Exoplanet Atmospheres

At the dawn of the first discovery of exoplanets orbiting sun-like stars in the mid-1990s, few believed that observations of exoplanet atmospheres would ever be possible. After the 2002 Hubble Space Telescope detection of a transiting exoplanet atmosphere, many skeptics discounted it as a one-object, one-method success. Nevertheless, the field is now firmly established, with over two dozen exoplanet atmospheres observed today. Hot Jupiters are the type of exoplanet currently most amenable to study. Highlights include: detection of molecular spectral features; observation of day-night temperature gradients; and constraints on vertical atmospheric structure. Atmospheres of giant planets far from their host stars are also being studied with direct imaging. The ultimate exoplanet goal is to answer the enigmatic and ancient question, "Are we alone?" via detection of atmospheric biosignatures. Two exciting prospects are the immediate focus on transiting super Earths orbiting in the habitable zone of M-dwarfs, and ultimately the spaceborne direct imaging of true Earth analogs.

[1]  S. Seager,et al.  A TEMPERATURE AND ABUNDANCE RETRIEVAL METHOD FOR EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES , 2009, 0910.1347.

[2]  Princeton,et al.  Theoretical Transmission Spectra during Extrasolar Giant Planet Transits , 1999, astro-ph/9912241.

[3]  R. P. Butler,et al.  A Transiting “51 Peg-like” Planet , 2000, The Astrophysical journal.

[4]  Drake Deming,et al.  The hottest planet , 2007, Nature.

[5]  Cynthia S. Froning,et al.  The cosmic origins spectrograph: capabilities and prelaunch performance , 2009 .

[6]  D. Sasselov,et al.  DETECTING PLANETARY GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES ON EXOPLANETS: ATMOSPHERIC SIGNATURES AND THE CASE OF SO2 , 2010 .

[7]  Nuno C. Santos,et al.  Extrasolar Planets: Statistical properties of exoplanets , 2007 .

[8]  A. Sánchez-Lavega,et al.  Clouds in planetary atmospheres: A useful application of the Clausius–Clapeyron equation , 2004 .

[9]  S. Seager,et al.  Characterization of extrasolar terrestrial planets from diurnal photometric variability , 2001, Nature.

[10]  Tristan Guillot,et al.  Atmospheric circulation and tides of ``51 Pegasus b-like'' planets , 2002 .

[11]  Howard Isaacson,et al.  A CORRELATION BETWEEN STELLAR ACTIVITY AND HOT JUPITER EMISSION SPECTRA , 2010, 1004.2702.

[12]  M. Marley,et al.  Erratum: “Atmospheric Circulation of Hot Jupiters: Three-dimensional Circulation Models of HD 209458b and HD 189733b with Simplified Forcing” (ApJ, 682, 559 [2008]) , 2008 .

[13]  K. Menou,et al.  Atmospheric Circulation of Exoplanets , 2009, 0911.3170.

[14]  S. Seager,et al.  Ranges of Atmospheric Mass and Composition of Super-Earth Exoplanets , 2008 .

[15]  Drake Deming,et al.  Infrared radiation from an extrasolar planet , 2005, Nature.

[16]  T. Brown,et al.  Detection of Planetary Transits Across a Sun-like Star , 1999, The Astrophysical journal.

[17]  Drake Deming,et al.  A New Search for Carbon Monoxide Absorption in the Transmission Spectrum of the Extrasolar Planet HD 209458b , 2004, astro-ph/0412436.

[18]  E. Ford,et al.  Vegetation's red edge: a possible spectroscopic biosignature of extraterrestrial plants. , 2005, Astrobiology.

[19]  A. Burrows,et al.  Theory of Extrasolar Giant Planet Transits , 2001, astro-ph/0101024.

[20]  T. Barman.  Identification of Absorption Features in an Extrasolar Planet Atmosphere , 2007, 0704.1114.

[21]  David Charbonneau,et al.  Using Stellar Limb-Darkening to Refine the Properties of HD 209458b , 2006, astro-ph/0603542.

[22]  Observatoire de Geneve,et al.  VLT transit and occultation photometry for the bloated planet CoRoT-1b , 2009, 0905.4571.

