No Arabic abstract
We present an optical to near-infrared transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter HAT-P-1b, based on HST observations, covering the spectral regime from 0.29 to 1.027{mu}m with STIS, which is coupled with a recent WFC3 transit (1.087 to 1.687{mu}m). We derive refined physical parameters of the HAT-P-1 system, including an improved orbital ephemeris. The transmission spectrum shows a strong absorption signature shortward of 0.55{mu}m, with a strong blueward slope into the near-ultraviolet. We detect atmospheric sodium absorption at a 3.3{sigma} significance level, but find no evidence for the potassium feature. The red data implies a marginally flat spectrum with a tentative absorption enhancement at wavelength longer than ~0.85{mu}m. The STIS and WFC3 spectra differ significantly in absolute radius level (4.3 +/- 1.6 pressure scale heights), implying strong optical absorption in the atmosphere of HAT-P-1b. The optical to near-infrared difference cannot be explained by stellar activity, as simulta- neous stellar activity monitoring of the G0V HAT-P-1b host star and its identical companion show no significant activity that could explain the result. We compare the complete STIS and WFC3 transmission spectrum with theoretical atmospheric mod- els which include haze, sodium and an extra optical absorber. We find that both an optical absorber and a super-solar sodium to water abundance ratio might be a sce- nario explaining the HAT-P-1b observations. Our results suggest that strong optical absorbers may be a dominant atmospheric feature in some hot Jupiter exoplanets.
We report Hubble Space Telescope (HST) optical to near-infrared transmission spectroscopy of the hot Jupiter WASP-6b, measured with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and Spitzers InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC). The resulting spectrum covers the range $0.29-4.5,mu$m. We find evidence for modest stellar activity of WASP-6b and take it into account in the transmission spectrum. The overall main characteristic of the spectrum is an increasing radius as a function of decreasing wavelength corresponding to a change of $Delta (R_p/R_{ast})=0.0071$ from 0.33 to $4.5,mu$m. The spectrum suggests an effective extinction cross-section with a power law of index consistent with Rayleigh scattering, with temperatures of $973pm144$ K at the planetary terminator. We compare the transmission spectrum with hot-Jupiter atmospheric models including condensate-free and aerosol-dominated models incorporating Mie theory. While none of the clear-atmosphere models is found to be in good agreement with the data, we find that the complete spectrum can be described by models that include significant opacity from aerosols including Fe-poor Mg$_2$SiO$_4$, MgSiO$_3$, KCl and Na$_2$S dust condensates. WASP-6b is the second planet after HD189733b which has equilibrium temperatures near $sim1200$ K and shows prominent atmospheric scattering in the optical.
We present Hubble Space Telescope near-infrared transmission spectroscopy of the transiting hot-Jupiter HAT-P-1b. We observed one transit with Wide Field Camera 3 using the G141 low-resolution grism to cover the wavelength range 1.087- 1.678 {mu}m. These time series observations were taken with the newly available spatial scan mode that increases the duty cycle by nearly a factor of two, thus improving the resulting photometric precision of the data. We measure a planet-to-star radius ratio of Rp/R*=0.11709+/-0.00038 in the white light curve with the centre of transit occurring at 2456114.345+/-0.000133 (JD). We achieve S/N levels per exposure of 1840 (0.061%) at a resolution of {Deltalambda}=19.2nm (R~70) in the 1.1173 - 1.6549{mu}m spectral region, providing the precision necessary to probe the transmission spectrum of the planet at close to the resolution limit of the instrument. We compute the transmission spectrum using both single target and differential photometry with similar results. The resultant transmission spectrum shows a significant absorption above the 5-{sigma} level matching the 1.4{mu}m water absorption band. In solar composition models, the water absorption is sensitive to the ~1 mbar pressure levels at the terminator. The detected absorption agrees with that predicted by an 1000 K isothermal model, as well as with that predicted by a planetary-averaged temperature model.
We report on novel observations of HAT-P-1 aimed at constraining the optical transmission spectrum of the atmosphere of its transiting Hot-Jupiter exoplanet. Ground-based differential spectrophotometry was performed over two transit windows using the DOLORES spectrograph at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). Our measurements imply an average planet to star radius ratio equal to $rm R_p/R_{star}$=(0.1159$pm$0.0005). This result is consistent with the value obtained from recent near infrared measurements of this object but differs from previously reported optical measurements being lower by around 4.4 exoplanet scale heights. Analyzing the data over 5 different spectral bins 600AA$,$ wide we observed a single peaked spectrum (3.7 $rmsigma$ level) with a blue cut-off corresponding to the blue edge of the broad absorption wing of sodium and an increased absorption in the region in between 6180-7400AA. We also infer that the width of the broad absorption wings due to alkali metals is likely narrower than the one implied by solar abundance clear atmospheric models. We interpret the result as evidence that HAT-P-1b has a partially clear atmosphere at optical wavelengths with a more modest contribution from an optical absorber than previously reported.
We present a new ground-based visible transmission spectrum of the high-gravity, hot Jupiter HAT-P-23b, obtained as part of the ACCESS project. We derive the spectrum from five transits observed between 2016 and 2018, with combined wavelength coverage between 5200 {AA} - 9269 {AA} in 200 {AA} bins, and with a median precision of 247 ppm per bin. HAT-P-23bs relatively high surface gravity (g ~ 30 m/s^2), combined with updated stellar and planetary parameters from Gaia DR2, gives a 5-scale-height signal of 384 ppm for a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere. Bayesian models favor a clear atmosphere for the planet with the tentative presence of TiO, after simultaneously modeling stellar contamination, using spots parameter constraints from photometry. If confirmed, HAT-P-23b would be the first example of a high-gravity gas giant with a clear atmosphere observed in transmission at optical/NIR wavelengths; therefore, we recommend expanding observations to the UV and IR to confirm our results and further characterize this planet. This result demonstrates how combining transmission spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres with long-term photometric monitoring of the host stars can help disentangle the exoplanet and stellar activity signals.
We present Hubble Space Telescope optical and near-IR transmission spectra of the transiting hot-Jupiter WASP-31b. The spectrum covers 0.3-1.7 $mu$m at a resolution $Rsim$70, which we combine with Spitzer photometry to cover the full-optical to IR. The spectrum is dominated by a cloud-deck with a flat transmission spectrum which is apparent at wavelengths $>0.52mu$m. The cloud deck is present at high altitudes and low pressures, as it covers the majority of the expected optical Na line and near-IR H$_2$O features. While Na I absorption is not clearly identified, the resulting spectrum does show a very strong potassium feature detected at the 4.2-$sigma$ confidence level. Broadened alkali wings are not detected, indicating pressures below $sim$10 mbar. The lack of Na and strong K is the first indication of a sub-solar Na/K abundance ratio in a planetary atmosphere (ln[Na/K]$=-3.3pm2.8$), which could potentially be explained by Na condensation on the planets night side, or primordial abundance variations. A strong Rayleigh scattering signature is detected at short wavelengths, with a 4-$sigma$ significant slope. Two distinct aerosol size populations can explain the spectra, with a smaller sub-micron size grain population reaching high altitudes producing a blue Rayleigh scattering signature on top of a larger, lower-lying population responsible for the flat cloud deck at longer wavelengths. We estimate that the atmospheric circulation is sufficiently strong to mix micron size particles upward to the required 1-10 mbar pressures, necessary to explain the cloud deck. These results further confirm the importance of clouds in hot-Jupiters, which can potentially dominate the overall spectra and may alter the abundances of key gaseous species.