
measurements, 35000 on 10-minute averages) allows a direct geometric
measurement of the orbital inclination, radius ratio and scale of the system: i
= 85.68 +- 0.04, Rpl/R*=0.1572 +- 0.0004, a/R*=8.92 +- 0.09. We derive improved
values for the stellar and planetary radius, R*=0.755+- 0.011 Rsol, Rpl=1.154
+- 0.017 RJ, and the transit ephemerides, Ttr=2453931.12048 +- 0.00002 + n
2.218581 +- 0.000002$. The HST data also reveal clear evidence of the planet
occulting spots on the surface of the star. At least one large spot complex
(>80000 km) is required to explain the observed flux residuals and their colour
evolution. This feature is compatible in amplitude and phase with the
variability observed simultaneously from the ground. No evidence for satellites
or rings around HD 189733b is seen in the HST lightcurve. This allows us to
exlude with a high probability the presence of Earth-sized moons and
Saturn-type debris rings around this planet. The timing of the three transits
sampled is stable to the level of a few seconds, excluding a massive second
planet in outer 2:1 resonance.Comment: revised version. Significant updates and new figures; to appear in
Astronomy and Astrophysic
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