[23]  John C. Geary,et al.  INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE IN KEPLER's FIRST MONTHS , 2010, 1001.0216.

[24]  David Charbonneau,et al.  Theoretical Spectral Models of the Planet HD 209458b with a Thermal Inversion and Water Emission Bands , 2007, 0709.3980.

[25]  AZ,et al.  Characterization of the hot Neptune GJ 436 b with Spitzer and ground-based observations , 2007, 0707.3809.

[26]  S. Seager,et al.  Identifying the Rotation Rate and the Presence of Dynamic Weather on Extrasolar Earth-like Planets from Photometric Observations , 2008, 0802.1836.

[27]  Arnold Hanslmeier,et al.  The CoRoT space mission : early results Special feature Determining the mass loss limit for close-in exoplanets : what can we learn from transit observations ? , 2009 .

[28]  J. Kasting,et al.  M stars as targets for terrestrial exoplanet searches and biosignature detection. , 2007, Astrobiology.

[29]  Franck Selsis,et al.  Signature of life on exoplanets: Can Darwin produce false positive detections? , 2002 .

[30]  Andrew Szentgyorgyi,et al.  A laser frequency comb that enables radial velocity measurements with a precision of 1 cm s-1 , 2008, Nature.

[31]  J. Lederberg,et al.  Signs of Life: Criterion-System of Exobiology , 1965, Nature.

[32]  C. Sotin,et al.  A new family of planets? Ocean-Planets , 2003 .

[33]  D. Sasselov,et al.  THE ATMOSPHERIC SIGNATURES OF SUPER-EARTHS: HOW TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN HYDROGEN-RICH AND HYDROGEN-POOR ATMOSPHERES , 2008, 0808.1902.

[34]  T. Brown.  Transmission Spectra as Diagnostics of Extrasolar Giant Planet Atmospheres , 2001, astro-ph/0101307.

[35]  W. Cash.  Detection of Earth-like planets around nearby stars using a petal-shaped occulter , 2006, Nature.

[36]  Jonathan Tennyson,et al.  Water in the atmosphere of HD 209458b from 3.6–8 μm IRAC photometric observations in primary transit , 2010 .

[37]  Michel Mayor,et al.  The Broadband Infrared Emission Spectrum of the Exoplanet HD 189733b , 2008, 0802.0845.

[38]  Drake Deming,et al.  The Phase-Dependent Infrared Brightness of the Extrasolar Planet ʊ Andromedae b , 2006, Science.

[39]  David Charbonneau,et al.  MULTIWAVELENGTH CONSTRAINTS ON THE DAY–NIGHT CIRCULATION PATTERNS OF HD 189733b , 2008, 0802.1705.

[40]  R. Kuschnig,et al.  WATER, METHANE, AND CARBON DIOXIDE PRESENT IN THE DAYSIDE SPECTRUM OF THE EXOPLANET HD 209458b , 2009, 0908.4010.

[41]  H. Lichtenegger,et al.  Coronal mass ejection (CME) activity of low mass M stars as an important factor for the habitability of terrestrial exoplanets. II. CME-induced ion pick up of Earth-like exoplanets in close-in habitable zones. , 2007, Astrobiology.

[42]  Drake Deming,et al.  STUDYING THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE EXOPLANET HAT-P-7b VIA SECONDARY ECLIPSE MEASUREMENTS WITH EPOXI, SPITZER, AND KEPLER , 2009, 0912.2132.

[43]  S. Seager,et al.  PHOTOMETRIC LIGHT CURVES AND POLARIZATION OF CLOSE-IN EXTRASOLAR GIANT PLANETS , 2000 .

[44]  C. Moutou,et al.  Detection of atmospheric haze on an extrasolar planet: the 0.55–1.05 μm transmission spectrum of HD 189733b with the Hubble Space Telescope , 2007, 0712.1374.

[45]  Joseph L. Hora,et al.  THERMAL EMISSION AND TIDAL HEATING OF THE HEAVY AND ECCENTRIC PLANET XO-3b , 2010, 1001.2319.

[46]  A. P. Showman,et al.  The Influence of Atmospheric Dynamics on the Infrared Spectra and Light Curves of Hot Jupiters , 2006 .

