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HST/WFC3 Observations of Giant Hot ExoplanetsLow resolution thermal emission spectra of several dozen extrasolar planets have been measured using Spitzer, and HST observations of a few key exoplanets have reported molecular abundances via transmission spectroscopy. However, current models for the atmospheric structure of these worlds exhibit degeneracies wherein different combinations of temperature and molecular abundance profiles can fit the same Spitzer data. The advent of the IR capability on HST/WFC3 allows us to address this problem. We are currently obtaining transmission spectroscopy of the 1.4-micron water band in a sample of 13 planets, using the G141 grism on WFC3. This is the largest pure-exoplanet program ever executed on HST (115 orbits). Among the abundant molecules, only water absorbs significantly at 1.4-microns, and our measurement of water abundance will enable us to break the degeneracies in the Spitzer results with minimal model assumptions. We are also using the G141 grism to observe secondary eclipses for 7 very hot giant exoplanets at 1.S-microns, including several bright systems in the Kepler and CoRoT fields. The strong temperature sensitivity of the thermal continuum at 1.S-microns provides high leverage on atmospheric temperature for these worlds, again helping to break degeneracies in interpreting the Spitzer data. We here describe preliminary results for several exoplanets observed in this program.
Document ID
20110011670
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Abstract
Authors
Deming, D. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Agol, E. (Washington Univ. United States)
Burrows, A. (Princeton Univ. NJ, United States)
Charbonneau, D. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA, United States)
Clampin, M. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Desert, J.-M. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA, United States)
Gilliland, R. (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Knutson, H. (California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Madhusudhan, N. (Princeton Univ. NJ, United States)
Mandell, A. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Ranjan, S. (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Cambridge, MA, United States)
Seager, S. (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Showman, A. P. (Arizona Univ. AZ, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2011
Subject Category
Astronomy
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.ABS.4245.2011
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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