No Arabic abstract
High resolution spectroscopy (HRS) has been used to detect a number of species in the atmospheres of hot Jupiters. Key to such detections is accurately and precisely modelled spectra for cross-correlation against the R$gtrsim$20,000 observations. There is a need for the latest generation of opacities which form the basis for high signal-to-noise detections using such spectra. In this study we present and make publicly available cross sections for six molecular species, H$_2$O, CO, HCN, CH$_4$, NH$_3$ and CO$_2$ using the latest line lists most suitable for low- and high-resolution spectroscopy. We focus on the infrared (0.95-5~$mu$m) and between 500-1500~K where these species have strong spectral signatures. We generate these cross sections on a grid of pressures and temperatures typical for the photospheres of super Earth, warm Neptunes and hot Jupiters using the latest H$_2$ and He pressure broadening. We highlight the most prominent infrared spectral features by modelling three representative exoplanets, GJ~1214~b, GJ~3470~b and HD~189733~b, which encompass a wide range in temperature, mass and radii. In addition, we verify the line lists for H$_2$O, CO and HCN with previous high resolution observations of hot Jupiters. However, we are unable to detect CH$_4$ with our new cross sections from HRS observations of HD~102195~b. These high accuracy opacities are critical for atmospheric detections with HRS and will be continually updated as new data becomes available.
Observations have confirmed the existence of multiple-planet systems containing a hot Jupiter and smaller planetary companions. Examples include WASP-47, Kepler-730, and TOI-1130. We examine the plausibility of forming such systems in situ using $N$-body simulations that include a realistic treatment of collisions, an evolving protoplanetary disc and eccentricity/inclination damping of planetary embryos. Initial conditions are constructed using two different models for the core of the giant planet: a seed-model and an equal-mass-model. The former has a more massive protoplanet placed among multiple small embryos in a compact configuration. The latter consists only of equal-mass embryos. Simulations of the seed-model lead to the formation of systems containing a hot Jupiter and super-Earths. The evolution consistently follows four distinct phases: early giant impacts; runaway gas accretion onto the seed protoplanet; disc damping-dominated evolution of the embryos orbiting exterior to the giant; a late chaotic phase after dispersal of the gas disc. Approximately 1% of the equal-mass simulations form a giant and follow the same four-phase evolution. Synthetic transit observations of the equal-mass simulations provide an occurrence rate of 0.26% for systems containing a hot Jupiter and an inner super-Earth, similar to the 0.2% occurrence rate from actual transit surveys, but simulated hot Jupiters are rarely detected as single transiting planets, in disagreement with observations. A subset of our simulations form two close-in giants, similar to the WASP-148 system. The scenario explored here provides a viable pathway for forming systems with unusual architectures, but does not apply to the majority of hot Jupiters.
Using the Kepler planet sample from Buchhave et al. and the statistical method clarified by Schlaufman, I show that the shorter-period super-Earths have a different dependence on the host star metallicity from the longer-period super-Earths, with the transition period being in the period range from 70 to 100 days. The hosts of shorter-period super-Earths are on average more metal-rich than those of longer-period super-Earths. The existence of such a transition period cannot be explained by any single theory of super-Earth formation, suggesting that super-Earths have formed via at least two mechanisms.
We present significant differences in the simulated atmospheric flow for warm, tidally-locked small Neptunes and super Earths (based on a nominal GJ 1214b) when solving the simplified, and commonly used, primitive dynamical equations or the full Navier-Stokes equations. The dominant prograde, superrotating zonal jet is markedly different between the simulations which are performed using practically identical numerical setups, within the same model. The differences arise due to the breakdown of the so-called `shallow-fluid and traditional approximations, which worsens when rotation rates are slowed, and day-night temperature contrasts are increased. The changes in the zonal advection between simulations solving the full and simplified equations, give rise to significant differences in the atmospheric redistribution of heat, altering the position of the hottest part of the atmosphere and temperature contrast between the day and night sides. The implications for the atmospheric chemistry and, therefore, observations need to be studied with a model including a more detailed treatment of the radiative transfer and chemistry. Small Neptunes and super Earths are extremely abundant and important, potentially bridging the structural properties (mass, radius, composition) of terrestrial and gas giant planets. Our results indicate care is required when interpreting the output of models solving the primitive equations of motion for such planets.
TESS is revolutionising the search for planets orbiting bright and nearby stars. In sectors 3 and 4, TESS observed TOI-402 (TIC-120896927), a bright V=9.1 K1 dwarf also known as HD 15337, and found two transiting signals with period of 4.76 and 17.18 days and radius of 1.90 and 2.21,Rearth. This star was observed as part of the radial-velocity search for planets using the HARPS spectrometer, and 85 precise radial-velocity measurements were obtained over a period of 14 years. In this paper, we analyse the HARPS radial-velocity measurements in hand to confirm the planetary nature of these two signals. By reanalysing TESS photometry and host star parameters using EXOFASTv2, we find that TOI-402.01 and TOI-402.02 have periods of 4.75642$pm$0.00021 and 17.1784$pm$0.0016 days and radii of 1.70$pm$0.06 and 2.52$pm$0.11,Rearth,(precision 3.6 and 4.2%), respectively. By analysing the HARPS radial-velocity measurements, we find that those planets are both super-Earths with masses of 7.20$pm$0.81 and 8.79$pm$1.67,Mearth,(precision 11.3 and 19.0%), and small eccentricities compatible with zero at 2$sigma$. Although having rather similar masses, the radius of these two planets is really different, putting them on different sides of the radius gap. With stellar irradiation 160 times more important than Earth for TOI-402.01 and only 29 times more for TOI-402.02, it is likely that photo-evaporation is at the origin of this radius difference. Those two planets, being in the same system and therefore being in the same irradiation environment are therefore extremely important to perform comparative exoplanetology across the evaporation valley and thus bring constraints on the mechanisms responsible for the radius gap.
Hot super-Earths likely possess minimal atmospheres established through vapor saturation equilibrium with the ground. We solve the hydrodynamics of these tenuous atmospheres at the surface of Corot-7b, Kepler 10b and 55 Cnc-e, including idealized treatments of magnetic drag and ohmic dissipation. We find that atmospheric pressures remain close to their local saturation values in all cases. Despite the emergence of strongly supersonic winds which carry sublimating mass away from the substellar point, the atmospheres do not extend much beyond the day-night terminators. Ground temperatures, which determine the planetary thermal (infrared) signature, are largely unaffected by exchanges with the atmosphere and thus follow the effective irradiation pattern. Atmospheric temperatures, however, which control cloud condensation and thus albedo properties, can deviate substantially from the irradiation pattern. Magnetic drag and ohmic dissipation can also strongly impact the atmospheric behavior, depending on atmospheric composition and the planetary magnetic field strength. We conclude that hot super-Earths could exhibit interesting signatures in reflection (and possibly in emission) which would trace a combination of their ground, atmospheric and magnetic properties.