[47]  M. Mayor,et al.  An extended upper atmosphere around the extrasolar planet HD209458b , 2003, Nature.

[48]  S. Albrecht,et al.  The changing phases of extrasolar planet CoRoT-1b , 2009, Nature.

[49]  D. Ehrenreich,et al.  TiO and VO broad band absorption features in the optical spectrum of the atmosphere of the hot-Jupiter HD 209458b , 2008, 0809.1865.

[50]  Modeling the Formation of Clouds in Brown Dwarf Atmospheres , 2003 .

[51]  Richard S. Freedman,et al.  A Unified Theory for the Atmospheres of the Hot and Very Hot Jupiters: Two Classes of Irradiated Atmospheres , 2007, 0710.2558.

[52]  James F Kasting,et al.  A revised, hazy methane greenhouse for the Archean Earth. , 2008, Astrobiology.

[53]  Drake Deming,et al.  Rapid heating of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet , 2009, Nature.

[54]  W. Traub,et al.  A laboratory demonstration of the capability to image an Earth-like extrasolar planet , 2007, Nature.

[55]  David Charbonneau,et al.  THE 8 μm PHASE VARIATION OF THE HOT SATURN HD 149026b , 2009, 0908.1977.

[56]  Drake Deming,et al.  THE BROADBAND INFRARED EMISSION SPECTRUM OF THE EXOPLANET TrES-3 , 2009, 0909.5221.

[57]  Wesley A. Traub,et al.  Spectrum of a Habitable World: Earthshine in the Near-Infrared , 2006 .

[58]  T. Guillot,et al.  Giant Planets at Small Orbital Distances , 1995, astro-ph/9511109.

[59]  K. Jucks,et al.  Remote sensing of planetary properties and biosignatures on extrasolar terrestrial planets. , 2002, Astrobiology.

[60]  M. López-Morales,et al.  Thermal Emission from Transiting Very Hot Jupiters: Prospects for Ground-based Detection at Optical Wavelengths , 2007, 0708.0822.

[61]  M. Holman,et al.  A SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL PLANETS IN THE NASA EPOXI OBSERVATIONS OF THE EXOPLANET SYSTEM GJ 436 , 2009, 0909.2875.

[62]  Drake Deming,et al.  Spitzer Transit and Secondary Eclipse Photometry of GJ 436b , 2007, 0707.2778.

[63]  Adam Burrows,et al.  Theoretical Spectra and Atmospheres of Extrasolar Giant Planets , 2003 .

[64]  Luc Arnold,et al.  Earthshine Observation of Vegetation and Implication for Life Detection on Other Planets , 2007, 0706.3798.

[65]  M. Holman,et al.  Transit infrared spectroscopy of the hot Neptune around GJ 436 with the Hubble Space Telescope , 2008, 0810.5731.

[66]  W. von Bloh,et al.  The habitability of super-Earths in Gliese 581 , 2007, 0705.3758.

[67]  I. Ribas,et al.  Primary Transit of the Planet HD 189733b at 3.6 and 5.8 μm , 2007, 0711.2142.

[68]  Peter H. Hauschildt,et al.  Irradiated planets , 2001, astro-ph/0104262.

[69]  Sara Seager,et al.  “Weather” Variability of Close-in Extrasolar Giant Planets , 2002, astro-ph/0210499.

[70]  Sara Seager,et al.  The Changing Face of the Extrasolar Giant Planet HD 209458b , 2002, astro-ph/0209227.

[71]  C. Pilcher,et al.  Biosignatures of early earths. , 2002, Astrobiology.

[72]  V. Slipher,et al.  The Constitution of the Atmospheres of the Giant Planets , 1934 .

[73]  D. Charbonneau,et al.  DETECTION OF PLANETARY EMISSION FROM THE EXOPLANET TrES-2 USING SPITZER/IRAC , 2009, 0909.3073.

[74]  Joseph L. Hora,et al.  Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Preprint typeset using L ATEX style emulateapj v. 10/09/06 THERMAL EMISSION OF EXOPLANET XO-1B , 2022 .

[75]  Sloane J. Wiktorowicz,et al.  NONDETECTION OF POLARIZED, SCATTERED LIGHT FROM THE HD 189733b HOT JUPITER , 2009, 0902.0624.

