Atmospheric composition and structure of HD209458b

Abstract

Transiting planets like HD209458b offer a unique opportunity to scrutinize their atmospheric composition and structure. Transit spectroscopy probes the transition region between the day and night sides, called limb. We present a re-analysis of existing archived HST/STIS transmission spectra of HD209458b's atmosphere. From these observations we: Identify H2 Rayleigh scattering, derive the absolute Sodium abundance and quantify its depletion in the upper atmosphere, extract a stratospheric T-P profile with a temperature inversion and explain broad band absorptions with the presence of TiO and VO molecules in the atmosphere of this planet.

4 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the 253rd IAU Symposium: "Transiting Planets", May 2008, Cambridge, MA

References in corpus (25)

• Detection of an Extrasolar Planet Atmosphere
• The Limiting Effects of Dust in Brown Dwarf Model Atmospheres
• A Unified Theory for the Atmospheres of the Hot and Very Hot Jupiters: Two Classes of Irradiated Atmospheres
• Theoretical Transmission Spectra During Extrasolar Giant Planet Transits
• Detection of oxygen and carbon in the hydrodynamically escaping atmosphere of the extrasolar planet HD209458b
• Detection of Thermal Emission from an Extrasolar Planet
• Chemical Equilibrium Abundances in Brown Dwarf and Extrasolar Giant Planet Atmospheres
• A Possible Bifurcation in Atmospheres of Strongly Irradiated Stars and Planets
• The 3.6-8.0 Micron Broadband Emission Spectrum of HD 209458b: Evidence for an Atmospheric Temperature Inversion
• Transmission Spectra as Diagnostics of Extrasolar Giant Planet Atmospheres
• Theoretical Spectra and Light Curves of Close-in Extrasolar Giant Planets and Comparison with Data
• Theoretical Spectral Models of the Planet HD 209458b with a Thermal Inversion and Water Emission Bands
• Using Stellar Limb-Darkening to Refine the Properties of HD 209458b
• Theory of Extrasolar Giant Planet Transits
• HST/STIS Optical Transit Transmission Spectra of the hot-Jupiter HD209458b
• The Influence of Atmospheric Dynamics on the Infrared Spectra and Light Curves of Hot Jupiters
• An Upper Limit on the Albedo of HD 209458b: Direct Imaging Photometry with the MOST Satellite
• Extrasolar Giant Planets under Strong Stellar Irradiation
• Identification of Absorption Features in an Extrasolar Planet Atmosphere
• Exoplanet HD 209458b : Evaporation strengthened
• On the Indirect Detection of Sodium in the Atmosphere of the Planetary Companion to HD 209458
• New observations of the extended hydrogen exosphere of the extrasolar planet HD209458b
• Determining atmospheric conditions at the terminator of the hot-Jupiter HD209458b
• Rayleigh scattering by H2 in the extrasolar planet HD209458b
• Atmospheric composition and structure of HD209458b

Cited by in corpus (3)

• TiO and VO broad band absorption features in the optical spectrum of the atmosphere of the hot-Jupiter HD209458b
• Titanium oxide and chemical inhomogeneity in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-189b
• Atmospheric composition and structure of HD209458b