Planetary Climate Dynamics

Abstract:

We present a JWST Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph/Single Object Slitless Spectroscopy transmission spectrum of the super-Earth GJ 357 b: the first atmospheric observation of this exoplanet. Despite missing the first 40 per cent of the transit due to using an out-of-date ephemeris, we still recover a transmission spectrum that does not display any clear signs of atmospheric features. We perform a search for Gaussian-shaped absorption features within the data but find that this analysis yields comparable fits to the observations as a flat line. We compare the transmission spectrum to a grid of atmosphere models and reject, to 3 confidence, atmospheres with metallicities solar (4 g mol−1) with clouds at pressures down to 0.01 bar. We analyse how the retention of a secondary atmosphere on GJ 357 b may be possible due to its higher escape velocity compared to an Earth-sized planet and the exceptional inactivity of its host star relative to other M2.5V stars. The star’s XUV luminosity decays below the threshold for rapid atmospheric escape early enough that the volcanic revival of an atmosphere of several bars of CO is plausible, though subject to considerable uncertainty. Finally, we model the feasibility of detecting an atmosphere on GJ 357 b with MIRI/LRS, MIRI photometry, and NIRSpec/G395H. We find that, with two eclipses, it would be possible to detect features indicative of an atmosphere or surface. Further to this, with three to four transits, it would be possible to detect a 1 bar nitrogen-rich atmosphere with 1000 ppm of CO.

Abstract:

Transmission spectroscopy has provided unprecedented insight into the makeup of exoplanet atmospheres. A transmission spectrum contains contributions from a planet’s morning and evening limbs, which can differ in temperature, composition, and aerosol properties due to atmospheric circulation. While high-resolution ground-based observations have identified limb asymmetry in several ultrahot/hot exoplanets, space-based studies of limb asymmetry are still in their early stages. The prevalence of limb asymmetry across a broad range of exoplanets remains largely unexplored. We conduct a comparative analysis of retrievals on transmission spectra, including traditional one-dimensional (1D) approaches and four 2D models that account for limb asymmetry. Two of these 2D models include our newly proposed dynamical constraints derived from shallow-water simulations to provide physically-motivated temperature differences between limbs. Our analysis of WASP-39 b using JWST observations and previous combined data sets (HST, VLT, and Spitzer) strongly favors 2D retrievals over traditional 1D approaches, confirming significant limb asymmetry in this hot Jupiter. Within our 2D framework, unconstrained models recover larger temperature contrasts than dynamically-constrained models, with improved fits to specific spectral features, although Bayesian evidence cannot definitively distinguish between these 2D approaches. Our results support the presence of homogeneous C/O in both the morning and evening atmospheres, but with temperature differences leading to variations in clouds and hazes. Using this treatment, we can study a larger sample of hot Jupiters to gain insights into atmospheric limb asymmetries on these planets.

Abstract:

We present a new epoch of JWST spectroscopic variability monitoring of the benchmark binary brown dwarf WISE 1049AB, the closest, brightest brown dwarfs known. Our 8-h JWST/MIRI low resolution spectroscopy and 7-h JWST/NIRSpec prism observations extended variability measurements for any brown dwarfs beyond 11  μm for the first time, reaching up to 14 μm. Combined with the previous epoch in 2023, they set the longest JWST weather monitoring baseline to date. We found that both WISE 1049AB show wavelength-dependent light-curve behaviours. Using a robust k-means clustering algorithm, we identified several clusters of variability behaviours associated with three distinct pressure levels. By comparing to a general circulation model, we identified the possible mechanisms that drive the variability at these pressure levels: patchy clouds rotating in and out of view likely shaped the dramatic light curves in the deepest layers between 1–2.5 μm, whereas hotspots arising from temperature/chemical variations of molecular species likely dominate the high-altitude levels between 2.5–3.6 μm and 4.3–8.5 μm. Small-grain silicates potentially contributed to the variability of WISE 1049A at 8.5–11 μm. While distinct atmospheric layers are governed by different mechanisms, we confirmed for the first time that each variability mechanism remains consistent within its layer over the long term. Future multiperiod observations will further test the stability of variability mechanisms on this binary, and expanded JWST variability surveys across the L-T-Y sequence will allow us to trace and understand variability mechanisms across a wider population of brown dwarfs and planetary-mass objects.

Abstract:

Context . Wind dynamics play a pivotal role in governing transport processes within planetary atmospheres, influencing atmospheric chemistry, cloud formation, and the overall energy budget. Understanding the strength and patterns of winds is crucial for comprehensive insights into the physics of ultra-hot-Jupiter atmospheres. Current research has proposed different mechanisms that limit wind speeds in these atmospheres. Aims . This study focuses on unraveling the wind dynamics and the chemical composition in the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter TOI-1518 b. Methods . Two transit observations using the high-resolution ( R λ ∼ 85 000) optical (spectral coverage between 490 and 920 nm) spectrograph MAROON-X were obtained and analyzed to explore the chemical composition and wind dynamics using the cross-correlation techniques, global circulation models (GCMs), and atmospheric retrieval. Results . We report the detection of 14 species in the atmosphere of TOI-1518 b through cross-correlation analysis. VO was detected only with the new HyVO line list, whereas TiO was not detected. Additionally, we measured the time-varying cross-correlation trails for six different species, compared them with predictions from GCMs, and conclude that a strong drag is slowing the winds in TOI-1518 b’s atmosphere ( τ drag ≈ 10 3 −10 4 s). We find that the trails are species dependent. Fe+ favors stronger drag than Fe, which we interpret as a sign of magnetic effects being responsible for the observed strong drag. Furthermore, we show that Ca+ probes layers above the Roche lobe, leading to a qualitatively different trail than the other species. Finally, We used a retrieval analysis to further characterize the abundances of the different species detected. Our analysis is refined thanks to the updated planetary mass of 1.83 ± 0.47 M Jup we derived from new Sophie radial-velocity observations. We measure an abundance of Fe of log 10 Fe = −4.88 −0.76 +0.63 corresponding to 0.07 to 1.62 solar enrichment. For the other elements, the retrievals appear to be biased, probably due to the different K p /V sys shifts between Fe and the other elements, which we demonstrate for the case of VO.