[76]  Adam Burrows,et al.  ALBEDO AND REFLECTION SPECTRA OF EXTRASOLAR GIANT PLANETS , 1999 .

[77]  Saurabh Jha,et al.  An extrasolar planet that transits the disk of its parent star , 2003, Nature.

[78]  J. Lovelock,et al.  A Physical Basis for Life Detection Experiments , 1965, Nature.

[79]  S. Seager,et al.  ALIEN MAPS OF AN OCEAN-BEARING WORLD , 2009, 0905.3742.

[80]  S. Seager,et al.  Mass-Radius Relationships for Solid Exoplanets , 2007, 0707.2895.

[81]  J. Pearl,et al.  Initial data from the Mars Global Surveyor thermal emission spectrometer experiment: Observations of the Earth , 1997 .

[82]  Joshua N. Winn,et al.  NEAR-INFRARED TRANSIT PHOTOMETRY OF THE EXOPLANET HD 149026b , 2009, 0902.1542.

[83]  D. Ehrenreich,et al.  SEARCH FOR CARBON MONOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE TRANSITING EXOPLANET HD 189733b , 2009, 0903.3405.

[84]  David Charbonneau,et al.  Design Considerations for a Ground-Based Transit Search for Habitable Planets Orbiting M Dwarfs , 2007, 0709.2879.

[85]  Drake Deming,et al.  A reappraisal of the habitability of planets around M dwarf stars. , 2006, Astrobiology.

[86]  Drake Deming,et al.  Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Strong Infrared Emission from the Extrasolar Planet HD189733b , 2006 .

[87]  I. Hubeny,et al.  Theoretical Spectra and Light Curves of Close-in Extrasolar Giant Planets and Comparison with Data , 2007, 0709.4080.

[88]  A. Burrows,et al.  Chemical Equilibrium Abundances in Brown Dwarf and Extrasolar Giant Planet Atmospheres , 1999 .

[89]  I. Hubeny,et al.  A Possible Bifurcation in Atmospheres of Strongly Irradiated Stars and Planets , 2003 .

[90]  A. Burrows,et al.  DETECTION OF A TEMPERATURE INVERSION IN THE BROADBAND INFRARED EMISSION SPECTRUM OF TrES-4 , 2008, 0810.0021.

[91]  N. J. Woolf,et al.  The Spectrum of Earthshine: A Pale Blue Dot Observed from the Ground , 2002 .

[92]  R. Gilliland,et al.  Detection of an Extrasolar Planet Atmosphere , 2001, astro-ph/0111544.

[93]  A. Collier Cameron,et al.  The thermal emission of the young and massive planet CoRoT-2b at 4.5 and 8 μm , 2009, 0911.5087.

[94]  C. McKay,et al.  Possibilities for methanogenic life in liquid methane on the surface of Titan , 2005 .

[95]  Andrew S. Ackerman,et al.  Precipitating Condensation Clouds in Substellar Atmospheres , 2001, astro-ph/0103423.

[96]  L. Koesterke,et al.  Sodium Absorption from the Exoplanetary Atmosphere of HD 189733b Detected in the Optical Transmission Spectrum , 2007, 0712.0761.

[97]  R. West.  Halley’s Comet (Part I): Ground-based Observations , 1989 .

[98]  W. Bains.  Many chemistries could be used to build living systems. , 2004, Astrobiology.

[99]  T. Hänsch,et al.  Laser Frequency Combs for Astronomical Observations , 2008, Science.

[100]  Joseph L. Hora,et al.  A ccepted forpublication in The A strophysicalJournal D etection of T herm alE m ission of X O -2b: E vidence for a W eak Tem perature Inversion , 2022 .

[101]  David F. Gray,et al.  Absence of a planetary signature in the spectra of the star 51 Pegasi , 1997, Nature.

[102]  David Lafreniere,et al.  Direct Imaging and Spectroscopy of a Planetary-Mass Candidate Companion to a Young Solar Analog , 2008, 0809.1424.

[103]  Sara Seager,et al.  The Very Low Albedo of an Extrasolar Planet: MOST Space-based Photometry of HD 209458 , 2007, 0711.4111.

