Constraining the radius and atmospheric properties of directly imaged exoplanets through multi-phase observations

The theory of remote sensing shows that observing a planet at multiple phase angles ($alpha$) is a powerful strategy to characterize its atmosphere. Here, we analyse how the information contained in reflected-starlight spectra of exoplanets depends on the phase angle, and the potential of multi-phase measurements to better constrain the atmospheric properties and the planet radius ($R_p$). We simulate spectra (500-900 nm) at $alpha$=37$^circ$, 85$^circ$ and 123$^circ$ with spectral resolution $R$~125-225 and signal-to-noise ratio $S/N$=10. Assuming a H$_2$-He atmosphere, we use a seven-parameter model that includes the atmospheric methane abundance ($f_{CH_4}$), the optical properties of a cloud layer and $R_p$. All these parameters are assumed unknown a priori and explored with an MCMC retrieval method. We find that no single-phase observation can robustly identify whether the atmosphere has clouds or not. A single-phase observation at $alpha$=123$^circ$ and $S/N$=10 can constrain $R_p$ with a maximum error of 35%, regardless of the cloud coverage. Combining small (37$^circ$) and large (123$^circ$) phase angles is a generally effective strategy to break multiple parameter degeneracies. This enables to determine the presence or absence of a cloud and its main properties, $f_{CH_4}$ and $R_p$ in all the explored scenarios. Other strategies, such as doubling $S/N$ to 20 for a single-phase observation or combining small (37$^circ$) and moderate (85$^circ$) phase angles, fail to achieve this. We show that the improvements in multi-phase retrievals are associated with the shape of the scattering phase function of the cloud aerosols and that the improvement is more modest for isotropically-scattering aerosols. We finally discuss that misidentifying the background gas in the retrievals of super-Earth observations leads to a systematic underestimate of the absorbing gas abundance.

Methane in Analogs of Young Directly Imaged Exoplanets

We present detections of methane in R of $sim$1300, L band spectra of VHS 1256 b and PSO 318.5, two low gravity, red, late L dwarfs that share the same colors as the HR 8799 planets. These spectra reveal shallow methane features, which indicate VHS 1256 b and PSO 318.5 have photospheres that are out of chemical equilibrium. Directly imaged exoplanets usually have redder near infrared colors than the field-age population of brown dwarfs on a color magnitude diagram. These objects along the L to T transition show reduced methane absorption and evidence of photospheric clouds. Compared to the H and K bands, L band (3 micron - 4 micron) spectroscopy provides stronger constraints on the methane abundances of brown dwarfs and directly imaged exoplanets that have similar effective temperatures as L to T transition objects. When combined with near infrared spectra, the L band extends our conventional wavelength coverage, increasing our understanding of atmospheric cloud structure. Our model comparisons show relatively strong vertical mixing and photospheric clouds can explain the molecular absorption features and continua of VHS 1256 b and PSO 318.5. We also discuss the implications of this work for future exoplanet focused instruments and observations with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Detecting Exomoons Via Doppler Monitoring of Directly Imaged Exoplanets

Recently, Teachey, Kipping, and Schmitt (2018) reported the detection of a candidate exomoon, tentatively designated Kepler-1625b I, around a giant planet in the Kepler field. The candidate exomoon would be about the size and mass of Neptune, considerably larger than any moon in our Solar System, and if confirmed, would be the first in a new class of giant moons or binary planets. Motivated by the large mass ratio in the Kepler-1625b planet and satellite system, we investigate the detectability of similarly massive exomoons around directly imaged exoplanets via Doppler spectroscopy. The candidate moon around Kepler-1625b would induce a radial velocity signal of about 200 m/s on its host planet, large enough that similar moons around directly imaged planets orbiting bright, nearby stars might be detected with current or next generation instrumentation. In addition to searching for exomoons, a radial velocity survey of directly imaged planets could reveal the orientations of the planets spin axes, making it possible to identify Uranus analogs.

Atmospheric characterization of directly imaged exoplanets with JWST/MIRI

The Mid-Infrared instrument (MIRI) on board the James Webb Space Telescope will perform the first ever characterization of young giant exoplanets observed by direct imaging in the 5-28 microns spectral range. This wavelength range is key for both determining the bolometric luminosity of the cool known exoplanets and for accessing the strongest ammonia bands. In conjunction with shorter wavelength observations, MIRI will enable a more accurate characterization of the exoplanetary atmospheric properties. Here we consider a subsample of the currently known exoplanets detected by direct imaging and we discuss their detectability with MIRI, either using the coronagraphic or the spectroscopic modes. By using the Exo-REM atmosphere model we calculate the mid-infrared emission spectra of fourteen exoplanets, and we simulate MIRI coronagraphic or spectroscopic observations. Specifically we analyze four coronagraphic observational setups, which depend on (i) the target-star and reference-star offset (0, 3, 14 mas), (ii) the wave-front-error (130, 204 nm rms), (iii) the telescope jitter amplitude (1.6, 7 mas). We then determine the signal-to-noise and integration time values for the coronagraphic targets whose planet-to-star contrasts range from 3.9 to 10.1 mag. We conclude that all the MIRI targets should be observable with different degrees of difficulty, which depends on the final in-flight instrument performances. Furthermore, we test for detection of ammonia in the atmosphere of the coolest targets. Finally, we present the case of HR 8799 b to discuss what MIRI observations can bring to the knowledge of a planetary atmosphere, either alone or in combination with shorter wavelength observations.

Directly Imaged L-T Transition Exoplanets in the Mid-Infrared

Gas-giant planets emit a large fraction of their light in the mid-infrared ($gtrsim$3$mu$m), where photometry and spectroscopy are critical to our understanding of the bulk properties of extrasolar planets. Of particular importance are the L and M-band atmospheric windows (3-5$mu$m), which are the longest wavelengths currently accessible to ground-based, high-contrast imagers. We present binocular LBT AO images of the HR 8799 planetary system in six narrow-band filters from 3-4$mu$m, and a Magellan AO image of the 2M1207 planetary system in a broader 3.3$mu$m band. These systems encompass the five known exoplanets with luminosities consistent with L$rightarrow$T transition brown dwarfs. Our results show that the exoplanets are brighter and have shallower spectral slopes than equivalent temperature brown dwarfs in a wavelength range that contains the methane fundamental absorption feature (spanned by the narrowband filters and encompassed by the broader 3.3$mu$m filter). For 2M1207 b, we find that thick clouds and non-equilibrium chemistry caused by vertical mixing can explain the objects appearance. For the HR 8799 planets, we present new models that suggest the atmospheres must have patchy clouds, along with non-equilibrium chemistry. Together, the presence of a heterogeneous surface and vertical mixing presents a picture of dynamic planetary atmospheres in which both horizontal and vertical motions influence the chemical and condensate profiles.