[104]  W. C. Bowman,et al.  SPITZER IRAC SECONDARY ECLIPSE PHOTOMETRY OF THE TRANSITING EXTRASOLAR PLANET HAT-P-1b , 2009, 0911.2218.

[105]  S. Seager,et al.  Extrasolar Giant Planets under Strong Stellar Irradiation , 1998 .

[106]  I. Snellen,et al.  Ground-based K-band detection of thermal emission from the exoplanet TrES-3b , 2009, 0901.1878.

[107]  David Charbonneau,et al.  The 3.6-8.0 μm Broadband Emission Spectrum of HD 209458b: Evidence for an Atmospheric Temperature Inversion , 2007, 0709.3984.

[108]  X. Delfosse,et al.  Habitable planets around the star Gliese 581 , 2007, 0710.5294.

[109]  Challis.  On the Indications by Phenomena of Atmospheres to the Sun, Moon and Planets , 1863 .

[110]  David Charbonneau,et al.  A map of the day–night contrast of the extrasolar planet HD 189733b , 2007, Nature.

[111]  Pin Chen,et al.  Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters Molecular Signatures in the Near Infrared Dayside Spectrum of , 2022 .

[112]  B. Macintosh,et al.  Direct Imaging of Multiple Planets Orbiting the Star HR 8799 , 2008, Science.

[113]  S. V. Berdyugina,et al.  First Detection of Polarized Scattered Light from an Exoplanetary Atmosphere , 2007, 0712.0193.

[114]  M. Kuchner.  Volatile-rich Earth-Mass Planets in the Habitable Zone , 2003, astro-ph/0303186.

[115]  Jonathan Tennyson,et al.  Water vapour in the atmosphere of a transiting extrasolar planet , 2007, Nature.

[116]  Carl J. Grillmair,et al.  Strong water absorption in the dayside emission spectrum of the planet HD 189733b , 2008, Nature.

[117]  Xavier Bonfils,et al.  A super-Earth transiting a nearby low-mass star , 2009, Nature.

[118]  Victoria Meadows,et al.  Biosignatures from Earth-like planets around M dwarfs. , 2005, Astrobiology.

[119]  J. Bochanski,et al.  CONSTRAINING THE AGE–ACTIVITY RELATION FOR COOL STARS: THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY DATA RELEASE 5 LOW-MASS STAR SPECTROSCOPIC SAMPLE , 2007, 0712.1590.

[120]  Drake Deming,et al.  A spectrum of an extrasolar planet , 2007, Nature.

[121]  Planets Formed in Habitable Zones of M Dwarf Stars Probably Are Deficient in Volatiles , 2007, astro-ph/0703576.

[122]  S. R. Kulkarni,et al.  The Spectrum of the Brown Dwarf Gliese 229B , 1997 .

[123]  K. Menou,et al.  ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION OF HOT JUPITERS: A SHALLOW THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL , 2008, 0809.1671.

[124]  Mark Clampin,et al.  Optical Images of an Exosolar Planet 25 Light-Years from Earth , 2008, Science.

[125]  J. Kasting,et al.  Abiotic formation of O2 and O3 in high-CO2 terrestrial atmospheres , 2007, 0707.1557.

[126]  L M Mugnier,et al.  Darwin--a mission to detect and search for life on extrasolar planets. , 2009, Astrobiology.

[127]  M. Marley,et al.  On the Luminosity of Young Jupiters , 2006, astro-ph/0609739.

[128]  D. L. Webster.  Meteorological, Geological, and Biological Conditions on Venus , 1927, Nature.

[129]  S. Seager,et al.  Source of Atomic Hydrogen in the Atmosphere of HD 209458b , 2003, astro-ph/0307037.

[130]  A. Burrows,et al.  A Spitzer Spectrum of the Exoplanet HD 189733b , 2007 .

[131]  David K. Sing,et al.  The signature of hot hydrogen in the atmosphere of the extrasolar planet HD 209458b , 2007, Nature.

[132]  Molecular Abundances in the Atmosphere of the T Dwarf Gl 229B , 2000, astro-ph/0003353.

[133]  K. Lodders,et al.  ATMOSPHERIC SULFUR PHOTOCHEMISTRY ON HOT JUPITERS , 2009, 0903.1663.

[134]  Howard Isaacson,et al.  Kepler Planet-Detection Mission: Introduction and First Results , 2010, Science.

[135]  A. Adel.  A Determination of the amount of Carbon Dioxide above the Reflecting Layer in the Atmosphere of the Planet Venus , 1937 .

[136]  M. Shao,et al.  Sub-Microarcsecond Astrometry with SIM-Lite: A Testbed-based Performance Assessment , 2008, 0812.1530.

[137]  Gautam Vasisht,et al.  The presence of methane in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet , 2008, Nature.

[138]  S. Seager,et al.  THREE POSSIBLE ORIGINS FOR THE GAS LAYER ON GJ 1214b , 2009, 0912.3243.

[139]  David Charbonneau,et al.  Detection of Thermal Emission from an Extrasolar Planet , 2005 .

[140]  S. Seager,et al.  ON THE METHOD TO INFER AN ATMOSPHERE ON A TIDALLY LOCKED SUPER EARTH EXOPLANET AND UPPER LIMITS TO GJ 876d , 2009, 0910.1505.

[141]  L. Arnold,et al.  A test for the search for life on extrasolar planets - Looking for the terrestrial vegetation signature in the Earthshine spectrum , 2002, astro-ph/0206314.

[142]  P. R. Goode,et al.  Vegetation Signature in the Observed Globally Integrated Spectrum of Earth Considering Simultaneous Cloud Data: Applications for Extrasolar Planets , 2006, astro-ph/0604420.

[143]  The Dynamics-Based Approach to Studying Terrestrial Exoplanets , 2007, 0706.1047.

[144]  Gerard P. Kuiper,et al.  Titan: a Satellite with an Atmosphere. , 1944 .

[145]  W. Traub,et al.  TRANSITS OF EARTH-LIKE PLANETS , 2009, 0903.3371.

[146]  B. Fegley,et al.  Atmospheric Chemistry in Giant Planets, Brown Dwarfs, and Low-Mass Dwarf Stars: I. Carbon, Nitrogen, and Oxygen , 2002 .

[147]  Ben R. Oppenheimer,et al.  High-Contrast Observations in Optical and Infrared Astronomy , 2009 .

[148]  Robert M. Haberle,et al.  Simulations of the Atmospheres of Synchronously Rotating Terrestrial Planets Orbiting M Dwarfs: Conditions for Atmospheric Collapse and the Implications for Habitability☆ , 1997 .

[149]  M. Holman,et al.  THE TRANSIT LIGHT CURVE PROJECT. XI. SUBMILLIMAGNITUDE PHOTOMETRY OF TWO TRANSITS OF THE BLOATED PLANET WASP-4b , 2009, 0901.4346.

[150]  Mark Clampin,et al.  Discovery and Characterization of Transiting SuperEarths Using an All-Sky Transit Survey and Follow-Up by the James Webb Space Telescope , 2010 .

[151]  F. Allard,et al.  A comparison of chemistry and dust cloud formation in ultracool dwarf model atmospheres , 2008, 0809.3657.

[152]  W. D. Cochran,et al.  Kepler’s Optical Phase Curve of the Exoplanet HAT-P-7b , 2009, Science.

[153]  J. Lunine,et al.  Reflected Spectra and Albedos of Extrasolar Giant Planets. I. Clear and Cloudy Atmospheres , 1998, astro-ph/9810073.

[154]  A. Cox,et al.  Allen's astrophysical quantities , 2000 .

[155]  L. Schaefer,et al.  Chemistry of atmospheres formed during accretion of the Earth and other terrestrial planets , 2009, 0909.4050.

[156]  Portugal,et al.  Accurate Spitzer infrared radius measurement for the hot Neptune GJ 436b , 2007, 0707.2261.

[157]  G. Laughlin,et al.  Discovery and Characterization of Transiting Super Earths Using an All-Sky Transit Survey and Follow-up by the James Webb Space Telescope , 2009, 0903.4880.

[158]  CHEMISTRY OF SILICATE ATMOSPHERES OF EVAPORATING SUPER-EARTHS , 2009, 0906.1204.